The hidden cost of inadequate degassing
Across the industry, closed aquaculture facilities consistently underperform their designed production capacity — and water quality is frequently the underlying cause. New research from Searas (FHF project 910827) points to why: CO₂ tells only part of the story. The true driver is total inorganic carbon (TIC) — CO₂, bicarbonate and carbonate in constant, pH-dependent equilibrium.
The key insight
When water is degassed, only free CO₂ is removed instantly. Within roughly a minute, a significant share is replenished as bicarbonate converts back to CO₂. Rapid degassing therefore addresses only the surface of the problem — longer contact time (30–60 seconds, as applied in Searas' AquaDUCT) allows this regenerated CO₂ to be stripped as well, substantially improving removal efficiency.
The implication for operators
Facilities managed on CO₂ readings alone can appear stable while TIC quietly accumulates — until a stress event, such as crowding, triggers a sharp CO₂ spike, with direct consequences for growth, welfare and mortality risk.
The core conclusion: a facility that doesn't know its carbon balance doesn't know its true production capacity.
Read full article here: https://www.landbasedaq.com/research-articles-searas/the-hidden-cost-of-inadequate-degassing/2184106
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