I specialise in optimising commercial aquacultural production, with particular emphasis on improving feeding efficiency, growth and fish welfare throughout the production cycle whilst minimising losses through escapes and mortality.
A major aspect of my current work is optimising feed management, devising operational strategies for improving on-farm Feed Conversion Ratios (FCRs), whilst minimising feed wastage and environmental impacts.
Additional research interests include:
• evaluating the costs and benefits of fish welfare interventions in European aquaculture
• identifying risk factors and mitigation strategies for reducing the prevalence of fish escapes from aquaculture facilities
• optimising efficiency and product quality in capture-based aquaculture
• assessing the effects of elevated levels of dissolved CO2 on production efficiency and product quality
• identifying and eliminating risk factors for fin damage and other injuries in farmed fish
• applying social network analysis to improve our understanding of fish behaviour and welfare in aquaculture.
I have a broad geographical exposure that includes extensive work within the EU, Japan and Australia, and work on a wide number of species including Atlantic salmon, Atlantic cod, rainbow trout, yellowtail, gilthead sea bream, European sea bass, white-spotted charr and amago.
Education: PhD, University of Glasgow, UK. Marine Biology BSc (Hons.), University of Liverpool, UK.
