fnrb0409 : USDA ARS

<!DOCTYPE HTML> <html> <head> <title>fnrb0409 : USDA ARS</title> <meta http-equiv='Content-Type:text/html; charset=UTF-8' /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />  <meta name="description" /> <meta name="keywords" content="" /> <meta key="ID" value="184652" />   <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css"> <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <script src="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script> <meta name='bbsect' content='Main'> <meta name='modestem' content='00a00b00c00d'> <meta name='modestem1' content='00a'> <meta name='modestem2' content='00b'> <meta name='modestem3' content='00c'> <meta name='modestem4' content='00d'> <meta name='site_code' content='00-00-00-00'> <meta name="WT.ModeCode" content="00-00-00-00"> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <title>Research : USDA ARS</title>   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/USWDS/css/styleguide.css"> <link href="/css/ARSbranding.css?t=20241125" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="/Jquery/ARSbranding.js"></script> <link media="print" href="/css/print.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=arsociowb"></script> </head> <body class="layout-demo" role="banner"> <a class="usa-skipnav" href="#main-content">Skip to main content</a> <header class="usa-header usa-header-basic" role="banner">  <div class="usa-banner"> <div class="usa-accordion"> <header class="usa-banner-header"> <div class="usa-grid usa-banner-inner"> <img src="/USWDS/img/favicons/favicon-57.png" alt="U.S. flag"> <p>An official website of the United States government</p> <button class="usa-accordion-button usa-banner-button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner"> <span class="usa-banner-button-text">Here's how you know</span> </button> </div> </header> <div class="usa-banner-content usa-grid usa-accordion-content" id="gov-banner"> <div class="usa-banner-guidance-gov usa-width-one-half"> <img class="usa-banner-icon usa-media_block-img" src="/USWDS/img/icon-dot-gov.svg" alt="Dot gov"> <div class="usa-media_block-body"> <p> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong> <br> A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. </p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-banner-guidance-ssl usa-width-one-half"> <img class="usa-banner-icon usa-media_block-img" src="/USWDS/img/icon-https.svg" alt="SSL"> <div class="usa-media_block-body"> <p> <strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong> <br> A <strong>lock</strong> ( <span class="icon-lock"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="52" height="64" viewBox="0 0 52 64" class="usa-banner__lock-image" role="img" aria-labelledby="banner-lock-title banner-lock-description"><title id="banner-lock-title">Lock</title><desc id="banner-lock-description">A locked padlock</desc><path fill="#000000" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M26 0c10.493 0 19 8.507 19 19v9h3a4 4 0 0 1 4 4v28a4 4 0 0 1-4 4H4a4 4 0 0 1-4-4V32a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h3v-9C7 8.507 15.507 0 26 0zm0 8c-5.979 0-10.843 4.77-10.996 10.712L15 19v9h22v-9c0-6.075-4.925-11-11-11z"></path></svg></span> ) or <strong>https://</strong> means you鈥檝e safely connected to the .gov website. 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href="/"><b>ARS Home</b></a></li> <li><a title="About ARS" href="/about-ars/"><b>About ARS</b></a></li> <li><a title="Contact Us" href="/contact-us/?modeCode=00-00-00-00"><b>Contact Us</b></a></li> </ul> </div>  </nav> </div> </header> <div class="usa-overlay"></div> <main class="usa-grid usa-section usa-content usa-layout-docs" id="main-content"> <div> <a href="/">ARS Home</a> 禄 <a href="/oc/">Office of Communications</a> 禄 <a href="/oc/fnrb/">FNRB</a> 禄 fnrb0409  <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" id="Social-Share-Icons"> <a class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a class="addthis_button_print"></a> <a class="addthis_button_compact"></a> </div>  </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <hr /> </div> <aside class="usa-width-one-fourth usa-layout-docs-sidenav"> <ul class="usa-sidenav-list"> <h4>ARS-wide</h4> <li><a href="/news-events/news-events/" >ARS News & Events</a></li> <li><a href="https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/" >AgResearch Magazine</a></li> <li><a href="/oc/images/image-gallery/" >Image Gallery</a></li> <h4>At this Location</h4> <li><a href="/news-events/?modeCode=00-00-00-00" >News</a></li> </ul> </aside>  <div class="usa-width-three-fourths usa-layout-docs-main_content" >    <p align="CENTER"><a href="/is/np/fnrb/index.html"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/np/fnrb/fnrb.png" alt="Table place setting with apple. Title: Food and Nutrition Research Briefs. Link to FNRB home page" border="0"></a></p><center><table border="0" width="485" align="CENTER" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#cecece" valign="MIDDLE"><tr><td align="RIGHT"><font color="#E9161C"><b>April 2009</b></font></td></tr></table><br></center><center><table width="85%" align="CENTER" cellspacing="10"><tr><td align="CENTER" colspan="2" valign="top"><hr><p align="CENTER"><b><font color="#ff0000" face="Verdana" size="-1"><a href="/is/np/fnrb/"><font color="#ff0000"><i>FNRB</i> Index</font></a> | <a href="/is/np/fnrb/"><font color="#ff0000">Search</font></a> | <a href="mailto:Kim.Kaplan@ars.usda.gov"><font color="#ff0000">Comments</font></a></font></b></p><hr></td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2" valign="top"> </td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2" valign="top"><h2 align="center"><a name="Contents"><font face="Arial">Contents</font></a></h2></td></tr><tr><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#berry">Berry Compound Reduces Aging Effect</a></font></i></b></h4></td><td width="50%" align="LEFT" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#lettuce">Lettuce Carotenoids Affected by UV Light in Greenhouse </a></font></i></b></h4></td></tr><tr><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#weather">Extreme Weather Boosts Antioxidant Levels in Soybean Seeds</a></font></i></b></h4></td><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#gene">Gene Variants Affecting Blood Fats Identified</a></font></i></b></h4></td></tr><tr><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#safety">Nanotechnology May be Used for Food Safety</a></font></i></b></h4></td><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#food">Food Choices and Health Indicators</a></font></i></b></h4></td></tr><tr><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#bone">Nutrient Supports Bone Health Over Time</a></font></i></b></h4></td><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#eggs">USDA Pressure Chamber Makes Egg Microcracks Shine </a></font></i></b></h4></td></tr><tr><td width="50%" align="LEFT" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#acidosis">Neutralizing Acidosis and Bone Loss among Mature Adults </a></font></i></b></h4></td><td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"><h4 align="left"><b><i><font face="Arial"><a href="#pompano">Futuristic Seafood: Raising Delicious Cobia and PompanoInland! </a></font></i></b></h4></td></tr></table></center><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td><h3><a name="berry">Berry Compound Reduces Aging Effect</a></h3><p>Aged laboratory animals that ate a diet rich in the berry and grape compound pterostilbene performed better in tests than those in a group that did not eat the enriched diet, according to the results of a new study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. Pterostilbene reversed measurable negative effects of aging on brain function and behavioral performance. The results indicated that in aging rats, pterostilbene was effective in reversing cognitive decline, and that improved working memory was linked to pterostilbene levels in the hippocampus region of the brain. </p><p><a href="/ARSUserFiles/oc/pr/2008/081211.htm ">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=2914">James A. Joseph</a>, (617) 556-3178, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19-50-00-00">Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging</a>, Boston, Mass.</i></font></p></td><td width="25%" valign="TOP"><p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/k7229-19.htm"><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/k7229-19i.jpg" alt="Photo: Baskets of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Link to photo information" border="1" vspace="4"></a><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">A diet rich in antioxidant compounds from berries and grapes reversed cognitive decline and improved working memory in aged laboratory animals. </font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td valign="TOP" width="25%"><p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/dec99/k8322-16.htm"><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/dec99/k8322-16i.jpg" alt="Photo: Field of soybeans. Link to photo information" border="1" vspace="4"></a><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">Growing conditions like weather have been found to influence the levels of antioxidants in soybean.</font></p></td><td><h3><a name="weather">Extreme Weather Boosts Antioxidant Levels in Soybean Seeds</a></h3><p>Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have found that weather and climate play key roles in levels of a family of antioxidants tucked inside soybean seeds. Researchers analyzed the content of tocopherols in soybean seeds grown at several locations in Maryland between 1999 and 2002. Weather was relatively normal between 1999 and 2001, but extreme drought and warmer temperatures characterized 2002. There were small but significant increases in the proportion of alpha-tocopherol in beans from the same genetic line grown in warmer, full-season locations on Maryland's Eastern Shore, compared to beans that matured under slightly cooler conditions. But under extreme drought conditions in 2002, early maturing lines had as much as a 3.5-fold increase in relative alpha-tocopherol content, compared to the other years during which rainfall was adequate.</p><p><a href="/is/pr/2008/081217.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=639">Steven J. Britz</a>, (301) 504-6625 ext. 241, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-35-20-00">Food Components and Health Laboratory</a>, ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md.</i></font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td><h3><a name="safety">Nanotechnology May be Used for Food Safety</a></h3><p><p>A microscopic biological sensor that detects <i>Salmonella</i> bacteria in lab tests has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and university colleagues. The sensor could be adapted to detect other foodborne pathogens as well. The sensor is part of an evolving science known as nanotechnology, the study and manipulation of materials on a molecular or even atomic level, measured in billionths of a meter, which is about 10 to 100 times thinner than a human hair. The biosensors include fluorescent organic dye particles attached to <i>Salmonella</i> antibodies. The antibodies hook onto <i>Salmonella</i> bacteria and the dye lights up like a beacon, making the bacteria easier to see. </p><p><a href="/is/pr/2008/081215.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=33020">Bosoon Park</a>, (706) 546-3396, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=66-12-05-03">Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit</a>, ARS Richard B. Russell Research Center, Athens, Ga.</i></font></p></td><td width="25%" valign="TOP"><p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/jan00/k8732-1.htm"><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/jan00/k8732-1i.jpg" alt="Photo: Large Salmonella colony in a petri dish. Link to photo information" border="1" vspace="4"></a><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">A microscopic biological sensor that can detect <i>Salmonella</i> bacteriashown here in a petri dishin lab tests has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service scientist and university colleagues. </font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td valign="TOP" width="25%"><p><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/pr/2009/fruit090114.jpg" alt="Photo: A variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Link to photo information" border="1" vspace="4"><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">Plant pigments commonly found in colorful fruits and vegetables appear to have a protective effect against bone loss in older adults, according to a new study. <i>Photo courtesy of National Institutes of Health.</i></font></p></td><td><h3><a name="bone">Nutrient Supports Bone Health Over Time</a></h3><p>Findings from a new study funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) suggest that natural plant pigments called carotenoids may help protect against bone loss in older men and women. Over the course of the four-year study, carotenoids were associated with some level of protection against losses in bone mineral density at the hip in men and at the lumbar spine in women. No significant associations were observed at other bone sites. The results suggest there is a protective effect of carotenoids, particularly of lycopene, against bone loss in older adults. The researchers concluded that carotenoids may explain, in part, the previously observed protective effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on bone mineral density. </p><p><a href="/is/pr/2009/090114.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=38217">Katherine Tucker</a>, (617) 556-3351, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19-50-00-00">Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging</a>, Boston, Mass.</i></font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td><h3><a name="acidosis">Neutralizing Acidosis and Bone Loss among Mature Adults</a></h3><p>A new study funded in part by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) suggests that neutralizing an acid-producing diet may be an important key to reducing bone breakdown, or "turnover," while aging. The study comes on the heels of several ARS-reported studies suggesting that consuming more-than-recommended amounts of calcium may not be the main answer to protecting bone. A group of 78 volunteers had been provided either of two bicarbonatespotassium or sodiumalong with their usual diet and exercise regimes. The bicarbonate groups consumed an amount of bicarbonate equivalent to about nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. The results showed that the 78 volunteers in the bicarbonate groups had significant reductions in biomarkers that are associated with bone loss and fracture than the 84 in the no-bicarbonate group. </p><p><a href="/is/pr/2009/090130.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=10484">Bess Dawson-Hughes</a>, (617) 556-3066, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19-50-00-00">Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging</a>, Boston, Mass.</i></font></p></td><td width="25%" valign="TOP"><p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/dec99/k8666-1.htm"><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/dec99/k8666-1i.jpg" alt="Photo: Fresh cut fruits and vegetables. Link to photo information" border="1" vspace="4"></a><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">Neutralizing an acid-producing diet, which can be done by eating fruits and vegetables, appears to be an important key to reducing bone breakdown while aging. </font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td valign="TOP" width="25%"><p><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/pr/2009/lettuce090223.jpg" alt="Photo: A display of red and green leaf lettuce." border="1" vspace="4"><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">The plant on the left received no UV light; the middle plant received only UV-A light; and the plant on the right received both UV-A and UV-B light, resulting in higher levels of phenolic antioxidants.<i>Photo courtesy of Steve Britz, ARS. </i></font></p></td><td><h3><a name="lettuce">Lettuce Carotenoids Affected by UV Light in Greenhouse </a></h3><p><p>Growing the right type of green leaf lettuce during winter in a greenhouseand exposing it to the right type of ultraviolet lightcan boost levels of nutritionally beneficial carotenoids, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study. Supplemental ultraviolet-A light (UV-A) and ultraviolet-B light (UV-B) greatly increased the carotenoid and chlorophyll concentrations of the green leaf lettuce varieties, while slightly but significantly reducing the levels of those compounds in the red varieties. Interestingly, significantly higher levels of other phenolic phytochemicals were produced in the red leaf lettuce varieties, compared to the green leaf lettuce varieties under the same UV treatment conditions. Among the green leaf lettuce varieties, under identical light and growing conditions, "Concept" had about 10 times the level of lutein, a carotenoid, as "Black-Seeded Simpson." Also, the amount of lutein in two green varieties"Marin" and "Waldmann's Dark Green"more than doubled after receiving both supplemental UV-A and UV-B light, when compared to lettuce that received only regular light.</p><p><a href="/is/pr/2009/090223.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=639">Steven J. Britz</a>, (301) 504-6625, ext. 241, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-35-20-00">Food Components and Health Laboratory</a>, ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md.</i></font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td><h3><a name="gene">Gene Variants Affecting Blood Fats Identified</a></h3><p><p>A team of investigators at a research center funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has identified new genetic sites harboring common variations in DNA that are linked to imbalances in concentrations of blood lipids (fats). The findings provide another step forward in understanding the genetic contribution to dyslipidemia, a condition marked by overproduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL "bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides, and underproduction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL "good"cholesterol). While each of the 30 genetic sites, called loci, identified conferred a modest effect individually, the analysis suggests that the more lipid-risk variants found in one individual, the higher his or her association with dyslipidemia. Together, the 30 sites explain a significant percentage of the genetic contribution to lipid levels among individuals. </p><p><a href="/is/pr/2009/090126.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=22428">Jose Ordovas</a>, (617) 556-3102, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19-50-00-00">Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging</a>, Boston, Mass.</i></font></p></td><td width="25%" valign="TOP"><p><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/pr/2009/dna0901.jpg" alt="Photo: Drawing of DNA." border="1" vspace="4"><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">A new study associates 11 new genetic sites with cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people. <i>Image courtesy of Microsoft Clipart.</i></font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td valign="TOP" width="25%"><p><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/pr/2009/bmi090203.jpg" alt="Photo: Graphic of hamburger, french fries and soda on a tray." border="1" vspace="4"><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">For people aged 31-50, eating a high proportion of "fast food" is associated with a higher body mass index (BMI). <i>Image courtesy of Microsoft Clipart.</i></font></p></td><td><h3><a name="food">Food Choices and Health Indicators</a></h3><p>A study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) nutritionist Rhonda Sebastian shows that among U.S. men and women aged 31 to 50, obtaining a greater proportion of total calories from conventional fast-food restaurants was associated with a higher BMI, or body mass index. Sebastian and colleagues analyzed the eating habits of more than 2,000 volunteers aged 19 to 50. The significant relationship between BMI and fast-food intake found among the 31- to 50-year age group was not found among the 894 volunteers who were in the 19- to 30-year age group. </p><p><a href="/is/pr/2009/090203.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=5050">Rhonda Sebastian</a>, (301) 504-0343, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-35-00-00">ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center</a>, Beltsville, Md. </i></font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td><h3><a name="eggs">USDA Pressure Chamber Makes Egg Microcracks Shine </a></h3><p>A prototype pressure chamber and camera system that finds very small cracks, called microcracks, in fresh eggshells has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. The device could help the fresh egg industry find microcracks that can often go undetected during grading. The technology emulates human graders who squeeze eggs along suspected cracks to see if the cracks open. The camera then takes a picture before and while the crack is opening to "see" if the shell is cracked. The system detected 99.4 percent of eggshell cracks while recording almost no false positives (only 0.3 percent). In comparison, professional human graders had an 85.8 percent crack detection rate and 1.2 percent false positives. </p><p><a href="/ARSUserFiles/oc/pr/2009/090213.htm ">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=3249">Kurt C. Lawrence</a>, (706) 546-3527, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=66-12-05-03">Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit</a>, ARS Richard B. Russell Research Center, Athens, Ga.</i></font></p></td><td width="25%" valign="TOP"><p><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/np/fnrb/egg0409.jpg" alt="Photo: A cracked egg." border="1" vspace="4"><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">A pressure chamber finds very small cracks in fresh eggshells. </font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%"><table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tr><td valign="TOP" width="25%"><p><img align="TOP" src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/feb09/d1226-34c.jpg" alt="Photo: Pompano fish in a net." border="1" vspace="4"><br><font size="-1" face="Arial">ARS researchers are working out ways to raise saltwater fish like this pompano hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. </font></p></td><td><h3><a name="pompano">Futuristic Seafood: Raising Delicious Cobia and PompanoInland! </a></h3><p>An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) team including agricultural engineer Timothy J. Pfeiffer, fish nutritionist Martin A. Riche, and fish biologist Charles R. Weirichall based in Ft. Pierce, Fla.is determining how to best raise cobia and pompano inland, hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean or bay, in huge tanks of fresh or only slightly salty water. The tanks are part of what's known as a "recirculating aquaculture system," or "RAS," in which water is cleaned and used again and again. These systems offer the potential to reduce discharge of everyday fish-farm effluent to as little as 3 percentor lessof the total amount of water used each day. Fish wastes and unused food collected in the system could be recycled as nutrient-rich compost.</p><p><a href="/is/pr/2009/090209.htm">Details</a></p><p><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><i>Scientific contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=4414">Timothy J. Pfeiffer</a>, (772) 465-2400, ext. 360, <a href="/main/site_main.htm?modecode=62-25-10-00">ARS Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center</a>, Fort. Pierce, Fla.</i></font></p></td></tr></table><p align="CENTER"><font face="Verdana"><a href="#Contents"><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Back to Contents</font></a></font></p><hr width="85%">    </div>   <script async id="_fed_an_ua_tag" src="https://dap.digitalgov.gov/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=USDA&subagency=ARS"></script>       <script src="/ARSUserFiles/Utility/WebTrends/webtrends.load_ars.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <noscript> <div> <img alt="DCSIMG" id="DCSIMG" width="1" height="1" src="https://statse.webtrendslive.com/dcs2229fyq5yxf5j5aw1zdupi_2f9o/njs.gif?dcsuri=/nojavascript&WT.js=No&WT.tv=10.4.23&dcssip=www.ars.usda.gov" /> </div> </noscript>  <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-27627304-6']); _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', 'usda.gov']); _gaq.push(['_setAllowLinker', true]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); _gaq.push(['b._setAccount', 'UA-27627304-1']); _gaq.push(['b._setDomainName', 'usda.gov']); _gaq.push(['b._setAllowLinker', true]); _gaq.push(['b._trackPageview']); (function () { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 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