Description

Abstract: Accurate characterization of temperature stratification in ponds used for aquaculture is of critical importance in understanding how these ponds may be constructed, oriented, or otherwise managed biophysically when one wishes to provide optimal environmental conditions for the organisms cultured therein. While field studies can provide characterizations of water quality stratification at a single locale, to date there have been few attempts at developing reliable models which can be used at a variety of sites after initialization with appropriate local geographic and atmospheric data. In conjunction with Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program (PD/A CRSP), the authors have modified a previously developed water quality model which closely predicts temperature stratification at several different sites in northern California. Changes in model structure and reduction of data requirements reflect the desire to provide for culturists the opportunity to predict stratification events with commonly available data, obtained either by hand or from a simple weather station located at or near the pond site. Validation of the model has been conducted with data sets generated through PD/A CRSP experiments, and the importance of wind vector and relative humidity inputs is considered here.