NOFIMA is a business-oriented research institute working in R&D for the aquaculture, fisheries and food industries. NOFIMA shall, in cooperation with business actors and their professional organisations, provide research and solutions which will give a competitive edge throughout the value chain. NOFIMA contains three divisions: 1) Aquaculture, 2) Fisheries, industry and market, and 3) Food science. In AQUAEXCEL3.0, the infrastructures of Sunndalsøra will be involved. It is one of the largest aquaculture research stations in Europe and is equipped with indoor tanks that can be used in both flow-through and RAS mode for Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, lump fish and Ballan wrasse. The teams have the expertise to carry out research on rearing technologies, welfare, physiology, behaviour, water quality, nutrition, hydrodynamic modelling and genetics.

Role in the AQUAEXCEL3.0 project:

NOFIMA will be actively involved in: Joint Research Activities 1 and 3 and Networking activities. We will lead JRA3, Task 1 in JRA3, and both sub-tasks in JRA3. We will also lead subtask 6 in JRA1. We will participate in JRA1 subtask 3 and 5.

Key persons involved:

Dr. Åsa Maria Espmark is working as a Senior research scientist and has focused her work and managed projects on welfare indicators both in large- and small-scale facilities, and water quality, mainly in salmon and cleaner fish. She has devoted much of her research activities on effects of pumping, crowding and management of post-smolts. Åsa will lead WP6 and have a key role in Task 6.1 and WP4.

Dr. Chris Noble is a Senior Scientist, he authored 30 publications (444 total citations, h-index: 13). His research focuses on improving fish welfare and performance whilst reducing mortalities and losses throughout the production cycle. He has also worked extensively with identifying and developing operational welfare indicators and this work has covered a wide number of species. He will lead Task 6.1.

Dr. Per Brunsvik is the research station manager at Nofima NRSA, and TNA manager in AQUAEXCEL3.0.

Dr. Khurram Shahzad is a research scientist focusing his work on Computational fluid modelling (CFD) in small and large aquaculture tanks with the aim to improve tank environment. He is also working with water quality, and especially velocity. Khurram will contribute to Task 4.1.3.

Dr. Jelena Kolarevic will be member of the Selection Panel.