Engineered Pond Systems
Matching Principles with Empirical BMPs
The intensification of shrimp farming has exposed the biological and operational limitations of traditional ponds. Larger production loads destabilize water quality and increase sludge accumulation, disease risks, energy consumption, and management complexity. The next generation of shrimp farming demands a paradigm shift—from operational tweaks to deliberate engineering of the production environment.
This session introduces the concept of Engineered Pond Systems (EPS): pond-based aquaculture systems in which hydraulics, solids management, oxygen transfer, biological processes, feeding, water management, energy use, and farm operations are designed as an integrated production process. Engineering principles will be presented as adaptable frameworks that can be implemented across diverse farm conditions. EPS offers a pathway toward more productive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable shrimp production.
Mayank Aquaculture
Freshwater Institute
ShrimpVet
Vietnam Food
CP Foods
Unibio
Tomota
SyAqua
Freshwater Institute
Technion University
CIBA
Kentucky State Univ.
University of Missouri
Federal U. Rio Grande
Dr. Bert Wecker has studied Fisheries Biology, Aquaculture and Economics at the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany. During his career he has specialized in aquaculture with a focus on marine recirculating aquaculture systems. After serving in different research and development and management positions Wecker is currently co-CEO and CTO of Oceanloop, a company focusing on the indoor land-based farming of shrimp operating two innovative farms in Munich and Kiel. As Europe’s technology leader for farming marine shrimp, Oceanloop’s vision is to build sustainable farms worldwide. As vice president he is also involved in the “Bundesverband Aquakultur e.v.”, an association of German aquaculture stakeholders.
Manoj Sharma is a farmer and an aquaculture expert with more than 26 years of experience in shrimp farming. Dr Manoj has played a major role in the development of shrimp farming in the coastal regions of Gujarat, especially through the Gujarat Aquaculture Association, under which shrimp farmers have united under one umbrella. Dr. Manoj is a popular international speaker on the topic of sustainable shrimp farming practices and has been a prominent advocate for the domestic promotion and consumption of farmed shrimp in India. He started Zhingalala, a shrimp restaurant and distribution network, to demonstrate his belief in India’s potential for expanded shrimp consumption.
As Director and Research Engineer at The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, Brian Vinci leads cutting-edge research on water treatment and reuse technologies for aquaculture systems. His work has significantly contributed to the field, evidenced by his co-authorship of the text “Recirculating Aquaculture (5th edition)” and over 40 other publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and proceedings articles. He holds a Ph.D. in Biological & Environmental Engineering, an M.Eng. in Agricultural & Biological Engineering, and a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering, all from Cornell University.
Vinci has served as a technical expert for the American National Standards Institute and led the development of the Global Seafood Alliance standard for recirculating aquaculture systems.
Loc Tran is a shrimp expert and entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in shrimp pathology and disease from the University of Arizona and an MBA in business finance from Andrews University. He founded ShrimpVet in 2013 as an independent research company that provides various services and products for the global shrimp sector. He is also the director of the Asian Pacific Aquaculture chapter of the World Aquaculture Society and another spin-off aquaculture business. He has worked with many organizations and institutions worldwide to foster sustainable aquaculture practices and innovations. He is a visionary leader and innovator who creates value for the industry and society.
Robins McIntosh has been involved in shrimp aquaculture for over 30 years. He was responsible for developing the first zero-water exchange, intensive and revolutionary shrimp farm in Belize. His initial work in shrimp aquaculture was with Weyerhaeuser in Florida and Brazil. Later, after four years developing and managing the algae-to-fuel program for the U.S. DOE, he returned to Asia, where he was involved in the development and management of Thai Hawaiian Hatcheries in Thailand.
Robins is currently employed as Executive Vice President for technical development of shrimp culture within the Charoen Pokphand Group. He joined the Group in 2001 to assist with the restructuring of shrimp culture in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Under his direction, hatcheries were modernized, genetic programs were initiated, and farm management was made more systematic and biosecure. Robins continues to work on increasing the efficiency of shrimp culture and finding solutions to eradicate EMS/APHND and EHP diseases in shrimp. He is today also CEO of Home Grown Shrimp, a US subsidiary of CPF focussed on producing shrimp in indoor facilities in the USA.
Presently the business manager of Aqualma and Unima Group in Madagascar, Vemulapalli Manavendra Rao has 45 years of experience in shrimp processing, farming, product development, project management, and business management. Aqualma (Unima group) is a large and fully integrated shrimp farming operation with an annual capacity to produce about five thousand tons of high-quality monodon shrimp and has been operating since 1992. The group operates its own feed mill, 1100 ha (575 ha of innovative design) of grow-out farm area, a successful monodon SPF domestication program, and a European product distribution network.
Unima has created a unique brand of the highest quality product with certifications “label rouge,” Organic, ASC, and others. The SPF stocks are of the 17th generation, and the stocks have proven to be very high-performing in terms of maturation, PL quality, growth, and robustness. The breeding is based on 140 original founder families and all coming from the national waters of Madagascar. Selective breeding for growth and disease tolerance is part of the process.
Van Vu has over nine years of experience in creating technologies aimed at fostering a sustainable aquaculture ecosystem. He is the co-founder and CEO of OTANICS Technology Jsc. This company operates the Tomota digital platform, catering to every participant in the global shrimp value chain. In addition, Van is the cofounder of Ofarm Technology JSC, which develops cost-effective recirculation aquaculture systems for small-holder farmers. He also leads the NTT Hi-Tech Institute, focusing on high-tech applications in various industries. His mission is to drive positive change through innovation and collaboration in environmental, social, and economic realms.
Craig L. Browdy is a past president and Fellow of the World Aquaculture Society. Over more than 40 years, his research has advanced sustainable seafood production—spanning shrimp health, physiology, genomics, nutrition, and production systems. He has led work developing biofloc-based systems, uncovering the genetics of shrimp health, breeding resilient shrimp, and creating high-performance feeds, consistently translating science into practical technologies.
He began his career in South Carolina state government, later directing the Waddell Mariculture Research and Development Center. He went on to senior industry roles at Novus International and Zeigler Bros., and most recently served as Chief Technical Officer of SyAqua Group. He has edited three books and authored 120+ peer-reviewed publications.
