A hatch grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is fueling research at the University of Guam, exploring the viability of aquaponics systems. Destiny Cruz tours UOG's Aquapark to witness the research in action.

Just keep swimming? More like just keep producing! But, these little fishes are no Finding Nemo.

Their jobs - all part of mother nature getting to work to grow a variety of leafy greens.

It's food for human consumption and cleaner water created by the produce.

In return - a solution for food security on the island.

Researchers with the University of Guam’s College of Applied and Natural Sciences Aquapark are exploring this process through three aquaponics systems.

David Crisostomo is an aquaculture specialist with UOG Sea Grant and co-director of the Applied Research Project, and said, “We want to get data on how much each of these systems can produce, what the costs are for producing them, and setting up these systems. That way, we’ll give Guam farmers or interested investors real figures on what it would take to set up something like this and what they can expect to generate in terms of revenue.”

So how much are these systems at the aquapark producing now?

Every 4 to 5 weeks, the folks here harvest six types of lettuce, basil, and bok-choy.

It all starts with water from a tank of 50 tilapia flowing through a solid settling tank, which a biological filter then converts the fish’s toxic waste into nitrate, which plants love.

And while the 900 gallons of water the fish tanks are filled with may sound like a lot.

“It actually uses 90% less water than traditional farming," he shared.

It’s a sustainable type of farming that Johnny Borja, a research assistant with UOG Sea Grant, gets to see from start to finish, first feeding the fish.

“You do get to build a little bit of a relationship with them. You want to make sure that they’re happy, they’re eating well, and the water is clean. That way, you can get your nice vegetables and produce at the end, and you really see the benefit of the system," he said.

It’s benefits that fellow research assistant Joshua Muna can’t wait for the community to reap. “Coming to work and watching your food grow rather than going to the store and purchasing food, why not just grow it? It’s fairly inexpensive, it’s sustainable, and it’s the fruits of our labor.”

A community small-scale aquaponics system is expected to launch sometime this month.

Plans are underway for 20 more systems slated for the community.

And there's also opportunities for the public to see it for themselves.