2011 is here already!

For so long, I didn't write anything here. What happened was that I was too tight with my new project and never had proper time to do other thing. So, among those neglected hobbies is this blog writing. I keep on collecting materials for my future writing, putting it into writing is something that I don't have the liberty at that time. Perhaps, I will do like some others are doing, just upload the photographs first and make up with writing sometimes later.

Anyway, wishing everyone the best days for the next 363 days ahead.

Grouper, Garupa, Kerapu

After so much addiction to seaweeds, I got something new to be crazy about. Now, it is the turn of Grouper fishes to attract my attention. Why so much fuse about these group of fishes? First, they always make a good dishes. Second, they always patch a good price especially when it arrive alive at the markets or seafood outlets. Third, due to high demand, it give pressure to this kind of fishes in the natural habitats. Some species already considered in endangered level which trigger some concern among naturalist.

For decades, some grouper species always considered delicacy by some group of people. Mouse grouper for example, not only exotic by look but superb by taste. I sincerely understand why some NGOs give suggestion to ban the export of that species due to overfishing effort done. However, as in many cases, I strongly believe that the effort to propagate the species is more vital to reduce the potential of resource depleting and reduce the pressure on wild caught overfishing than the move to ban the export.

I had chances to visit some commercial as well as small scale fish hatcheries that producing grouper fry in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and China. From my observations, those hatchery operators seriously giving impacts to reduce wild caught grouper by producing millions and millions of grouper juveniles each year. However, since demand always faster than production, it does not able to totally eliminate the pressure. So, more serious effort needed to ensure equalibrium met. For me, more scientific research required to solve the need of the market and enough supply of this fishes so that these delicacies will be on the table for those who are crazy for their tender meats.

There are many species of groupers that are popular and in high demand in oriental market. Giant Grouper (GG), Tiger Grouper (TG), Mouse Grouper, Leopard Grouper, Green Greasy Grouper are among the commonly known groupers that being produced or exported from South East Asian Countries. In recent years, the hybrid of GG and TG becoming popular in the market, loved by the consumers and prefered by the culturist too.

Most of the groupers are proterogynous hermaphrodite. First, they were born as functional female but later will change to fuctional male. This phenomenon make the situation a little bit tricky to get consistent supply of certain sex of the broodstock for aquaculture purposes. However, the hormone inducement have help the hatchery operators to solve the problem, partly.

Okay, so why did I so obsessed by these creatures? First, I always wonder what stimulate the sex changes of the fish in the wild. Surely, there are no hormone treatment given deep inside the ocean. So, what was the stimulating factor(s) for sex inversion? I have no idea about what exactly the factor(s) involved to create such an important impact to the survival of the species,

Second, I always want to know what trigger the spawning activity among the grouper fishes? Was it salinity changes? Temperature? Certain food consumed? Lunar movement? Light intensity? I was so obsessed by the potentials of manipulating such factors to create induce spawning behaviour of the species naturally rather than hormone inducement methhods.

Seaweeds, the plant I love most

For almost a decade, this group of plants attract my attention so much. Almost not a single day passed by without at least once these plants being mentioned in my conversation. Haha.. I do not know how my wife think about me, the seaweedman! Maybe she think I found something new to be crazy about, except this time the craziness go a little bit longer time than the previous one (what was that ya?... well maybe seafood, I guess).

My interest with these kind of plants started when I was heading a division in a governmental agency to propagate the development of seaweed industry in my country. The program initially just to increase the income and improve the livelihood of fishermen families but was transformed into developing an industry due to big potential it hold.

After retiring from governmental services (early retirement, actually) I tried to do some other businesses but some friends refer to me a group of investors who wanted to seriously involve in seaweed processing and wanted me to give my opinion on their proposal. From a simple idea, now I am almost hooked to these plants because the first group now introduce me to their friends with the same interest, investing in seaweed processing.

Ok, there are thousands of seaweed species available all over the world. First time I spoke my project to the a banker, she immediately asked me about the "skin" of the sushi, either that kind of product that I am interested of? When told I am going to extract hydrocolloids from the seaweeds, she look blank but immediately understand the words emulsifier, stabilizer and conditioner. Well at least she understood the usage of some seaweed extracts.

In my country, only few species cultured for commercial usage or for direct human consumption. Strangely, most of this seaweeds being called by a common name, Agar-agar. To my knowledge, agar-agar always refer to at least 3 kind of seaweed species, the Kappaphycus alvarazi (commercially called Euchema cottoni), Kappaphycus denticulatum (a.k.a Euchema spinosum) and Glacilaria changii. K. alvarazi is the single largest species being cultivated in my country due to high demand from processors of Kappa Carrageenan, an important ingredient for food, beverages, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other industries. Second important seaweed species is K. denticulatum which being processed to get Iota Carrageenan, another kind of gelling carrageenans.

Glacilaria sp. being use to extract agar which being use in food industry to produce popular desert agar gel and agarose (being used in microbiological media culture) was known by many people but there is no single plantation available (except some research ponds own by governmental agencies and universities). The same species also being called by local name "sare" which is local dialect for sarang (bird nest) due to its appearance that similar to component of bird nest. I manage to saw some of this plant growing freely in some abandoned shrimp ponds in northern part of my country. It growing well and can be introduce as another sea plant which have high value addition potential.

In some part of my country, seaweed being eaten raw. I will tell you later about how my people prepare their seaweed dishes... hahaha.. I am not good in food preparation. need to ask my wife first, if she might know such dishes...

OCEAN OF LIFE

Some how, the ocean always attract my attention. The coastal parts where two different world meet always full of life. How similar it is with our own life! Two different parts that meet always full of action and creating very interesting result.