AQUACULTURE researchers have received a funding boost of £1.6m to develop cutting-edge technologies aimed at improving finfish health and welfare in Scotland.
The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) has announced support for three major projects, which are responding to climate change and other emerging challenges in the sector.
The projects, backed by £600,000 from SAIC with additional contributions from the Scottish aquaculture industry, are focused on key innovations.
Two of these initiatives are already underway, with the third set to launch in November 2024.
One of the ongoing projects involves the development of a holographic imaging system to detect and monitor micro-jellyfish at aquaculture sites.
This system will work in tandem with an automated profiling solution for harmful algal blooms (HABs), providing real-time data crucial for maintaining fish health.
Another project, building on previous SAIC research, aims to refine predictive biomarkers used to assess gill health in Atlantic salmon.
By integrating machine learning and non-invasive sampling methods, researchers hope to predict how fish will respond to micro-jellyfish exposure and dietary changes.
A third initiative, due to commence later this year, will explore stock management strategies for proliferative kidney disease (PKD) outbreaks in Scotland.
Using advanced monitoring techniques, the project will track environmental factors and immune responses in fish, with the goal of developing predictive models to enhance health management and improve vaccine efficacy.
Sarah Riddle, SAIC’s director of innovation and engagement, explained the importance of these projects: “In this current funding call, our sharper focus aligns us even more closely with the sector’s key priorities, fostering collaboration to tackle critical health, welfare, and survivability challenges in fish farming.”
Linsey Dickson, interim executive director at the University of Stirling, added: “This funding represents a significant boost to the innovative research being conducted across Scotland’s aquaculture sector.
“By applying cutting-edge technologies and evidence-based practices, these projects are poised to address some of the sector’s most pressing challenges.”
SAIC’s latest funding builds on over a decade of work, which has already turned £11m of investment into sector-critical research worth more than £71m, leading to spin-out companies, new products, and advancements in aquaculture.
