Aquaculture Division

Fish health and welfare
Fish health and welfare is​​​​ a key to produce a fish with improved disease resistance and increased survival rate from egg to on-growth in the netpens.

Production optimalisation and new technology to reduce environmental footprint from the aquaculture sector
Research is performed connected to new production technology or production strategies. Examples of such technology is use of cleanerfish to compat salmon lice, production in semiclosed containment, new technology to monitor fish welfare. Economy is also evaluated using different production strategies, feeding strategies – or production with use of new technology.

Reproduction and gamet quality
Farming of new species may be challanged by knowledge gap of production biology and reproduction cycle. Wolffish and Atlantic Halibut are both species with a considerable potential for Norwegian aquaculture. Knowledge about successful reproduction and early life stage is critical for use of these and other species in commercial aquaculture. More knowledge is needed to improve the success of reproduction and survival after hatching.

Microbiota is the ecological community of microorganisms that reside the surfaces of a fish. In practical terms we often refer to them as gut microbiota or skin microbiota. A healthy fish harbours a dense and diverse population of commensal microorganisms, which offer many benefits to the host, including immune homeostasis and health maintenance. On going research at FBA is seeking new knowledge to understand the profile of a healthy gut bacterial assembly as well as the entire genetic material in within the microbiota - the microbiom. The microbiome  is shaped by environment- and host-related factors.

Intestinal immune system and mucosal defence
Mucosal barrier is important for maintaining a healthy gut. The mucosa represents a barrier and if this is broken, nutrient digestibility and utilization may become disturbed – and besides, it will result in an activation of the immune system. Our research is seeking answers to the interaction between ingredients and intestinal mucosa, and it also includes means to strengthen the mucosal barriers.alth, growth and feed utilization.

Sustainable ingredients and aquafeeds
The research group is involved in different projects investigating how salmonids and new species respond to formulated feed based on novel marine ingredients and plant products. Parameters studied are novel ingredients and effects on intestinal health, growth and feed utilization.

Product quality
Example of research questions: Is the quality of fish affected by production systems, different environmental conditions and new feed materials. How does muscle structure and composition affect product quality?

Potential impact of microplastics on the environmental footprint of Atlantic salmon farming?
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production sectors in the world. In order to ensure sustainability, the environmental footprint of the industry should be kept as low as possible. Feedborne contaminants, contaminants associated with of equipment use and drugs may all impact the local environment around fish farms. Small plastic debris is today ubiquitous in the marine environment. Hazards associated with plastic debris include physical components of the materials and chemicals toxicity (ingredients in the plastic and adsorbed contaminants). This project aims to increase the understanding of the potential role of microplastics on the dispersion of contaminants associated with fish farms, in order to ensure the sustainability of marine aquaculture. 

The ARCTAQUA main objective is to promote the development of sustainable aquaculture in the Arctic region. For this, the ARCTAQUA will address main bottlenecks in the production of novel fish species (Arctic char, spotted wolffish, European whitefish and nelma) in the Arctic region which will improve the economical feasibility of these species production and expand this industry. Ultimately, the ARCTAQUA will result in new job opportunities and contribute for the economical development of the Arctic region.

ARCTAQUA's Norwegian partners are Nord University, Sigerfjord Fisk AS and Avatik AS. 

The other partners include Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Murmansk State Technical University and GosNIORH (State Research Institute of Lske and River Fisheries) from Russia​.

The purpose of the project is to increase knowledge about the extent and consequences of VHS virus in wild-caught cod.

The project owner is Gunnar Klo AS, with partners from both Vesterålen and Finnmark. In addition, there are a number of research environments involved in the project, such as the Veterinary Institute, Nord University and Biovivotech AS.

The motivation behind the project is that several companies now want to invest in live storage of wild-caught cod and in that connection see a need to investigate VHS virus and infection as a risk when setting up facilities.

The research project "FangstRISK II - Marine VHS virus as a risk in the establishment and operation of catch-based aquaculture" is planned to last 3 years, and the Regional Research Fund has allocated NOK three million to the project.

A2F's vision is to lay the foundation for industrial microalgae production in Norway, utilizing natural resources and waste streams from existing production lines within agriculture, aquaculture and process industry.

A2F brings Algae to the Future by integrating Fundamental Algae Research and Applied Industrial Practices. A2F envisages that the knowledge and technology platform provided by the project will create a viable microalgae industry as a part of the new Norwegian bio economy within the next 10 to 15years.

The project budget is NOK 54,7 millions where NOOK 39,9 millions is allocated from the Research Council of Norway. The project is led by NIBIO (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research) and has several collaborators.

A2F is divided into 10 work packages (WPs), where Nord University is responsible for WP6: Potential for use of lipid rich algal biomass: Fish as a case study. The objective is to demonstrate the suitability of microalgae as a source of PUFAs, protein, antioxidants and pigments in salmon feeds, enabling the production of high-value seafood.