-Aquaponics In Action
By: Nora DJ
Have you ever eaten tilapia? Do you know what it is? Tilapia is a fresh-water fish that is grown in many parts of the world. And guess what? They will be grown right here at the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.
Have you noticed what the construction crew has been building on the eastern side of the school? Seraphin Contruction has been building two beds of plants and four 300-gallon tanks for growing fish; each tank will hold 100 fish. These tanks will be used by the Aquaponics class to learn about “aquaculture”-- agriculture using water instead of soil.
Mr Octave Seraphin supervises the construction site
The Aquaponics class taught by Mr. Kirk Lewis is now providing an opportunity for students to understand the relationship among organisms in an aquatic ecosystem, and it also gives the students skills that can develop into a very profitable business.
Mr.Lewis teaches the Aquaponics class
The purpose of this class is to show students how to grow, maintain and produce products such as fish and vegetables in tanks of water. It also shows them how to identify a product to develop into a business by learning how to market and sell it. The class also provides a link to show how what is learned in school can be used in life.
Some students are getting excited about this idea. “I think that it would be a ‘kool’ idea to learn how to grow and produce vegetables and fish in an economical way,” said Avril, a junior at Kean High.
Teachers are also becoming interested in this idea. “What could be more important than learning how to grow food and sustain ourselves?” said Ms. Amy Roberts, an English teacher at Kean High.
People in the VI have a need for fresh food, not only fish but plants as well because the stores do not always sell fresh, local products.
Because people will be excited to buy fresh local products, Mr. Lewis said that he expects the system to generate $20,000 a year which would be a lot of money for the school.
Another advantage of the aquaculture project is that it does not take up much space. The project fits between the east parking lot and the wall that separates the school from the Red Hook Shopping Center.
“I’m totally committed to this project,” said Dr. Sharon Ann McCollum, the principal of the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School. “I have put a lot of energy into asking for donations from the EDC companies [Celtic Therapeutics]. I’m looking forward to be eating the fish and vegetables; we will be the first public school in the Virgin Islands to have an aquaponics project.”
This project will be maintained by Mr.Lewis and his students in the Aquaponics class.The starting time for production will most likely be at the start of the second semester; this is going to be an on-going research project he is hoping to expand. The Aquaponics class is going to be growing a variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices.
Although Kean will be the first high school that will use an aquaponics system in the Virgin Islands, the University of the Virgin Islands has utilized an aquaculture system for years. You can learn more about it at this link below: