The global leader in technologically advanced aquatic solutions for aquaculture and fish tracking, Innovasea, announced some days ago that its degassing solution has played a vital role in supporting increased trout egg production at Utah’s Mantua Fish Hatchery, United States. Through the installation of an Innovasea vacuum degasser, the hatchery has reduced its total gas pressure (TGP) from highs of up to 120%, down to as low as 90%, exceeding its initial goal and creating ideal conditions for its broodstock.
“Our team worked closely with the staff at Mantua Hatchery to analyze water conditions and explore various solutions,” said Marc Turano, Innovasea Vice President. And he added: “By combining their operational insights with our technical expertise, we optimized the system to deliver consistent, impactful results for improved egg production.”
Constructed in 1910
The hatchery, originally constructed in 1910, has undergone several renovations and expansions, with the most recent completed in 2024. This was the second phase of the state’s initiative to modernize the site for improved trout egg production, taking advantage of the natural cold waters found in the area.
Using the new Innovasea degassing system, water passes through a vacuum chamber with negative pressure to effectively and efficiently remove high levels of dissolved gas from the water. This quickly drops the TGP and is a critical step for ensuring safe, consistent conditions for the eggs and fry, which are very sensitive to elevated gas levels.
In that sense, Roger Mellenthin, Mantua Fish Hatchery Fish Culture Coordinator, said: “The Innovasea degasser is a great product and has been the perfect solution for us. It’s simple, but effective and requires little maintenance or repairs.”
6 Million Trout Eggs per Year
Other additions from this project include new egg facilities, additional equipment disinfection stations, and barriers to prevent invasive species. The site produces over 6 million trout eggs a year, consisting mostly of cutthroat and rainbow trout. This total accounts for roughly 30% of Utah’s farm-produced trout.
The fish hatchery in Mantua, Utah, was originally built in 1910 by the Maple Creek Trout and Resort. The resort was a private business before it was purchased by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) in 1970.
New General Manager of its Fish Tracking Operations
On the other hand, Innovasea announced days before that they have named Amy Brookman as the new General Manager of its Fish Tracking operations. She most recently served as Innovasea’s Vice President of Sales for Fish Tracking, stepped into the role that was previously held by Mark Jollymore, up until his promotion to CEO of Innovasea.
“Amy’s deep market insight and strong leadership experience uniquely position her to strengthen our offerings and drive our next phase of growth,” said Jollymore. “Through her leadership, we are well-suited to accelerate innovation and continue to redefine what’s possible in acoustic telemetry,” he added.
Brookman first joined Innovasea, then Amirix Systems, in 2010 as a Product Manager for the company’s Vemco acoustic telemetry line. Since then, she has served in various leadership roles in marketing, product management, and sales.
Operating out of Innovasea’s Halifax office, Brookman will oversee all aspects of the company’s Fish Tracking operations. This includes its advanced acoustic telemetry solutions, led by the flagship NexTrak system, as well as its AI-powered fish counting technology for hydropower sites, HydroAI.
As part of her new role, Brookman will focus on ongoing innovation for this product line. The emphasis will be on providing customer-first solutions that enable the research community to collect high-quality data, leading to greater insights.
“Our mission is to deliver a complete solution that empowers researchers to advance their work,” added Brookman. “Our fish tracking unit has an incredibly rich history, and I feel privileged to be building upon this by leading and working alongside such a great team.”
Brookman earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Akron and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Dalhousie University.
