John Leffler
Marine Resources Research Institute
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
217 Fort Johnson Rd.
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 953-3903
lefflerj@dnr.sc.gov
Ph.D., 1977, University of Georgia at Athens
Research emphasis: Sustainable mariculture; commercialization of biofloc-based, minimal exchange, superintensive shrimp aquaculture systems; reduction or elimination of fishmeal and fish oil from fish and shrimp feeds; benefit-risk analyses (chemical contaminants vs. beneficial fatty acids) of seafood consumption by humans
Current and planned research projects:
- development of protocols for the continuous operation of a commercial prototype of a very high density, greenhouse-based shrimp production system with no environmental release of water or nutrients
- development of efficient techniques for managing the microbial community structure of biofloc-based culture systems to optimize productivity of target species
- development of techniques to improve population estimates in shrimp biofloc systems and to identify survivorship bottlenecks during grow-out
- evaluation of “organically-certifiable”, plant-based or marine-protein-reduction feeds and their integration with supplemental nutrition supplied by natural productivity
- development of protocols for efficient grow-out of Atlantic white shrimp in support of a year-round bait shrimp industry
- development of a Seafood Quality Index (benefit-risk analysis) and its application to human subsistence and recreational fishing populations in South Carolina
Selected Publications:
- Ray, A.J., Lewis, B.L., Browdy, C.L., Leffler, J.W. 2009. Comparing a fish-based feed and a plant-based feed with solids management in superintensive, minimal exchange shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) culture systems. Aquaculture, in press.
- Ray, A.J., Shuler, A., Leffler, J.W., Browdy, C.L. 2009. Microbial ecology and management of biofloc systems. In C.L. Browdy and D.E. Jory (eds.), The Rising Tide, Proceedings of the Special Session on Sustainable Shrimp Farming. World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, LA.
- Browdy, C.L., Venero, J.A., Stokes, A.D., Leffler, J.W. 2009. Superintensive biofloc production systems technologies for marine shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei: Technical challenges and opportunities. In G. Burnell and G. Allan (eds.), New Technologies in Aquaculture. Woodhead Publishing, Cambride, UK.
- Venero, J.A., McAbee, B., Lawson, A., Thomas, B., Stokes, A., Browdy, C.L., Leffler, J.W. 2009. Greenhouse-enclosed super-intensive shrimp production: alternative to traditional ponds in U.S. Global Aquaculture Advocate 12(1): 61-64.
- Leffler, J.W., Browdy, C.L., Seaborn, G., Wirth, E. 2008. Assessing human health benefits and risks associated with consumption of farmed and wild shrimp. Global Aquaculture Advocate 11(4): 20-23.