Global Experiment Central Database: The World's Largest Inventory of Standardized Pond Aquaculture Data

For over a decade, between 1982 and 1994, the Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program (PD/A CRSP) conducted a standardized and robust pond aquaculture experiment in tropical field sites (Global Experiment), resulting in a database with over one million ground-truthed observations of pond-related variables in six countries (Honduras, Indonesia, Panama, Philippines, Rwanda, and Thailand).

The focus of the Global Experiment was on the systems and processes of pond dynamics to generate a greater understanding of pond aquaculture. Data were collected using standardized methods and equipment at all sites, resulting in a large dataset suitable for extensive analysis. The fish species was held constant for freshwater sites (Oreochromis niloticus); for brackishwater sites, a variety of species were used.

The database was housed in two data storage locations, but unfortunately there were systems failures at both sites. We are now in the process of reconstituting and verifying the dataset. This poster highlights the value and continued applicability of the Global Experiment Central Database, which remains, to our knowledge, the largest of its kind in the world. Continued data analysis with modern tools and techniques could offer wide-ranging applications for aquaculture researchers in developing countries and elsewhere around the world.