Typical depredation behavior by cetaceans involves stealing or damaging prey items already captured by recreational or commercial fishing gear. Depredation among cetaceans has been reported to be increasing in both severity and frequency globally. This behavior is of particular concern for small stocks of cetaceans since any interaction with fishing gear has the potential to injure or kill animals leading to unsustainable losses. In Florida, depredation became evident in 2006 when the number of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) strandings resulting from fishing gear ingestion or entanglement sharply increased. For the resident dolphin community in Sarasota Bay, modeling showed continued mortalities from recreational fishing gear interactions were not sustainable. The major goals of this study were to 1.) characterize depredation and recreational angler interactions involving dolphins in Sarasota Bay, 2.) reduce dolphin-angler interactions through outreach, 3.) examine a case study to investigate the link between dolphin hearing loss and angler interaction behavior, 4.) test the effectiveness of passive acoustics in monitoring dolphin depredation at a fishing pier. Findings from this study provided a better understanding of depredation and angler interactions. Results indicated that dolphin-angler interactions in Sarasota Bay are increasing in frequency and are affecting an increasing number of dolphins, specifically adult males. Some dolphins in Sarasota Bay appear to utilize depredation as a foraging method (not just an opportunistic behavior) and were significantly more likely to be within 50 m of an active fishing line. Depredation and angler interaction behavior appear to increase in times of prey depletion (such as during a red tide) and heightened angler fishing activity. Educational outreach using an informational card proved successful in a case study showing about a 30% reduction in dolphin provisioning rates. The case study of F201 offers preliminary evidence that hearing loss is linked to depredation behavior and death for wild dolphins. Also, by detecting echolocation clicks as a proxy for dolphin presence, passive acoustics showed potential as an inexpensive method for monitoring depredation in problematic areas. Conclusions from this study can be utilized by scientists and managers when assessing depredation rates for a cetacean community and implementing an action plan.

Methane hydrates are naturally-occurring ice-like substances found in permafrost and in ocean sediments along continental shelves. These compounds are often the source of cold seeps—plumes which vent methane into aquatic environments, and may subsequently release the potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Methane hydrates and methane gas seeps are of particular interest both for their potential as an energy source and for their possible contribution to climate change. In an effort to improve location of hydrates through the use of seismic surveys and echo-sounding technology, this work aims to describe the low-frequency (10 Hz to 10 kHz) acoustic behavior of methane gas bubbles and methane hydrates in water under simulated ocean-floor conditions of low temperatures and high pressures. Products of the experiments and analysis presented in this thesis include (a) passive acoustic techniques for measurement of gas flux from underwater seeps, (b) a modified form of Wood's model of low-frequency sound propagation through a bubbly liquid containing real gas, and (c) low-frequency measurements of bulk moduli and dissociation pressures of four natural samples of methane hydrates. Experimental procedures and results are presented, along with analytical and numerical models which support the findings. / text

Red grouper (Epinephelus morio) are long-lived, commercially important, soniferous fish belonging to the family Epinephelidae. Found throughout the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, they are protogynous hermaphrodites, and peak spawning occurs from March through May. Unlike many grouper species, red grouper do not form large spawning aggregations; rather, they form small polygynous groups, and remain in relatively close proximity to rocky depressions excavated in the sandy bottom by males. This excavation activity creates structure and habitat for a wide variety of species, and as a result, red grouper are a keystone species on the West Florida Shelf. While extensive life-history information exists, largely from fishery catches, little is known about sound production or behavior of red grouper in their natural environment. Passive acoustic recordings combined with simultaneous digital video recordings were used to investigate sonic activity and behavior of red grouper on the Steamboat Lumps and Madison-Swanson marine reserves on the West Florida Shelf. Red grouper were found to produce a unique series of low-frequency (180 Hz peak) pulses, consisting of 1-4 brief (0.15 s) broadband pulses and a 0.5-2 s down-swept "buzz" (i.e., short call); occasionally these were followed by a rapid series of 10-50 broadband pulses (i.e., pulse train). Sound production was observed throughout the day and night, but most sounds occurred between sunrise and sunset, with a noticeable increase during late afternoon. Behaviors associated with sound production included territorial displays and courtship interactions, indicating that sound production is likely related to spawning activity. Thus, monitoring red grouper using passive acoustics could be an effective tool in fisheries management and conservation efforts.

Some fish produce sounds for a variety of reasons, such as to find mates, defend their territory, or maintain cohesion within their group. These sounds could be used to non-intrusively detect the presence of fish and potentially to estimate their number (or density) over large areas and long time periods. However, many fish sounds have not yet been associated to specific species, which limits the usefulness of this approach. While recording fish sounds in tanks is reasonably straightforward, it presents several problems: many fish do not produce sounds in captivity or their behavior and sound production is altered significantly, and the complex acoustic propagation conditions in tanks often leads to distorted measurements. The work presented in this thesis aims to address these issues by providing methodologies to record, detect, and identify species-specific fish sounds in the wild. A set of hardware and software solutions are developed to simultaneously record fish sounds, acoustically localize the fish in three-dimensions, and record video to identify the fish and observe their behavior. Three platforms have been developed and tested in the field. The first platform, referred to as the large array, is composed of six hydrophones connected to an AMAR acoustic recorder and two open-source autonomous video cameras (FishCams) that were developed during this thesis. These instruments are secured to a PVC frame of dimension 2 m x 2 m x 3 m that can be transported and assembled in the field. The hydrophone configuration for this array was defined using a simulated annealing optimization approach that minimized localization uncertainties. This array provides the largest field of view and most accurate acoustic localization, and is well suited to long-term deployments (weeks). The second platform, referred to as the mini array, uses a single FishCam and four hydrophones connected to a SoundTrap acoustic recorder on a one cubic meter PVC frame; this array can be deployed more easily in constrained locations or on rough/uneven seabeds. The third platform, referred to as the mobile array, consists of four hydrophones connected to a SoundTrap recorder and mounted on a tethered Trident underwater drone with built-in video, allowing remote control and real-time positioning in response to observed fish presence, rather than long-term deployments as for the large and mini arrays. For each array, acoustic localization is performed by measuring time-difference of arrivals between hydrophones and estimating the sound-source location using linearized (for the large array) or non-linear (for the mini and mobile arrays) inversion. Fish sounds are automatically detected and localized in three dimensions, and sounds localized within the field of view of the camera(s) are assigned to a fish species by manually reviewing the video recordings. The three platforms were deployed at four locations off the East coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and allowed the identification of sounds from quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger), copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus), and lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), species that had not been documented previously to produce sounds. While each platform developed during this thesis has its own set of advantages and limitations, using them in coordination helps identify fish sounds over different habitats and with various budget and logistical constraints. In an effort to make passive acoustics a more viable way to monitor fish in the wild, this thesis also investigates the use of automatic detection and classification algorithms to efficiently find fish sounds in large passive acoustic datasets. The proposed approach detects acoustic transients using a measure of spectrogram variance and classifies them as “noise” or “fish sounds” using a binary classifier. Five different classification algorithms were trained and evaluated on a dataset of more than 96,000 manually annotated examples of fish sounds and noise from five locations off Vancouver Island. The classification algorithm that performed best (random forest) has an Fscore of 0.84 (Precision = 0.82,Recall = 0.86) on the test dataset. The analysis of 2.5 months of acoustic data collected in a rockfish conservation area off Vancouver Island shows that the proposed detector can be used to efficiently explore large datasets, formulate hypotheses, and help answer practical conservation questions. / Graduate

White-nose syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States' mid-Atlantic region, including the endangered Indiana (Myotis sodalis), threatened Myotis septentrionalis (northern long-eared bat) and other bats of conservation concern, such as Perimyotis subflavus (tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (eastern small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat). Impacts to Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) populations have been negative, positive or neutral. Migratory bat species such as Lasiurus borealis (eastern red bat) are not impacted by WNS. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region bat communities, I surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data. I documented a significant reduction in the numbers and distributions of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in Eptesicus fuscus. Documented M. septentrionalis reproduction suggests that portions of the National Capital Region may be important bat conservation areas. To explore the relationship between bat life history and passive acoustic sampling echolocation call data, as well as to review the sampling effort required to detect the presence of extant species, I used mist-netting captures and acoustic call data collected 2015 – 2018 within the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Based on locally estimated scatterplot smoothing line calculations, I determined that the highest levels of maternity season acoustic activity for Eptesicus fuscus and Lasiurus borealis corresponded primarily to lactation periods. To determine sampling effort, I developed simulations based on species accumulation curves for individual species within different physiographic regions and land-cover types. I determined that the smallest sampling efforts typically corresponded to sampling additional sites versus sampling the same sites with more nights. Detection effort varied greatly by species, physiographic region and land-cover type. Eptesicus fuscus diet has been well-studied throughout North America with visual identification methods from fecal and stomach content samples. Next-generation sequencing provides large genetic data sets analyses in a cost-effective manner and has been used to identify bat prey items. I collected Eptesicus fuscus fecal samples from mid-Atlantic regions and used next-generation sequencing to identify their prey. I documented high variation between survey areas, but did not note a clear pattern of urbanization or fragmentation impacts upon Insecta diversity. All order-level taxa that I documented had been previously documented in morphological studies; however, I did document new families, genera and species. However, I would suggest caution in using next-generation sequencing technologies as authoritative sources for documenting new diet taxa, as I noted frequent occurrences of confounding environmental DNA within the samples. / Doctor of Philosophy / White-nose syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States' mid-Atlantic region, including the endangered Indiana (Myotis sodalis), threatened Myotis septentrionalis (northern long-eared bat) and other bats of conservation concern, such as the Perimyotis subflavus (tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (eastern small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat). WNS-impacts to Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) populations have been negative, positive or neutral. Migratory bat species such as Lasiurus borealis (eastern red bat) are not impacted by WNS. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region bat communities, I captured bats with mist-netting techniques and recorded bat echolocation calls with active acoustics (20-minute periods; 2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data. I documented a significant reduction in the numbers and distributions of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in Eptesicus fuscus. Documented M. septentrionalis reproduction suggests that portions of the National Capital Region may be important bat conservation areas. To explore the relationship between bat echolocation calls recorded with passive (over-night) acoustic data and bat reproduction trends, as well as the amount of effort required to document bat species, I sampled 849 sites with passive acoustics and 482 sites with mist-netting during 2016 – 2018 within the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. I determined that the highest levels of acoustic activity for Eptesicus fuscus and Lasiurus borealis (eastern red bat) within the maternity season are associated with the period of highest levels of lactation. To determine sampling effort, I used simulations to detect species in different landscape conditions. I determined that sampling additional sites requires less sampling effort than sampling more nights. The amount of effort required to detect each bat species varied, as did the impact of different landscape conditions. Eptesicus fuscus diet has been well-studied throughout North America by identifying insect parts in feces and stomach contents. Next-generation sequencing is a process which produced large amounts of genetic data sets in a cost-effective manner, and it can be used to identify prey within bat feces. I collected Eptesicus fuscus fecal samples from mid-Atlantic regions and used next-generation sequencing to identify potential prey. I determined that bat diet varied greatly based on survey area and number of feces analyzed. At the order-level, I did not document new taxa: however, I did document new families, genera and species. However, I would suggest caution in using next-generation sequencing technologies as authoritative sources for documenting new diet taxa, as many taxa apparent within my samples were subsequently excluded, as the bats may have been incidentally ingested them.

L'analyse des variations spatio-temporelles du charriage est un élément important pour la compréhension de la dynamique fluviale. Ce manuscrit présente les recherches réalisées sur le développement d'une méthode de mesure du transport solide par acoustique passive. Un capteur de pression acoustique est utilisé pour mesurer le bruit généré par le transport par charriage au fond du lit de la rivière. Cette méthode originale a fait l'objet de quelques explorations durant les dernières décennies, qui ont montré que la puissance et le contenu fréquentiel du son généré dépendaient de la granulométrie des matériaux et du flux solide. Mais les applications au milieu naturel sont restées très limitées ; elles sont donc au centre de cette recherche.La première difficulté de la mesure est liée à l'existence de bruit environnant qui se superpose au bruit du charriage. Des mesures acoustiques ont été réalisées dans différentes typologie de rivières, du torrent à la grande rivière navigable. A l'aide de ces différentes expériences et de la bibliographie, les éléments du paysage acoustique d'une rivière sont identifiés. Le paysage acoustique d'une rivière est composé par les processus hydrodynamiques que sont la turbulence, l'agitation de surface et le transport de sédiment par charriage. Le charriage produit des bruits larges bandes, dans la partie haute du spectre et peut être masqué par les bruits de surface dans la région du kilohertz. Des outils de traitement du signal sont proposés afin de repérer les différentes dynamiques contenues dans le signal acoustique mesuré.L'interprétation du signal ne peut être faite sans une bonne compréhension des phénomènes de propagation des ondes acoustiques dans la rivière. On montre que la rivière se comporte comme un guide d'onde et une résolution de l'équation d'onde par une approche modale est proposée. On comprend alors que la propagation des ondes acoustiques est limitée par une fréquence de coupure inversement proportionnelle à la hauteur d'eau. Les observations de terrain faites sur la variation du champ de pression acoustique dans la verticale sont bien reproduites par le modèle d'un guide d'onde de Pekeris. Le modèle est alors utilisé pour montrer l'importance de la profondeur, de la constitution du fond de la rivière ou encore de la géométrie du canal sur la constitution du signal.Finalement, trois chroniques de signaux acoustiques enregistrés dans des rivières différentes sont analysées. Un descripteur est proposé pour chaque chronique de signaux, en fonction des bruits ambiants présents dans l'environnement lors de la mesure. Ce descripteur acoustique est confronté à des mesures comparatives du charriage et de bonnes corrélations sont observée. Elles montrent que la mesure hydrophone permet d'identifier la phase de l'initiation du transport par charriage et qu'elle est intégrative du transport sur une surface importante de la rivière. Ces expériences confirment la simplicité de mise en œuvre de la méthode et précisent les limites d'utilisation de l'acoustique passive, particulièrement pour les rivières à fortes pentes. Elles confirment également la validité des méthodes d'analyse du signal qui ont été utilisées et le besoin de mesures comparatives du milieu pour interpréter le signal. / Analysing the spatio-temporal variability of solid transport processes is key to the study of fluvial morphodynamics. Our research focusses on the development of passive acoustics to monitor bedload transport. A hydrophone is used to sense the acoustic pressure in the river in order to record the sound generated by inter-particle collisions. This original method has been mostly developed in laboratories during the past decades. It has been shown that the acoustic power and the frequencies of the monitored signals are linked to bedload fluxes and granulometry. The use of passive acoustics in natural streams has encountered limited success. It is the core of our research.First we address the existence of multiple sound sources in the environment. Acoustic measurements have been realised in several types of rivers: steep channels and large gravel bed rivers. These multiple experiences along with the bibliography have allowed us to describe river soundscapes. Hydrodynamics govern the soundscape, namely turbulence, agitating surfaces, and bedload transport. Inter-particle collisions generate sound in a wide range of frequencies, which depend on their sizes. It can be masked by the occurrence of agitating surface noise in the kilohertz region. Signal processing tools are proposed to study the dynamics of the different processes composing the signal.Signal interpretation could only be achieved by understanding the propagation properties of the acoustic waves in the river. It is shown that the river acts as an acoustic wave guide. A modal approach is suggested to solve the wave equation. The model points to the existence of a cutoff frequency inversely proportional to the water depth. Observations made on the vertical variation of the field pressure are correctly simulated. The signal dependence on water depth, the structure of the bed, and the geometry of the channel are studied using this model.Finally, we analyze three chronicles of acoustic signals recorded in the field. A signal descriptor is constructed for each data set, depending on the ambient noise conditions. This descriptor is compared to other measurements of bedload transport and good correlations are found. Initiation of motion is monitored and the integrative aspect of the acoustic measure is shown. These experiences highlight the simplicity of the method and show some of its limits. It is also shown that measurements of other environmental parameters are needed to interpret the results.

La production sonore biologique, étudiée par acoustique passive, doit être évaluée comme méthode complémentaire pour l’étude des effets des perturbations anthropiques sur les milieux côtiers.Alors que les sons émis par les mammifères marins et les poissons sont largement documentés, ceux issus des invertébrés benthiques restent peu décrits, même si ces derniers peuvent assurer des fonctions-clés dans les systèmes marins. L’enjeu principal de cette thèse était d’évaluer la pertinence de l’utilisation de l’acoustique passive comme outil écologique en s’appuyant sur la biophonie des invertébrés benthiques d’habitats côtiers tempérés et plus particulièrement en prenant comme habitat-modèle les bancs de maërl de la rade de Brest. Nous avons mis en évidence l’existence d’espèces sonifères remarquables qui constituent de bons candidats pour leur suivi en milieu naturel. Ces travaux ont de plus montré l’importante contribution de certains invertébrés benthiques dans le paysage sonore sous-marin, encourageant à ne plus imputer systématiquement les sons benthiques uniquement aux « crevettes claqueuses ». Le deuxième volet de cette thèse a montré que les variations de production sonore des invertébrés benthiques, à l’échelle individuelle ou collective, offrent des informations précieuses sur la mise en évidence de stress tels qu’un bloom d’algues toxiques ou l’impact du dragage. Ainsi, le nombre de mouvements sonifères des coquilles Saint-Jacques est doublé en présence de fortes concentrations d’algues toxiques, et le paysage sonore des bancs de maërl fortement pêchés est trois fois plus silencieux et moins complexe que celui du maërl préservé. Les résultats de ce travail de thèse, discutés dans un contexte de développement d’outils pour l’évaluation de l’état de santé des écosystèmes marins, permettent l’émergence de nouvelles hypothèses de travail en écologie marine. / Biological sound production, as studied by passive acoustics, should be considered as a complementary method to study the effect of anthropogenic disturbances on coastal systems. While sounds emitted by marine mammals and fish are well documented, those from benthic invertebrates are poorly described, although they can play key roles in marine ecosystems. The main goal of this PhD work was to evaluate the suitability of passive acoustics as an ecological tool based on sound production by benthic invertebrates living in temperate coastal habitats, and particularly in maerl beds of the Bay of Brest.We highlighted the existence of interesting soniferous species that appear to be good candidates to monitor in the field. This work also showed the important contribution of some benthic invertebrates to the underwater soundscape, suggesting that benthic sounds should not be attributed only to snapping shrimps. The second part of this PhD thesis emphasized that changes in benthic invertebrate sound production, at individual or collective scales, provides valuable information on the detection of stress such as a toxic algal blooms or the impact of dredging. Thus, the number of soniferous movements made by the great scallop doubles in the presence of high concentrations of toxic algae, and the soundscape of heavily fished maerl beds is three times quieter and less complex than preserved ones. The results of this PhD thesis, which are discussed in the context of tool development for the assessment of marine ecosystem health, raise new working hypotheses in marine ecology.

[ES] El objetivo central de la presente tesis doctoral fue estudiar la influencia de la frecuencia de alimentación en el rendimiento productivo del camarón, y para ello se desarrollaron tres ensayos considerando distintos aspectos de dicha frecuencia alimentaria y otros complementarios. En el primero se estudió el número diario de comidas (1, 2, 4 y 6) y el horario de las mismas (día y noche), empleando dos tipos de fabricación del alimento, granulado y extrusionado. En el segundo se ensayaron dos y cuatro comidas y dos tasas de alimentación (80 y 100% de la saciedad), junto con la inclusión de dos hidrolizados de pescado. En el tercer ensayo se evaluaron tres técnicas de alimentación en campo, manual, automática mediante alimentadores temporizados y automática con ecosonda, que originaron diversas frecuencias de alimentación, número y horario de las comidas, utilizando alimento granulado y extrusionado. Los resultados del primer experimento sugieren que el alimento extruido suministrado en horario diurno tiene el potencial de mejorar la tasa de crecimiento, y una mayor frecuencia podría representar una estrategia adecuada para preservar la calidad del agua. La presente investigación es la primera en demostrar que el proceso de extrusión mejora la calidad del agua¿ por lo tanto, los alimentos extruidos podrían reducir el impacto de la contaminación de los efluentes y mejorar la sostenibilidad de la producción de camarón. En un segundo estudio se evaluaron los efectos de la frecuencia de alimentación y la restricción de la ración sobre el crecimiento, la supervivencia y el factor de conversión alimenticia (FCR), en juveniles de L. vannamei (0,8 ± 0,06 g) alimentados con dos tipos de dietas en el transcurso de 53 días.. Los resultados demostraron una mejora en la conversión alimenticia cuando se ofrece el 80% de la ración, en comparación con el 100% (FCR=1,64 ± 0,19 vs 1,93 ± 0,12 respectivamente), sin embargo, esto se logró a expensas del crecimiento (5,79 ± 0,31 g vs 6,23 ± 0,51 g respectivamente). No se observaron diferencias en el incremento de peso al comparar los diferentes tipos de hidrolizados (HFFO y HFNI). Finalmente, un tercer estudio consistió en un análisis de 3 técnicas de alimentación del camarón empleadas en las granjas camaroneras comerciales: manual (técnica 1), automática con ajuste de tiempo (técnica 2) y automática con detección de sonido (técnica 3), las cuales fueron utilizadas para suministrar ambos alimentos: granulados (P) y extruidos (E). El estudio se llevó a cabo en 639 estanques de tierra con 6-12 ha localizadas en la provincia de Guayas, Ecuador, durante el periodo 2018-2020. La densidad media de siembra fue de 18 postlarvas/m2 con ciclos de producción entre 100 y 130 días. Los resultados mostraron que la tasa de crecimiento de la alimentación automática con alimentadores, técnicas 2 y 3 (1,52 ± 0,24 y 1,72 ± 0,26 g/semana, respectivamente), con alimento extrusionado, fue superior al obtenido con la técnica manual 1 (1,44 ± 0,24 g/ semana), pero no hubieron diferencias significativas para el alimento granulado (1,39 ± 0,30; 1,43 ± 0,21 y 1,49 ± 0,30 respectivamente). El FCR de las técnicas 1 a 3 fue de 1,92 ± 0,49; 1,89 ± 0,54 y 1,67 ± 0,32 respectivamente con alimento extruido, siendo el mejor el obtenido con la eco-sonda, mientras que para el alimento granulado ocurrió lo contario (1,72 ± 0,46; 1,65 ± 0,25 y 1,96 ± 0,54 respectivamente). No se observaron diferencias significativas (p>0,05) en las tasas de supervivencia entre los tratamientos. El coste por kilo más bajo ($2,86/ kg) se obtuvo con la combinación de alimentación sónica y dietas extruidas. La problemática de la frecuencia de alimentación queda superada con la utilización de alimentadores de auto demanda con detección sónica, y con el empleo de alimento extrusionado, que origina un mejor crecimiento y conversión y una mejor calidad del agua de los estanques. / [CA] L'objectiu central de la present tesi doctoral va ser estudiar la influència de la freqüència d'alimentació en el rendiment productiu de la gambeta, i per a això es van desenvolupar tres assajos considerant diferents aspectes d'esta freqüència alimentària i altres complementaris. En el primer es va estudiar el nombre diari de menjars (1, 2, 4 i 6) i l'horari de les mateixes (dia i nit), emprant dos tipus de fabricació de l'aliment, granulat i extrusionado. En el segon es van assajar dos i quatre menjars i dues taxes d'alimentació (80 i 100% de la sacietat), juntament amb la inclusió de dos hidrolitzats de peix. En el tercer assaig es van avaluar tres tècniques d'alimentació en camp, manual, automàtica mitjançant menjadores temporitzades i automàtica amb ecosonda, que van originar diverses freqüències d'alimentació, número i horari dels menjars, utilitzant aliment granulat i extrusionado. Els resultats del primer experiment suggerixen que l'aliment extruit subministrat en horari diürn té el potencial de millorar la taxa de creixement, i una major freqüència podria representar una estratègia adequada per a preservar la qualitat de l'aigua. La present investigació és la primera a demostrar que el procés d'extrusió millora la qualitat de l'aigua¿ per tant, els aliments extruits podrien reduir l'impacte de la contaminació dels efluents i millorar la sostenibilitat de la producció de gambeta. En un segon estudi es van avaluar els efectes de la freqüència d'alimentació i la restricció de la ració sobre el creixement, la supervivència i el factor de conversió alimentosa (FCR), en juvenils de L. vannamei (0,8 ± 0,06 g) alimentats amb dos tipus de dietes en el transcurs de 53 dies. Els resultats van demostrar una millora en la conversió alimentosa quan s'oferix el 80% de la ració, en comparació amb el 100% (FCR=1,64 ± 0,19 vs 1,93 ± 0,12 respectivament), tanmateix, això es va aconseguir a costa del creixement (5,79 ± 0,31 g *vs 6,23 ± 0,51 g respectivament). No es van observar diferències en l'increment de pes en comparar els diferents tipus d'hidrolitzats (HFFO i HFNI). Finalment, un tercer estudi va consistir en una anàlisi de 3 tècniques d'alimentació de la gambeta emprades en les granges camaroneras comercials: manual (tècnica 1), automàtica amb ajust de temps (tècnica 2) i automàtica amb detecció de so (tècnica 3), les quals van ser utilitzades per a subministrar tots dos aliment granulado (P) i aliment extruit (E). L'estudi es va dur a terme en 639 estanys de terra amb 6-12 ha localitzades a la província de Guayas, l'Equador, durant el període 2018-2020. La densitat mitjana de sembra va ser de 18 postlarvae/m² amb cicles de producció entre 100 i 130 dies. Els resultats van mostrar que la taxa de creixement de l'alimentació automàtica amb menjadores, tècniques 2 i 3 (1,52 ± 0,24 i 1,72 ± 0,26 g/setmana, respectivament), amb aliment extrusionado, va ser superior a l'obtingut amb la tècnica manual 1 (1,44 ± 0,24 g/ setmana), però no van haver diferències significatives per a l'aliment granulat (1,39 ± 0,30; 1,43 ± 0,21 i 1,49 ± 0,30 respectivament). El FCR de les tècniques 1 a 3 va ser de 1,92 ± 0,49; 1,89 ± 0,54 i 1,67 ± 0,32 respectivament amb aliment extruit, sent el millor l'obtingut amb l'eco-sonda, mentre que per a l'aliment granulat va ocórrer el contario (1,72 ± 0,46; 1,65 ± 0,25 i 1,96 ± 0,54 respectivament. No es van observar diferències significatives (p>0,05) en les taxes de supervivència entre els tractaments. El cost per quilo més baix ($2,86/ kg) es va obtindre amb la combinació d'alimentació sònica i dietes extruides. La problemàtica de la freqüència d'alimentació queda superada amb la utilització de menjadores d'acte demanda amb detecció sònica, i amb l'ús d'aliment extrusionado, que origina un millor creixement i conversió i una millor qualitat de l'aigua dels estanys. / [EN] The aim of this doctoral thesis was to study the influence of feeding frequency on the productive performance of shrimp, and for this purpose three trials were developed considering different aspects of feeding frequency and other complementary ones. In the first, the daily number of meals (1, 2, 4 and 6) and their timing (day and night) were studied, using two types of feed manufacturing processes, granulated and extruded. In the second, two and four meals and two feeding rates (80 and 100% satiety) were tested, along with the inclusion of two fish hydrolysates. In the third trial, three feeding techniques were evaluated in the field: manual, automatic using timed feeders and automatic with echo sounders, which gave rise to various feeding frequencies, number and timing of meals, using granulated and extruded feed. The results of first experiment suggest that extruded feed fed during daylight hours has the potential to improve growth rate, and greater frequency could represent an appropriate strategy to preserve water quality. The present research is the first to demonstrate that the extrusion process improves water quality; therefore, extruded feeds could reduce the impact of effluent pollution and improve the sustainability of shrimp production. In a second study, the effects of feeding frequency and ration restriction on growth, survival and feed conversion factor (FCR) were evaluated in juveniles of L. vannamei (0.8 ± 0.06 g) fed two types of diets over the course of 53 days. The results demonstrated an improvement in feed conversion when 80% of the ration was offered, compared to 100% (FCR=1.64 ± 0.19 vs 1.93 ± 0.12 respectively), however, this was achieved at the expense of growth (5.79 ± 0.31 g vs 6.23 ± 0.51 g respectively). No differences were observed in weight increase when comparing the different types of hydrolysates (HFFO and HFNI). Finally, a third study consisted of an analysis of 3 shrimp feeding techniques used in commercial shrimp farms: manual (technique 1), automatic with time adjustment (technique 2) and automatic with sound detection (technique 3), the which were used to supply both pelletized feed (P) and extruded feed (E). The study was carried out in 639 earthen ponds with 6-12 ha located in the province of Guayas, Ecuador, during the period 2018-2020. The average stocking density was 18 postlarvae/m2 with production cycles between 100 and 130 days. The results showed that the growth rate of automatic feeding with feeders, techniques 2 and 3 (1.52 ± 0.24 and 1.72 ± 0.26 g/week, respectively), with extruded feed, was higher than that obtained with manual technique 1 (1.44 ± 0.24 g/week), but there were no significant differences for the pelleted feed (1.39 ± 0.30; 1.43 ± 0.21 and 1.49 ± 0. 30 respectively). The FCA of techniques 1 to 3 was 1.92 ± 0.49; 1.89 ± 0.54 and 1.67 ± 0.32 respectively with extruded feed, the best was the one obtained with the echo-probe, while the opposite occurred for granulated feed (1.72 ± 0.46; 1 .65 ± 0.25 and 1.96 ± 0.54 respectively. No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in survival rates between treatments. The lowest cost per kilo ($2.86/kg) was obtained with the combination of sonic feeding and extruded diets. The problem of feeding frequency is overcome with the use of self-demand feeders with sonic detection, and with the use of extruded feed, which causes better growth and conversion and better water quality in the ponds. / Espinoza Ortega, MA. (2024). Efecto de la frecuencia de alimentación en la respuesta alimenticia del Camarón Blanco del Pacífico (Litopenaeus Vannamei) [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/204638