Aquaculture researchers secure £1.6 million to explore next-generation tech

The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) has announced its support for three innovation projects aimed at enhancing finfish health and welfare in response to a changing climate and other emerging challenges, following its latest call for research initiatives.

Valued at a combined £1.6 million, these projects have secured nearly £600,000 in funding from SAIC along with additional support from businesses and organisations operating within the Scottish aquaculture sector.

Two of the successful projects are already underway. The first is exploring the development of a holographic imaging system to detect and monitor micro-jellyfish at aquaculture sites. It also aims to implement an automated profiling system for harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the water column, providing real-time data for fish health management.

The second project builds on previous SAIC-funded initiatives that established predictive biomarkers for assessing gill health in Atlantic salmon. Its objective is to refine these biomarkers using machine learning and non-invasive sampling methods, while investigating their effectiveness in predicting responses to micro-jellyfish exposure and different diets.

Meanwhile, a third project is set to begin in November, focused on stock management strategies for proliferative kidney disease (PKD) outbreaks in Scotland.

The initiative will monitor environmental conditions and immune responses in fish using advanced techniques, aiming to develop predictive models that enhance health management practices and improve vaccine efficacy in aquaculture.

The latest funding awards build on SAIC’s work to date, which has seen almost £11 million of investment turned into sector-critical research with a combined value exceeding £71 million. These projects have led to the creation of spin-out companies, new products and services, and innovative approaches to tackling sector-wide challenges.

Earlier this year, SAIC announced that it had secured further funding that will enable the innovation centre to build on its work from over the past decade. In this next period, SAIC will sharpen its focus on promoting positive health and welfare outcomes for farmed fish through applied research and knowledge exchange, particularly in response to emerging environmental challenges.

Sarah Riddle, director of innovation and engagement at SAIC, added: “Over the past ten years, we have prioritised initiatives aimed at enhancing aquaculture’s environmental impact, fish health, and unlocking economic potential.

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 – and each of these projects aims to tackle these areas.

Continued knowledge exchange between the sector and academia will also be vital in maintaining Scotland’s position at the forefront of pioneering advancements across the global aquaculture supply chain.”

Linsey Dickson, interim executive director of research, innovation and business engagement at the University of Stirling, said: “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.

Close collaboration between academia and the fish farming community is crucial to ensure that our findings translate into actionable solutions that support the future of sustainable seafood production.”