Brooklyn College Biologist to Discuss Urban Aquaculture at the New York Academy of Sciences, January 19

Dr. Schreibman and a laboratory-grown tilapia (photo courtesy Gersh Kuntzman)

Martin Schreibman may have the solution to the world's fisheries crisis swimming in stainless steel tanks in his Brooklyn College laboratory. Dr. Schreibman will discuss his recent research into urban aquaculture on Thursday, January 19, at 6 p.m. at the New York Academy of Sciences, 2 East 63 Street, between Madison and 5th Avenues, in Manhattan. Seating is limited. Please reserve via e-mail to EnviroSection@nyas.org, or by calling 212-838-0230 x322. This event is open to the public and free to members of the Academy and/or of the NYAS Environmental Science Section. A non-member charge of $20 will be collected at the door ($10 for student nonmembers). Annual membership in the Academy ($95) or in the NYAS Environmental Science Forum ($30) can be arranged at the door. Click here for more information.

Fish stocks across the world's oceans are declining and current fishing practices are seen to be unsustainable. Many proposals have been put forward to ameliorate this problem, including fishing quotas and aquaculture projects, as well as the recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's proposed legislation to expand fish farming in the coastal waters around the United States. Reactions to these proposed solutions have been mixed. Ultimately, the preservation and management of the ocean's resources will require rethinking society's relationship to the seas and to ocean life.

Dr. Martin P. Schreibman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology at the City University of New York's Brooklyn College, has perfected a model for sustainable urban aquaculture using the newest technology, re-circulating aquaculture systems (RAS), to breed and quickly grow fish species in controlled environments, using fish food derived from soy and controlled lighting and water temperatures to ensure maximum growth.

Professor Schreibman directs Brooklyn College's Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center (AREAC), a research facility devoted to the study of aquatic organisms— how they grow, adapt, reproduce, and live in all temperatures and environments. Its multidisciplinary team of researchers seeks to answer questions about medicine, nutrition, pollution, aquaculture, fisheries, and marine ecology. AREAC's projects include bivalve and fish aquaculture, captive breeding of horseshoe crabs, educational outreach, and product commercialization.

Urban aquaculture will be discussed in the context of its potential for economic development, job training, educational program development, and impact on current environmental and social issues, such as world fisheries management, ecosystem abuse and restoration, pros and cons of aquaculture approaches, and feeding the hungry of the world.

Dr. John Marra, Doherty Senior Scholar and Associate Director for the Biology and Paleo-environment Division at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, will provide additional insights. His research interests include the productivity of the ocean, as well as society's relationship to the ocean in terms of food resources.