The Mariculture Laboratory facility at Elat, Israel, is unique as a technologically-advanced unit, with noteworthy promise in the area of warm water mariculture. Efforts directed toward cultivation of the gilthead bream, Sparus auratus (Denise) have already resulted in artificial spawning and rearing of an F-1 generation, along with development of an initial basal maintenance diet giving significant growth response under a variety of cultural conditions. Formulation of projected dietary preparations for the hatchery, post-hatchery and grow-out phases should permit optimisation of survival and growth rates, an understanding of substrate levels required, along with development of a sound basis for subsequent defined diet production and specific nutritional studies. Data generated will be applicable to programmes for other species with maricultural application. The variety of approaches, including diverse culture systems (i.e., open sea cages, ponds and tanks), complete life cycle analyses and control, and initiation of a diet development/nutrition facility, serve to establish a viable and far-reaching programme. Planning for acceleration of all phases of this integrated effort is warranted and unquestionably will serve as a template for technologically and economically sound mariculture in this region.
