By S.Hennessy Machado-Hildago
The Aquaponics Garden donated its dead tilapia population to the Life Sciences department for use as specimens on January 23rd.
The tilapia died when a power shutdown interrupted the aquaponics garden’s operations on January 21.
Jimmy Lee, adjunct professor of life sciences, said the specimens will be used in student laboratory exercises in April.
Lee said Aquaponics Garden Coordinator Mark Swicegood was, “working with undergraduates on a bioassay project… testing different substrates for the garden to grow plants.”
A bioassay is a method of determining the concentration or potency of a substance through its effects on living organisms. In an aquaponics garden the organisms would be plants and fish.
A substrate is the substance or material on or from which an organism grows.
Carlos Figueroa, MESA Coordinator, said there are tentative plans to replenish the tilapia population in the garden once summer comes.
Once the tilapia are replenished, student activities at the Aquaponics Garden can return to normal.