The prediction of aquaculture pond temperatures throughout the year is essential to the design and evaluation of potential aquaculture sites. An energy balance was developed for earthen aquaculture ponds to 1) determine the relative importance of energy transfer mechanisms affecting pond temperature; 2) predict pond temperatures, and 3) estimate the energy required to control pond temperatures. A computer program was developed to solve the energy balance using weather and pond temperature data.
Initial simulations for aquaculture pond validated the model’s ability to predict pond temperature changes.
The dominant energy transfer mechanisms for ponds were solar radiation, pond radiation and longwave sky radiation.
Finally, management and design questions about the warm water aquaculture ponds, such as the pond temperature throughout an average weather year, the amount of energy needed to maintain the pond temperature constant and the amount of energy required to warm a pond from 10 to 28°C, were answered by additional simulations.