Central activities:

• Sustainable aquaculture production
• Ocean circulation and marine ecosystems
• Integrated aquaculture
• Environmental monitoring and forecasting

• Shellfish production

Ocean circulation and marine ecosystems

SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture/Marine Resources Technology uses numerical models that are developed to simulate the marine environment. Examples of applications include studies of climate effects on the marine ecosystem, pollution effects and how primary production is affected by different environmental factors.

Integrated aquaculture

Sintef Fisheries and Aquaculture is developing integrated aquaculture systems that include algae, shellfish and fish. This development should give an economically, ecologically and environmentally sustainable aquaculture. These systems should add value within well-defined sea areas. The divisions for Marine Resources Technology and Aquaculture Technology have joined NTNU in this development through the program INTEGRATE (2006-2010)

There will soon be an increased focus on the environmental and ecological effects of aquaculture and related activities in the coastal regions. It is therefore important to develop methods and concepts within the sustainable limits of the marine ecosystem without too much undesirable discharge to the environment. This applies to fish escapes, nutrients and other compounds associated with the feeding of fish in cages. INTEGRATE will focus on systems that use the effluents to minimize the negative effects of such discharges. For Norway, with such expansive coastal regions, it is important to gain knowledge for integrated solutions and apply it to developing the necessary operational concepts and management systems.

Marine ecosystems

Marine ecosystems comprise the grazing net that includes microorganisms, primary producers, zooplankton, fish, mammals and birds. Feed spills and excretion products from salmon farms can be available for species at lower trophic levels, either directly or through transformation in the marine food web. A poly-trophic aquaculture production that includes nutrient-based aquaculture (algae-seaweed-kelp), filter aquaculture (mussels) and feed aquaculture (fish) can contribute to new production lines and increased production within established locations, since these organisms live at different trophic levels and in synergy.
                                          
SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture has extensive experience in modeling marine ecosystems and habitats.
 

Nutrients

Nutrients from fish cages can be used for the growth of algae and seaweeds. Integrated solutions, in which fish farms are combined with the production of, e.g., mussels and seaweeds, use the dissolved and particulate discharges as a source of nutrients for the other cultures, and therefore add value to the production while ameliorating the environmental impact.

We also study how a fjord system can be manipulated to increase the supply of nutrients to micro-algae in the upper, euphotic layer, where they are an important source of food for blue mussels

Diffusor plate placed over the submerged discharge of fresh water from a power station. The increased volume of entrained, nutrient-rich sea water stimulates the growth of micro-algae near the surface.  

Contact:	Kjell Inge Reitan	Senior scientist
	Aleksander Handå	Scientist

  

Monitoring and forecasting the marine environment

The Division of Marine Resources Technology conducts operational monitoring of coastal and ocean regions to warn fish farmers when there are imminent situations that can harm the industry, e.g. fish mortality and toxic algae. This special competence is used in environmental studies and environmental impact assessments.

Special expertice:

Warning and preparedness for fish farmers

For aquaculture, it is important to be able to reduce losses due to unexpected damages from toxic algae and jellyfish, extreme weather and wave conditions, extreme temperatures and acute pollution. Early warning of such risks and advice to farmers when these occur give the possibility of making decisions to reduce or eliminate economical consequences. In this work, farmers who are insured by If and Gjensidige have access to advice and water analyses at SINTEF SeaLab to diagnose whether or not problems with fish are due to the environment or disease.

• Documentation of damages in fish farms due to algae and jellyfish invasion
• Monitoring shellfish
• An early discovery of toxic algae is important if shellfish are to be harvested for food. The Division for Marine Resources Technology has competence  in this area and carries out analyses of water and algae trawl samples routinely for the Food Control Agency (nutrition council) and the shellfish industry (marketing permits).
  
• Environmental studies
  SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture carries out marine environmental studies to document the conditions in relation to the norms set by the Norwegian authorities and the European Water Directive. We also model the effects of discharges from land and aquaculture activities, which are useful in such studies.
• Impact assessments
  In connection with physical changes in the coastal region or discharges of pollutants or heat, an environmental impact analysis should be performed to see how these may effect the environment, and how these effects can be mitigated. These assessments are based on environmental studies, available literature and computer and laboratory modeling.

The Division of Marine Resources Technology works with the production of shellfish and has competence in the accumulation and detoxification of algae toxins, respiration, energy needs and micro-algae as fodder, especially for mussels.

Mussels (Mytilus edulis) obtain their nourishment by filtering seston (loose particles in suspension) that contain mostly micro-algae, bacteria and inorganic particles from the water column. In addition to their genetic and physiological premises, the success of filtering depends on temperature, water velocity, particle concentration and particle composition.

Nutrients that are discharged from fish farms are estimated to provide a potential for the production of more than 2 million tons of mussels (MARICULT 2001). Thus, placing mussel production units in the vicinity of fish farms can be a profitable venture in coastal regions where the natural nutrient levels are low.

See also:  mussel group at SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture