Raneesha de Fonseka
Doctoral Student
Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences
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About Raneesha de Fonseka
Project: The Physiology Shapes the Happy Salmon
My research focus on marine-based feed and feeding regimes on appetite, growth and intestinal health of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) with the goal of enhancing smolt quality and seawater performance. The overarching aim of my PhD project is to improve the health and welfare of farmed salmon, and to increase the growth performance emphasizing the intestine and its physiological functions. To achieve this, I am exploring two main approaches:
- First, evaluating and improving current industrial practices including pre-handling food-deprivation, seawater transfer time and photoperiod induced smolt production.
- The second approach is to produce novel, sustainable marine-based feed using different marine side-streams (algae) as candidate aquafeed ingredients.
Key research areas:
- Osmoregulatory function in gill, intestine and kidney
- Intestinal fluid uptake
- Intestinal barrier function and nutrient transportation
- Intestinal health
- Appetite regulation in brain