International Journal of Marine Science, 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 245-254 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 247 3.2 Environmental monitoring Continuous environmental monitoring is crucial to ensure the habitat remains suitable for sea cucumber growth and to promptly detect any adverse changes. Key aspects of environmental monitoring include water quality, substrate conditions, and predator presence. For water quality, regular monitoring of parameters such as temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen is essential. Poor water quality can lead to high mortality rates, as observed in various studies (Hair et al., 2016; Xu et al., 2022). During the study by Xu et al. (2022), the growth performance, nutritional composition, and food sources of sea cucumbers were monitored (Figure 1). Results showed that sea cucumbers grew well during the experimental period, with a survival rate of 27.5%, and significant accumulation in nutritional composition, validating the feasibility of sea ranching in that area. For substrate conditions, monitoring changes in composition and quality is also important, as sea cucumbers rely on the substrate for food and shelter. In China, the use of dedicated ponds with controlled substrate conditions has been successful in sea cucumber aquaculture (Han et al., 2016). Regarding predator presence, monitoring for predators and implementing measures to exclude them can significantly improve survival rates. Although short-term predator exclusion methods are not always effective, they are among the strategies tested in different habitats (Hair et al., 2016). Figure 1 The deployed volcano rocky artificial reefs with settled corals (A); Sea cucumber Stichopus monotuberculatus juveniles in the hatchery (B); The self-release mesh bag with juveniles in it (C); A sea-ranched individual 8 months after release (D) (Adopted from Xu et al., 2022). The figure from Xu et al. (2022) illustrates the cultivation process of the tropical sea cucumber Stichopus monotuberculatus, including the transition and acclimation stages from the hatchery to the wild environment. The figure emphasizes the importance of acclimation procedures before release to enhance the survival rates of sea cucumbers. Continuous environmental monitoring is crucial to ensure the habitat remains suitable for sea cucumber growth and to promptly detect any adverse changes. The data and methods presented in the figure provide valuable references for optimizing tropical sea cucumber aquaculture techniques.
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