URAFPA-DAC from the University of Lorraine (UL) is a research team working on basic and applied research dedicated to the development of inland aquaculture with focus on the rearing of new species. A variety of approaches are employed at the anatomical, behavioural, physiological and molecular levels to find out the best environmental conditions to optimize the zootechnical performances (e.g. growth, reproduction) and the fish welfare (JRA-WP3). The involved URAFPA-DAC team holds expertise to carry out scientific research in the field of fish domestication, fish ecophysiology and improvement of the breeding systems using in vivo experiments as well as database set up and analysis focused on fish biological traits (JRA-WP1).

Role in the AQUAEXCEL3.0 project:

UL will be involved in the TNA research projects and in the research in the field of the virtual lab (WP1, Task 1/Virtual lab and modelling tools) and of the improvement of fish welfare using enrichment (WP3, Task 3/enrichment to improve welfare).

Key persons involved:

Dr. Sylvain MILLA is the contact between AQUAEXCEL3.0 partners and the UL (URAFPA-DAC team). He is working as an associate professor and has focused his research on fish endocrinology of reproduction and stress particularly on percid and salmonid fishes. He authored 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He will participate in Task 6.3. 

Dr. Marielle Thomas, associate professor, is a fish zoologist. Her research activities concern the relationships between fish traits and environment, to evaluate the potential routes for a development of ecology-based alternatives for fish production and in the larval rearing.

Pr. Pascal Fontaine is a fish zoologist, full professor, and leader of the URAFPA lab from UL. He has managed several large research programs in the field of percid culture, especially in the environmental control of reproduction.