Co-Producing Fish and Salicornia in a Decoupled Aquaponic System

Salicornia europaea grown in a decoupled aquaponic system using recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) effluent from rainbow trout farming. Despite nitrate levels averaging 70 mg/L or higher, low biomass yield resulted from micronutrient deficiency in fish process water. The system maintains operational flexibility through independent fish and plant unit management. Due to insufficient nutrients for optimal plant growth, supplementary feeding is required, preventing full nutrient loop closure. The study is part of the AQUACOMBINE project, focusing on circular use of biomass fractions to produce food, feed, bio-compounds, and bioenergy. Authors: Ramon Perez and Jiwan Kumar Chettri, Alpha Aqua A/S, Denmark.