Prof. Amit Gross | Photo: Dani Machlis, BGU
As climate change jeopardizes food production, sustainable alternatives are crucial. Aquaponics, a symbiotic cultivation method, has gained traction. Researchers from Ben-Gurion University have made a breakthrough by creating a closed-loop aquaponics system that outperforms traditional models in terms of yield and energy efficiency.
Leave it to Israelis to make the big advances in anything related to science and agriculture. Israelis have always been at the forefront of innovation and advancement in these areas, being that Israel is a desert country, with few natural resources.
Aquaponics is a fascinating and sustainable method of food production that combines aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) with hydroponics (growing plants without soil). It’s a symbiotic relationship where fish waste, rich in nutrients, is converted by beneficial bacteria into a plant-friendly form. These nutrient-rich waters are then circulated to nourish the plants, which in turn purify the water for the fish. Aquaponic systems grow fish while using the fish waste to grow vegetables hydroponically.
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Prof. Amit Gross, director of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research of Ben-Gurion University has been working with his students and collaborators for the last decade on aquaponic systems. Aquaponic systems grow fish while using the fish waste to grow vegetables hydroponically. Coupled aquaponics are closed loop systems that recycle much of the fish effluent rather than reusing it outside of the aquaponic system. Where typically the fish solid waste is disposed of, the research led by Prof. Gross managed to treat it by anaerobic digestion and recover energy and nutrients into the system to form a near zero waste unit.
“Feeding the more than 8 billion people on the planet while reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require innovative technologies. Those that combine two functions in one are obviously preferable. Fish are a sustainable high-quality source of protein with a far smaller carbon footprint than most other sources. Combining fish growth with vegetable production and preventing waste is a win-win-win,” says Prof. Gross.
