This study utilized MIKE 11 to quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of water quality parameters (Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD₅), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and temperature) in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle area of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Calibrated for the year of 2019 and validated for the year of 2020, the developed model showed a significant agreement between the observed and simulated values of water quality parameters. Locations near to cage culture areas exhibited higher BOD₅ values than sites close to pond/lagoon culture areas due to the effects of numerous point sources of pollution, including upstream wastewater and out-fluxes from residential and tourism activities in the surrounding areas, all of which had a direct impact on the quality of the surface water used for aquaculture. Moreover, as aquacultural effluents have intensified and dispersed over time, water quality in the surrounding water bodies has degraded. The findings suggest that the effective planning, assessment and management of rapidly expanding aquaculture sites should be improved, including more rigorous water quality monitoring, to ensure the long-term sustainable expansion and development of the aquacultural sector in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle in particular, and the Vietnamese Mekong Delta as a whole.

The deterioration signs of water quality in the Hau River are apparent. The present study analyzed the surface water quality of the Hau River using multivariate statistical techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA). Eleven water quality parameters were analyzed at 19 different sites in An Giang and Can Tho Provinces for 12 months from January to December 2019. The findings show high levels of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Soluble Solids (TSS), and total coliform, all year round. The PCA revealed that all the water quality parameters influenced the water quality of the Hau River, hence the relevance for water sample scrutiny. The dendrogram of similarity between sampling sites showed a maximum similarity of 95.6%. The Accumulation Factor (AF) trend showed that the concentrations/values of TSS, BOD, and phosphate (PO4³⁻) in the downstream were 1.29, 1.53, and 1.52 times, respectively, greater than the upstream levels. Despite most of the parameters analyzed supporting aquaculture production, caution is needed in the regulation of pollution point sources to undertake sustainable aquaculture production.

The area surrounding the Hau River is one of the most important aquaculture and fisheries areas in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Fish, shrimp farms and fishers rely of the natural zooplankton production in the incoming water to sustain production. Zooplankton samples were collected from July 2017 to June 2018 using a zooplankton net with mesh size of 60 μm at 3 sites on Hau river at Tran De (river mouth), Dai Ngai (midpoint) and Cai Con (farthest salt intrusion area on Hau river). Qualitative and quantitative samples of zooplankton together with salinity level were determined monthly at each sites. The salinity was found to fluctuate from 0 to 20‰ in the study area. A total of 137 zooplankton species were recorded including 26 species of Protozoa (19%), 47 species of Rotifera (34%), 12 species of Cladocera (9%), 44 species of Copepoda (32%) and 8 other taxon (6%). Copepod and rotifer prevailed with high densities (19.9 × 10³ ind m⁻³ and 19.7 × 10³ ind m⁻³, respectively), whereas protozoa and cladocera were less abundant with 6.8 × 10³ ind m⁻³ and 4.9 × 10³ ind m⁻³, respectively. When salinity increased to more than 5, protozoa and copepods were more abundant and reached a peak at 20 with 25.0 × 10³⁶ ind m⁻³ and 53.0 × 10³ ind m⁻³, respectively. Regression analysis indicated that the density of zooplankton was significantly correlated to salinity variation. Protozoa and copepod were positively correlated with salinity, whereas cladocera and rotifer were negatively correlated with salinity. The impacts of climate change could exacerbate the seasonal fluctuations in salinity and zooplankton composition.

This study aimed to determine the optimal live feed regime (i.e., initial feeding moment, density, and frequency) for maximum growth and survival of pangasius catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) early life history stages. The first experiment assessed the optimal initial feeding moment (30, 36, 42, and 48 h post hatching, hph). The second experiment assessed feeding density (3, 5, 8 and 11 individuals per mL, ind/mL) at the optimal initial feeding moment (30 hph) which was the best result from the first experiment. The third experiment assessed optimal feeding frequency (1, 2, 4, and 6 times per day) at the optimal initial feeding moment (30 hph) and density (8 ind/mL) which was drawn upon from the second experiment. All experiments were conducted in 20 L containers containing 20 hph P. hypophthalmus larvae at a density of 10 ind/L and fed rotifers (Brachionus angularis) for 3 days and then water fleas (Moina macrocopa) for 7 days. The first experiment demonstrated that larvae initially fed at 30 hph exhibited a significantly higher survival rate (24%) than larvae initially fed at 36, 42, and 48 hph (19%, 16%, and 16%), respectively. The second experiment demonstrated that larvae fed at 8 and 11 ind/mL densities exhibited significantly higher survival rates (32% and 32%) than larvae fed at 3 and 5 ind/mL densities (13% and 23%), respectively. The third experiment demonstrated that the highest survival rate (66%) was obtained when larvae were fed 6 times per day. These results provide valuable insights regarding the optimal live feed regime for better growth and survival of P. hypophthalmus larvae, which are commercially important and numerously cultured throughout the Mekong Delta region.

The study is aimed to develop a relevant synbiotic to promote growth performance of the whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. For this, four common natural fiber extracts from Arcera banana, Siamese banana, yellow sweet potato, and white sweet potato were screened for supporting the growth of Lactobacillus sp. which was isolated from whiteleg shrimp intestines with probiotic activity, prebiotic score, and ability to induce bacterial enzyme activities of protease, leu-aminopeptidase, and a-amylase. Results showed that Lactobacillus sp. was able to utilize all extracts from banana and sweet potato as the sole carbon sources. At 24 hours of culture, the growth of Lactobacillus sp. was highest after adding the extract from white sweet potato as the sole carbon source. Considering pathogenic bacteria, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, white sweet potato extract had the highest prebiotic score with a mean of 0.25 as compared with those of V. harveyi with a mean of 0.16. White sweet potato extract induced the highest activities of protease. These results indicated that white sweet potato extract was more suitable for combining with Lactobacillus sp. as a synbiotic for shrimp culture.