Contribution to an Aquaponics model for rural communities in Uraba

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About This Project

The integration of clean production of fish and plants in Aquaponic systems, its known for its environmental benefits and promotion of food sovereignty, but also for its costly installation and maintenance. Several species of vegetables will be cultured in our Aquaponics Lab in Uraba (Colombia), under different conditions of density and substrates to define a technical protocol for production, that contribute to adjusting the model to make it affordable by rural communities.

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What is the context of this research?

Urabá, an impoverish and biodiverse region in Colombia’s southwest Caribbean, highly affected by the armed conflict, has an economy based on extractive activities and intense agricultural production, that has severely impacted the environment. This situation calls for research on improvement of alternative economical models such as the Aquaponics that reduce the human pressure on the ecosystems, ensuring the economical sustenance of vulnerable communities. Our Lab works on developing small‑scale modular aquaponic systems that can be replicated on rural areas, where conditions can be challenging. This closed‑loop system that merges aquaculture and hydroponics, is timidly being implemented in Colombia, due to its costly initial investment. Therefore, developing new protocols for production with better cost/benefit relation, that can make affordable this model, is vital for its replication, widening its environmental and social benefits for the region.

What is the significance of this project?

Some of the well known environmental benefits of aquaponics are the reduction of the human pressure on biological resources, a more than 90% less consumption of fresh water from the environment, and almost none contamination generated. Additionally, when well adjusted to their particular contexts, this production model can constitute a good and clean way to improve food sovereignty and financial sustenance for rural communities that endure challenging conditions. This project looks to define a suitable technical protocol for production of vegetables under different conditions of density and substrate in an aquaponic system, that could complement our current work to generate a replicable model adjusted to the conditions of limited access to water and energy that characterize our rural communities.

What are the goals of the project?

Building on our current phase, this project seeks to run new experimental trials combining the culture of several vegetables species for human and animal consumption with the current trials of fish culture, under different conditions of density (number of plants per square meters) and substrate arrangements (different combinations of organic and mineral compounds). After measuring growth parameters until reaching the commercial size and weight, the conditions that ensure the best performances will be registered to be used in current trials to select the best combination to complete a protocol than can be proposed to rural communities for future trials in situ.

At the same time, a commercialization roadmap will be designed—whether individually or collectively—and implemented for the Lab production, in order to advance on a marketing plan for aquaponics products in the region.

Budget

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To develop the trials, we need funding for:

Equipment: Acquisition of filtration systems, pumps, sensors for remote detection of water quality parameters, and others to improve some components in the experimental aquaponic system (Up to 1000 USD).

Staff: Hiring of qualified personnel to design and execute: a marketing, communication and commercialization plan (Up to 1500 USD).

Consumables and supplies: Purchasing of different materials, tools, certified seeds, organic compounds, local substrates and others (Up to 1500 USD)

Currently we received funds from the International Office of Sustainability, a joint project of several universities, funded by DAAD.

What we might collect in Experiment, would complement the expenses of the proposed trials, in order to advance to

Endorsed by

As director of CEMARIN, I am proud to support this project that has an impact on the region, the communities and applied science.
As coordinator of the International Office for Sustainability, I proudly endorse the Participatory Aquaponics Project in the Gulf of Urabá. This initiative promotes sustainability, empowers women, and improves food security through research-led innovation. We believe in its impact and invite others to support its continuation and growth.
As a professional in fundraising and strategic alliances, I’ve had the privilege of supporting the development of this aquaponics project led by the University of Antioquia. What drew me to this initiative was its powerful blend of innovation, environmental sustainability, and social justice. It’s not just about growing food — it’s about restoring dignity and creating real opportunities for communities affected by conflict.

Project Timeline

In 2016 the Lab starts with a focus on Aquaponics, and look for financial support to develop the first trials. After some struggle from 2020 to 2023, we worked financed by the international Program Colombia Connect, but in February 2023, an accidental massive fish mortality forced a temporal closure. From 2024 to 2027, we are partially funded by the International Office for Sustainability.

Jun 04, 2025

Project Launched

Jul 31, 2025

Starting of new trials with vegetables

Oct 30, 2025

First results

Jan 30, 2026

Starting trial of best performed vegetable with culture of fish

Jul 30, 2026

A complete protocol developed

Meet the Team

Jenny Leal Florez
Jenny Leal Florez
Dr Jenny Leal-Florez

Affiliates

CEMarin - Corporation Center of Excellence in Marine Sciences and University of Antioquia.
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Claudia Marcela Castellanos Romero
Claudia Marcela Castellanos Romero

Team Bio

We are a very diverse team, constituted by researchers and students from different backgrounds and disciplines, women and men who are members of community associations, technical and administrative Lab staff. Our methodology for building, implementing and managing our projects and activities, is based on the participatory science and social innovation. We look to empower communities through the knowledge we generate together, so they can participate in the decision making processes.

Jenny Leal Florez

Jenny Leal-Florez, biologist from the University of Antioquia, Colombia, Master in International Studies in Tropical Aquatic Ecology and Doctor rerum naturalium from the University of Bremen, Germany. Professor at the University of Antioquia since 2008, with teaching and research experience in the areas of invasion ecology, ecology of hydrobiological resources and integrated management of marine and coastal areas, using participatory methodologies (e.g. action-research-participatory). She has held academic administration positions such as: Director of the Uraba Sectional of the University of Antioquia, Coordinator of the postgraduate courses in Marine Science (masters and doctorate) and Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences of the same university (current position). She coordinates the Marine and Coastal Systems Research Group-GISMAC, category A Minciencias 2024, and the Aquaponics Lab of the Institute she directs.

Claudia Marcela Castellanos Romero

Master's degree in Marine Sciences from the National University of Colombia (UNC) with experience in university teaching and research, and in social work with rural communities. She also serves as a consultant, coordinator, and technical operator in various research projects focused on the cultivation of hydrobiological resources, fisheries ecology, ecotoxicology, and marine ecology. She currently teaches at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Antioquia, Turbo campus, and supervises the technical component of the Aquaponics project at the university's Tulenapa campus.

Lab Notes

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Additional Information

This small project we present here, is part of a bigger one which is currently, funded by our University and the international agency DAAD, in our Aquaponics Lab in Uraba. The collect in Experiment.com, aims to complement our current funds, to specifically start some trials with new species.


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