Short Student Biography:
Studied Bachelor of Science in Fisheries Management and Aquaculture Technology at South Eastern Kenya University. Kitui, Kenya. Internship at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute both Kisumu and Mombasa.Short courses including Regional training course on larval fish identification and early life-history science at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 2015,Value chain managementat South Eastern Kenya University, Kitui, Kenya in 2016, Local fishbase and fish taxonomy training at the National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi in 2016.studied MSc. Aquaculture at the university of Nairobi and published an article with the International Journal for Fisheries and Aquatic Studies titled Potential of Seaweed (Hypneamusciformis) and (Hypneacornuta) in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fingerling Diet.
Project Summary
Thesis / Project Title:POTENTIAL USE OF SELECTED SEAWEEDS AS FEED SUPPLEMENTS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVAL OF NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus -Linnaeus, 1758) FINGERLINGS.
Thesis / Project Abstract:
The study investigated the growth performance of Oreochromis niloticus fingerling fed seaweed (Hypneacornuta and Hypneamusciformis) supplemented diet, with freshwater shrimp (Caridinanilotica) as the protein ingredient. Three species of seaweeds (H.cornuta, H.musciformis and Ulva reticulata) were sampled and tested for their protein content andit was highest in H.cornuta (22.4±0.07 mg/g) and H.musciformis (21.52±0.08 mg/g) as compared to U. reticulata (11.69±0.16 mg/g. Five experimental diets containing 20% H.cornuta, 30% H.cornuta, 20% H.musciformis, 30% H.musciformis and the control dietcontaining no seaweed were formulated. A total of 450 O. niloticus male fingerlings (mean weight =1.42g) were obtained from Green Algae Farm, Sagana. The experiment was conducted for a duration of 60 days. O.niloticus fed on 20% H. cornuta recorded the highest weight gain (9.30±0.24g). Condition factor ranged from 1.21±0.05 to 1.84±0.03 and was above one in all the diets, indicating good fish health and culture conditions. The highest Specific Growth Rate (SGR) was on fingerlings fed 20% H. cornuta diet (3.27±0.03). Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was at 1.4 across all the diets indicating an optima FCR. Therefore, this study suggests that 20% H. cornuta can be a supplement on O. niloticus fingerling diet since it performed slightly better on weight gain and, in other growth parameter aspects. This information will benefit seaweed farmers, fish farmers, and fish feed producers searching for more species or feed ingredient to exploit