Engineering Commons^™

Aquaponics: A Sustainable Food Production System That Provides Research Projects For Undergraduate Engineering Students, Richard W. Marklin Jr., Margaret Mathison, Brooke Mayer, Mark L. Nagurka, Vikram Cariapa, Jay Schabelski

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Aquaponics is a closed-loop, recirculating water system in which plants and fish grow together mutualistically. Aquaponics resembles a natural river or lake basin in which fish waste serves as nutrients for the plants, which in turn clean the water for the fish. Tilapia and salad greens or herbs are common fish and plants grown in an aquaponics system. The external inputs to an aquaponics system are fish food, minimal amount of water, and energy for lighting and heating the water for the fish and plants.

Aquaponics is a sustainable, efficient system to raise fish protein and vegetables for human consumption. …