Sustainable Agriculture  Integration of Aquaponics at Punta Leona Resort
Channel: JMU ISAT
Date: 2018-09-22

Full Title: Sustainable Agriculture  Integration of Aquaponics at Punta Leona Resort
Presenters: Cailin Dyer, Jack Lipsky, Paris Smith
Advised by: Karim Altaii, Shannon Conley
Sponsors: Punta Leona Hotel and Club, Costa Rica
Abstract: Sustainable agriculture is becoming an increasingly important method of food production. The field of sustainable agriculture came about with an increasing population, causing increased food demand. The increased implementation of factory farming and agribusiness has led to exploitation of land and a decrease in resource availability. The objective of this project is to implement a system that mimics a naturally occurring cycle that is all organic using an integration of fish and plants. The system was designed four months prior to the implementation to construct a bill of materials with regular communication with the management at Punta Leona Hotel and Club (PL H&C) in Costa Rica. The system was constructed over a three-week period at the site of the hotel. First, the ground was cleared and leveled so that the supporting legs could be installed and cemented. The holes for the fish tanks were dug out of the ground and the fiberglass tanks were installed in the holes. Once the legs were completed, the separately constructed media bed was set up on the supporting legs, lined, and filled with lava rock. The system was completed by installing the piping system and filling the system with water, plants, and fish. This system provides PLH&C in Costa Rica a self-sufficient food supply to feed guests. An analysis was completed to compare the food miles and life cycle of the food currently served at the resort and the change in food miles and food life cycle with the implementation of the aquaponics system.