Global water solutions expert, Pentair, has opened a new Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems'' World Aquaculture Technology Engineering & Research Center of Excellence in Florida, US.
The centre, which consists of 12,400 square feet of laboratories and fish culture systems, will be used for demonstration, research and teaching activities.
It was built to allow customers and educational institutions to monitor the progress of fish culture trials online, including water quality, feeding, feed conversion ratios, growth rates, energy consumption and harvesting activities.
"We call this farming reimagined," said Karl Frykman, president of Pentair's Water Quality Systems. "This centre showcases our expertise and technologies in water reuse systems and solutions, including our energy efficient pumps and filtration systems."
The centre, Mr Frykman said, also highlights the world-class scientific expertise of Pentair's team of biologists, engineers, designers and technicians who specialise in sustaining aquatic life.
He added: "Through our work in aquaculture, at this centre of excellence, we are innovating to help a new industry bring healthy food to developing countries, arid climates and space-challenged urban centres."
Pentair said that its water quality systems can be put just about anywhere as demonstrated by its partnership with the Urban Organics farm, which produces fish and certified organic vegetables, in a former brewery in downtown St Paul, Minnesota.
The Aquaponics technology closed-loop system at the farm was designed to allow the fish and plant sides to operate independently, and for the flow of water and nutrients through the system to be tightly controlled, allowing Urban Organics to vary production according to market demand.
