Researchers have taken over 120,000 images of salmon lice larvae in seawater and used them to train AI models. The models were much faster and more accurate than experienced biologists at identifying the parasites that feed on the skin and blood of salmonids.
What happens when you disrupt a fish’s natural rhythm? The use of light in fish farms can stress the fish and prevent them from sleeping or developing properly. New research now makes it possible to measure light from the fish’s point of view. This could greatly improve fish health.
A small revolution is happening in the fishing industry. Freshly frozen fish can now be thawed in a new way, and that means you will have access to super-fresh food from the sea – even if you live thousands of miles away.
Environmental conditions on the seabed around fish farms generally improve the farther north you go in Norway.
It can take up to 200 years for damaged marine environments to fully recover by just stopping the destruction and leaving the ecosystems to themselves. That is why we must implement active restoration interventions.
The food industry has to get moved up on the priority queue. Otherwise, it will be impossible to achieve the government’s goal of Norway becoming more self-sufficient in sustainable salmon feed.
It could take up to 200 years for our degraded ocean habitats to fully recover if we just leave them alone. So, we must intervene. The good news is that it works.
Here’s how Norway can limit the loss of an all-important substance, phosphorus.
Bacteria-free fish fry put researchers on the track of how they could make fish more disease resistant.
The fisheries and aquaculture sectors are major users of plastics. A research project has recently been launched to investigate how these plastics can be recycled and made into new products.
NTNU biology and cybernetics researchers have built a robot that allows them to sample everything from microplastic to salmon lice densities.
Researchers at NINA, the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, and NTNU have developed a new method for monitoring salmon lice larvae along the coast. The lice trap is now being tested in the Hardangerfjord.
When salmon ingest parasites, the parasite may not be the only factor that determines the impact on the health of the fish.
New technologies, including artificial intelligence, allow us to study salmon behaviour and their living environment in large-scale commercial sea cages.
The will is there. The technology is too. So why is only 2.4 per cent of the Norwegian economy circular?
Research shows that even fish farmers have doubts as to whether using cleaner fish is an effective delousing method. “Fish farmers tell us that they want a ban on the use of certain species. They’re also very critical of wild-caught cleaner fish being transported,” says researcher Kristine Størkersen. She is one of the scientists who have been helping the Norwegian Food Safety Authority gain an overview of the situation.
Robotic turtles used for surveillance could help prevent escapes from salmon farms. The “turtle robots” are paving the way for a technology that improves monitoring inside sea cages.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential components of healthy diets for both humans and fish. The dramatic increase in fish farming worldwide has boosted the demand for omega-3 fatty acids so much that today’s supply can’t meet demand. Reducing waste and finding new sources can help.
Blueye is an underwater drone that got its start at NTNU. The drone can be used for serious purposes – such as when it mapped damage to the Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad – or for entertainment, such as showing cruise passengers the underwater landscape.
The electronic “sensor” fish measures the physical factors that affect farmed fish during delousing. The results may lead to welfare improvements in salmon farm cages.
The oceans are teeming with ever-increasing numbers of jellyfish. These squishy sea creatures can ruin fishing and discourage tourists. But one research group wants to turn this nuisance into pay dirt.
The amount of omega-3 fatty acids in farmed salmon is dropping. But a reasonable and affordable solution may make salmon even healthier to eat.
An entirely new fish farm design, which looks more like an elongated offshore oil platform than a traditional aquaculture facility, may soon be installed in Norwegian waters.
We need to know more, and teach more people, about aquaculture so we can use the ocean’s resources to the greatest extent possible while protecting the environment.
