What's the primary focus and goals of your research project?
"Skin health is possibly the biggest challenge when it comes to the sustainable develop of the salmon aquaculture industry. Sea lice infestation, sea lice removal methods, and winter ulcer disease are the major problems that negatively affect the skin. These cause a reduction in welfare and are the biggest contributors to the tens of millions of salmon that die during the seawater production phase every year."
"In this project, we will measure the effect of these stressors on skin function and resilience, and explore how these stressors can be mitigated or exacerbated by different environmental conditions, such as temperature. Understanding how these stressors affect the skin is the first step towards mitigating them. Our hope is that by filling this knowledge gap, this research can inform more sustainable farming practices with positive implications for fish health and welfare."
What challenges do you anticipate facing in your research, and how do you plan to address them?
"The project requires some method development in order to measure skin function and resilience. There are always unforeseen challenges when it comes to method development. However, there is an expert team of people involved in the project, who have decades of combined experience working with fish physiology, salmon aquaculture, and who are working with many diverse methods to measure fish health and welfare. In this project I will collaborate with Dr Christian Karlsen at NOFIMA and Dr Samantha Bui at IMR. Based on the expertise in the project, I am confident that any challenges can be overcome."
What's impact does you research have on the society?
"Current salmon farming practices are not consistent with the public demand for sustainable and ethical seafood. This project will help to ensure better management strategies on Norwegian salmon farms and thus contribute to a more ethical product for the consumer."
"Additionally, though the project focuses on Atlantic salmon, many of the results and knowledge will likely be applicable to salmonid production in Sweden. Understanding skin health and welfare challenges is especially important now, as Sweden is currently undergoing a push towards land-based aquaculture. In this project, I will also simulate future potential climate scenarios and their effects on skin health, to understand how fish health and aquaculture may be affected within an ever changing climate."
