Microbial Manipulation of Nitrifiers from Aquaponics System
Ammonia oxidation is crucial in removing ammonia produced from feed and waste products in aquaculture systems. On analysing nutrient cycle in aquaponics, researchers investigated the nitrification potential and ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in the grow beds of aquaponics systems. Studying the diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) in these systems using ammonia monooxygenase A (amoA) gene as a marker, is crucial in understanding the nutrient cycling in the system. This study demonstrates the important role of environmental management in aquaponics systems to maintain ammonia-oxidizing populations and ensure efficicient ammonia removal. Further research will be necessary to understand the relative contributions of archaea and bacteria to ammonia oxidation, as well as the roles of comammox and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, to devise effective bioaugmentation strategies for these sustainable aquaculture systems.