Marine Aquaculture Centre

The Singapore Food Agency Marine Aquaculture Centre

As the R&D hub for tropical marine aquaculture, the Marine Aquaculture Centre (MAC) plays a crucial role in Singapore's ‘30 by 30’ vision.

For instance, MAC conducts R&D on large-scale hatchery production technology and fish nutrition (e.g. fish feed) which are more nutritious and, at the same time, environmentally sustainable.

Local hatcheries like Singapore Aquaculture Technologies (SAT) and Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE) have since adopted MAC’s live-feed production and hatchery protocols for their fry production.

MAC's Research Activities

MAC also provides space for aqua-tech companies to test-bed their technology to enhance tropical marine aquaculture practices.

These activities allow MAC to drive innovation in the field of aquaculture.

MAC’s Expertise and Facilities

MAC supports local R&D efforts with its expertise in crucial areas of fish husbandry such as breeding, live feed, hatchery production, and fish diet formulations.

Local researchers have access to facilities purpose-built for aquaculture research at the MAC. They include replicated tank systems and incubator spaces, which are ideal for the commercial test-bedding of R&D outcomes.

Local researchers also have access to key aquaculture research and feed production resources, including eggs, larvae, rotifers, and microalgae.

MAC’s Key R&D Collaborations

Faster-growing Asian seabass through selective breeding

The brood stock produced offspring that inherited these traits. The process was then repeated, with subsequent generations inheriting and accentuating the desirable traits. 

As a result, the Asian seabass selective breeding programme gradually produced a lineage of fish with accelerated growth, increased disease resistance, and higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, without the use of genetic modification.

These fast-growing, disease-resistant fingerlings have higher survival rates, increasing farm yields and giving local fish farmers a productivity boost. 

When our local farms produce more to meet our food needs, Singapore becomes more food resilient and takes a step closer to achieving our  ‘30 by 30’ vision.

Transformation of outdoor ponds to large-scale indoor hatcheries

Another R&D challenge MAC undertook was to expand local fish production capacity without constructing additional outdoor ponds.

Outdoor ponds require substantial land and are exposed to external elements that may disrupt production, such as extreme weather conditions and algae blooms. In Singapore, where land is scarce, R&D breakthroughs to grow more with less are needed to expand the capacity and capability of our local aquaculture industry.

MAC embarked on research to transform local hatcheries from large outdoor pond culture to intensive, high-capacity indoor hatcheries for Asian seabass, occupying only a fraction of the physical size.

The result was an intensive indoor hatchery that features a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) – a technology that local fish farmers can adopt for indoor, large-scale, closed-loopfish production.

In closed-loop systems, all resources are recycled. For instance, the RAS recycles the water by treating and recirculating it. This reduces the need for large amount of water and minimises waste discharge at the same time.

The constant supply of clean water, combined with the contained indoor environment, ensures the fish are not exposed to harmful elements and can grow in a stable, controlled environment.

With this technology, fish farmers can potentially achieve improved Asian seabass fry survival and significant intensification over outdoor pond systems.

The experience gained from this effort has since been successfully transferred to hatchery protocols for other key marine fish species such as snapper, pompano and grouper. This technology is a game-changer for Singapore’s aquaculture sector. It not only resolves space limitations but also offers better bio-security measures to minimise diseases and waste discharge.

Optimising feed that is great for fish and good for the environment

In the world of aquaculture, fish feed plays a pivotal role. A good fish feed ensures that fishes receive the right balance of nutrients, e.g., vitamins and minerals to maximise its health and growth while reducing the environmental impact of fish farming.

Researchers use the facilities to conduct research, such as developing experimental fish feeds and testing these feeds through fish feeding trials.

These research efforts contribute to the discovery of new knowledge and methods in the area of fish nutrition.

MAC’s support for local farms

Aside from R&D, MAC also provides technical advice to help local farms adopt sustainable farming practices and technology. 

This includes advising farms on setting up live feed cultures and hatcheries, developing protocols for hormone injections, and using fish breeding techniques to boost yield.

Farmers can seek these advisory services through the  SFA Feedback Form.