Experts - Aquaculture

I'am currently employed as a Science Officer with the Shellfish Centre Wales based at Bangor University. I have worked with native oyster population dynamics for more than 20 years. My particular expertise is the passive / benign approach to bivalve restoration. I have extensive experience in establishing, monitoring and augmenting both subtidal and intertidal native oyster, pearl oyster and horse mussel populations. I' am a predictive population modeler of invasive bivalve species, with Magallana gigas and Pinctada radiata species of interest. I'am currently working on the DAERA funded; Native Oysters Northern Ireland project (NONI) and the Ulster Wildlife Trust Blue Carbon Habitats project. I, am also connected with the Zoological Society of London "Wild Oysters" restoration hub at the Conwy Estuary Wales.

E-Mail: d.smyth@bangor.ac.uk

We have been growing Ostrea edulis for years now in Croatia to be sold as fresh to the restaurants and directly to final customers. We are very interested in keeping our growing location disease free and to work on projects that will improve the biology and technology of growing flat oysters. At the moment we collect our spat from the wild on collectors but would like to get access to a hatchery or to build our own in the near future.

E-Mail: matija@platforma22.hr
Web: www.dalmatiaseafood.com

I have almost 30 years of experience in studies of marine bivalves, both from the perspective of their aquaculture and from their use in environmental research. I have extensive experience in bivalve culture techniques from broodstock, larval culture and seed, as well as in the assessment of physiological rates that integrate the energy balance in order to estimate their energy potential or SFG (scope for growth). I have also been interested in the nutritional requirements and digestive biochemistry of different species of bivalves, mainly during growing, in order to develop alternative diets. I have been involved in pollution and toxicological studies using bivalves as biomonitors and species model. Actually, I am promoting, together with almost 20 scientists from different disciplines, the recovery of the environmental quality of the Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain), severely affected by eutrophication, by the restoration of the flat oyster beds.

E-Mail: marina.albentosa@ieo.es
Web: http://www.ieo.es:8080/es_ES/web/murcia/historia

Our goal at OSH is to provide disease free O. edulis spat of the highest quality for habitat restoration and grow out purposes. We utilise high intensity influent and effluent sterilisation as well as a number of RASs and novel spawning and setting systems to achieve high levels of biosecurity.

E-Mail: forrest.petersen@csfbvi.com
Web: www.orkneyshellfishhatchery.co.uk

We produce Ostrea edulis for both the table and restoration market on our disease free farm in Wester Ross, Scotland. We have been involved in the on growing of the 'Native' since we started the farm and as a result have a great respect for this little creature and appreciate the challanges involved in their cultivation. We are a key supply chain partner of the Glenmorangie DEEP project and are working closely with that project to deliver significant volumes of part grown stock for relaying in the Dornoch Firth. We are also greatly interested in preservation of existing wild Scottish population and are working with others to identify, protect and enhance these.

E-Mail: info@maorachbeag.scot
Web: https://scottishshellfishcompany.com/

E-Mail: alison.debney@zsl.org
Web: www.zsl.org

I have worked with spatting ponds for 8 years and have found it works really good for flat oyster production and spat on shell for bottom culture production I am interested in spatting ponds and bottom culture and ways to improve that Restauration is in my view bottomculture without harvest, so my experience would translate very well for that.

E-Mail: jn@aquamind.dk
Web: www.aquamind.dk

I work on the effects of ocean acidification and warming on oysters and other aquaculture species, as well as on biogenic habitats and marine invasive species. This research is mainly based in the NE Atlantic, the Mediterranean, China and Japan. I am President of the British Phycological Society with an interest in how the movement of oysters can present biosecurity challenges as well as major ecosystem benefits.

E-Mail: jhall-spencer@plymouth.ac.uk
Web: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/jason-hall-spencer

E-Mail: afrankic@gmail.com
Web: www.umb.edu/GHP

Microbiologist, spesialization in bivalve health and disease transmission. Experience from projects on oyster, mussel and scallop aquaculture. Leading a National Reference Laboratory function on diagnostics of bivalve diseases in Norway and a healtth monitoring programme, including wild and farmed populations of flat oysters and mussels. Leading a Nordic collaborative network on Pacific oysters in Scandinavia, studying the spreading dynamics, mitigation as well as a potential exploration of Pacific oysters as a new resource. Also involved in public outreach through communication with stakeholders, including managers.

E-Mail: stein.mortensen@hi.no
Web: https://www.hi.no/hi

Atlantic Shellfish Ltd. has been breeding O. edulis since 1969, by using 22 breeding ponds in Cork Harbour, capable of producing 100 tonnes / year of marketable oysters. The ponds are used to produce spat, which are then grown and fattened in the North Channel of the harbour. The company mainly supplies the restaurant market, with fully grown, well graded oysters, packed to the customers need. Atlantic Shellfish also is running the Loch Ryan wild native oyster fishery in South West Scotland, which has a sustainable, natural production of O. edulis which is free from Bonamia. These are mostly harvested for the restaurant market also. The company has depuration tanks in London, and is able to supply the UK market overnight with O. edulis and C. gigas, along with exports from Heathrow.

E-Mail: tristan@oysters.co.uk
Web: www.rossmoreoysters.com

Bivalve hatchery operator and oyster farming specialist, currently supplying Native oyster seed to aquaculture operators and restoration projects alike.

E-Mail: info@morecambebayoysters.co.uk

E-Mail: Sylvie.Lapegue@ifremer.fr
Web: http://annuaire.ifremer.fr/cv/16212/

I'm a marine ecologist and scientific diver studying the ecological functioning of marine habitats of high biodiversity, especially biogenic habitats formed by shellfish, the effects of anthropogenic impacts and the development of novel approaches for impact amelioration and ecological restoration. I have expertise in the aquaculture of biogenic reef forming bivalves (oysters, horse mussels) with the purpose of ecological restoration, site selection of restoration and translocation and monitoring of success using biodiversity of the associated community, survival and recruitment as metrics. In the past I have worked in several shellfish restoration projects such as the Modiolus Restoration Plan in Strangford Lough (Northern Ireland), monitoring condition and recovery in horse mussel Modiolus modiolus populations following restoration, and the Dornoch Firth Environmental Enhancement Project (DEEP) in Scotland for the reintroduction of the native oyster Ostrea edulis, largely working on site selection and historical ecology.

E-Mail: josemaria.farinas-franco@gmit.ie

E-Mail: abratos@unidu.hr

Stéphane is a marine biologist, working at Ifremer near Brest, in France. His current research is focused on the ecology and ecophysiology of temperate marines bivalves especially the flat oyster, the pacific oyster, but also the pectinids (Black and Great scallops). In another life during his PhD, he has also worked on the pearl oyster ecology in French Polynesia. Most of his projects is connected with conservation, restoration, aquaculture & fisheries. He is in charge of a national long term monitoring program on the pacific oyster reproduction (VELYGER) and a regional project on the flat oyster ecology & restoration (FOREVER). He is also involved in a new project on the black scallop ecology (MASCOET). Locally, Stéphane co-animates a regional research site (ZABRI) in relation with the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER). He is also a scientific diver and cannot conceive his work without going regularly at field !

E-Mail: Stephane.Pouvreau@Ifremer.fr
Web: https://www-iuem.univ-brest.fr/lemar/?lang=en

ARC Marine specialises in accelerating reef creation of damaged marine ecosystems. We develop innovative marine solutions utilising our Reef Cube technology that incorporate a nature inclusive design to habitat creation/restoration in the aquaculture, coastal defense, renewable energy and sub sea asset protection. Reef systems, including biogenic reefs, are some of the most productive and biologically diverse systems on earth and the more we can restore/create the better the benefits for us all. I oversee all our day to day operations of our projects and I have a keen interest in diving (both commercial and recreational) and with restoring as many habitats as possible to aid our vision of creating healthy, productive seas once again. Having been involved in various marine monitoring and ecological enhancement projects between the UK and Asia i am passionate in the belief that the creation of healthy marine habitats will be accomplished.

E-Mail: james.murphy@arcmarine.co.uk
Web: www.arcmarine.co.uk

I have a PhD from the University of Barcelona obtained in 2010. My research background is in the ecology, biology, and pathology of benthic invertebrates, with a particular focus on the ecological role that filter-feeders, such as bivalves, play in the ecosystem. I have studied the role of bivalves in shaping coastal environments, e.g. mitigating the symptoms of eutrophication, reducing the occurrence of harmful and nuisance algal blooms, and restoring ecosystem functions. Also, I have investigated how the environment can affect the health and physiology of the invertebrates themselves including both immune and pathological studies. My research has provided valuable information for the management of aquaculture species, fisheries and natural resources, as well as for conservation and restoration purposes.

E-Mail: galimany@icm.csic.es

Senior lecturer in Comparative and environmental animal physiology in the University of the Basque Country (North Spain). My research (since 1989) is focused on the physiological energetics of marine bivalves. This includes multidisciplinary analysis (physiology, cell biology, genomics) of the effect that exogenous variables (temperature, salinity, food availability) exert on the physiological performance, growth and reproduction of the bivalves at individual scale. In the last 10 years, my research is focused on the physiological and genetic basis of the endogenously determined inter-individual differences in growth rate in both hatchery produced and wild populations of bivalves.

E-Mail: irrintzi.ibarrola@ehu.eus

I am an applied ecologist working in marine and freshwater habitats to understand the consequences of individual variation in behaviour, survival, growth and reproduction of organisms in a population, community and evolution context. A great deal of the research in my group at Essex is on shellfish and fish including aquaculture and wild fisheries, and restoration and recovery of fish and shellfish stocks and habitats. At Essex we work from individual physiological responses of shellfish in our marine laboratories to the ecology of on bed mariculture and fisheries at multiple spatial scales. We work closely with oyster producers in Essex and beyond to deliver sustainable and profitable businesses and food security from the blue growth sector. Beyond shellfish and fish our group also works on saltmarshes, coastal marshes, mudflat and seagrass beds from microbial ecosystem functions to carbon capture and all services in between.

E-Mail: tcameron@essex.ac.uk
Web: https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/camer52908/thomas-cameron

I have more than 15 years of research experience in bivalve aquaculture (oysters, clams and razor clams). I have worked as researcher in academia and also as Research and Development engineer in private hatcheries. My research focus on the development of hatchery and nursery rearing for bivalves; embryological and larval development of bivalves; the impact of microbiology on hatchery culture of bivalves; nutritional and biochemical studies of diferent phases of bivalve culture; and bivalve selective breeding.

E-Mail: fiz.dacosta@ieo.es

I am a marine biologist, specialised in Marine Ecology, currently PhD student at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Portsmouth (University of Portsmouth, UK). My research involves the hatchery production of the native oyster O.edulis as spat-on-shell for restoration in the Solent. I am investigating the genetic implications surrounding the employment of locally adapted broodstock from disease-affected areas, for the hatchery production of native oyster seed for restoration purposes, monitoring the genetic diversity and potential disease-resistance during the whole production process. I am also investigating the mechanisms of competitive exclusion of C. fornicata, assessing the factors responsible for the inhibition of O. edulis natural recruitment in the Solent. During my most recent work experience, I've been running an aquarium based experiment to investigate the role of microplastics as pathogen vectors. All my previous experiences include projects related to the biodiversity and conservation fields of study.

E-Mail: monica.fabra@port.ac.uk

E-Mail: sadaraslam@gmail.com

Primarily focused on providing a strong scientific foundation for the Solent Oyster Restoration Project, my intrests are broad as there are many issues to consider within our system. My previous research has involved invasive species, restoration aquaculture systems, disease and associated biodiversity. More recently we have been working on scaling up reef restoration and I have been encouraging the movement towards integrated ecosystem restoration (Oysters, Saltmarsh, Seagrass and Kelp). Outreach, communication and engement with a range of audiences is also something that I keen to develop across Europe following our successful activities in the UK.

E-Mail: luke@bluemarinefoundation.com
Web: https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/projects/solent/

I am working on mollusc diseases since 1986, mostly focused on solving problems of the shellfish industry caused by diseases. In the last 10 years, this research has been mostly devoted to perkinsosis of clams, bonamiosis of flat oysters, marteiliosis of cockles, summer mortality of Pacific oysters, mollusc cancer, mass mortality of Pinna nobilis and cultured mussel mortality.

E-Mail: antonio.villalba.garcia@xunta.gal

Developing the science, networks and communication to allow the scale-up of shellfish reef restoration to address habitat destruction on an ecologically meaningful scale. This includes developing the primary science to support restoration and quantifying the ecosystem services provided by the restored habitat, translating that science into formats accessible to a variety of practitioners and facilitating knowledge exchange across a range of projects, geographies and taxa.

E-Mail: BHANCOCK@TNC.ORG

Sustainable use of bivalve populations with special emphasis on management of native and non-native bivalves and aquaculture. More specifically in aquaculture: semi-intensive and extensive seed production of oysters and mussels and developmen of new protocols and techniques for grow out. restoration efforts. More specifically in management: interactions between native and non-native species, ecosystem services, management of invasive species and monitoring of native species. Strong focus on applied aspects and research-industry collaboration.

E-Mail: asa.strand@ivl.se
Web: https://www.ivl.se/sidor/vara-omraden/vatten/vatten-i-ekosystem/forvaltning-av-marina-ekosystem.html

Research scientist within Ifremer since 1994, Pierre Boudry develops studies on genetics and genomics of marine molluscs exploited by fisheries or aquaculture. He focusses on population genetics (diversity, adaptation) and genetic improvement (domestication, selective breeding) of bivalves.

E-Mail: pboudry@ifremer.fr
Web: https://annuaire.ifremer.fr/cv/15809/