Effects of a recirculating aquaculture system wastewater on anammox performance and community structure

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are good candidates for the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector. A current limitation of RAS is the production and accumulation of nitrogenous wastes, which could affect the fish health. We herein investigated the potential of the anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) process to treat the RAS wastewater. We demonstrated that the marine anammox bacteria, Candidatus Scalindua is a potential candidate. However, its activity was affected by unknown compounds in the RAS wastewater and/or the absence of essential trace elements. Future studies need to address these issues for the optimal conditions of Candidatus Scalindua to treat the RAS wastewater.