A step ahead in our relentless support for the salmon farming industry

The NON-Fôr team continues with the efforts to support the salmon farming industry through comprehensive research on novel feed ingredients. With the guidance of Associate Professor Viviane Verlhac and the project leader Professor Mette Sørensen the team focuses on uncovering the distinct advantages these ingredients provide to Atlantic salmon during their transition from parr to smolt. With great involvement of engineers, researchers and students at the Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, the team has reached the intended milestone and completed the first phase of the smoltification trial. The intricate preparations of the experimental hall were skillfully executed with the active participation of Steinar Johnsen (Senior Laboratory Engineer, Nord University Research Station). The contributions of our students and staff, at the end of the 80-day feeding trial that started on June 12 and ended on August 31, are commendable; Njål Sortland (MSc student connected to NON-Fôr), Prabhugouda Siriyappagouder (Senior Laboratory Engineer, Nord), Nimalan Nadanasabesan (Researcher, Nord), Madeleine Jodal (Laboratory Engineer, Nord Research Station), Abu Bakar Siddik (Laboratory Engineer, Nord Research Station).

Samples that were collected at the end of the freshwater phase of the trial are expected to shed light on the alterations induced by novel feed ingredients, based on smolt index, plasma electrolyte levels and hormones and transcriptional changes associated with smoltification in the osmoregulatory organs such as the gills, kidney and distal intestine. The generated data will be pivotal in evaluating the effectiveness of novel feed ingredients in facilitating the smoltification process in Atlantic salmon parr.

From left: Roald Jakobsen (Trial responsible, Senior Laboratory Engineer, Nord Research Station), Frode Bruun (Apprentice, Nord Research Station), Jens Alexander Kristensen, (Senior Laboratory Engineer, Nord Research Station), Viviane Verlhac-Trichet (Associate Professor, Project responsible), Florence Perera Willora (Trial responsible, Researcher connected to NON- Fôr), Nathaniel Farris (PhD student connected to NON- Fôr).

Photo by Soumitra Chowdhury (PhD student, Nord)