Researcher using lights to grow bigger crawfish

7/7/2011
BLADE STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana researcher is using underwater lights at night to grow more and bigger crawfish.

Julie Delabbio is director of Northwestern State University’s Aquaculture Research Center, and she says her work shows ponds with a dozen lights per quarter-acre produce about one-third to two-thirds more pounds of crawfish than unlighted ones. She says that’s about 800 to 1,000 pounds of crawfish per acre compared to 500 to 600 pounds in unlighted ponds.

Ms. Delabbio says she’s looking at solar power, light emitting diodes, and other ways to cut costs.