Halftime seminar: "Microbial communities in recirculating aquaculture systems in relation to water quality and fish performance, growth, health and welfare"

Focus for Thanh's PhD-project is the role of microbial communities in maintaining water quality in fish aquaculture, and the impact on the fish, see more below. Opponent at the halftime seminar is Oskar Modin, from the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. 

Thanh's main supervisor is Ingela Dahllöf with Kristina Snuttan Sundell as co-supervisor and examiner is Joachim Sturve, all BioEnv.

Abstract

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) represent a promising approach to sustainable salmon production; however, their stability largely depends on the performance of biofilters. This study investigates microbial communities in brackish water RAS for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) grow-out production and their roles in maintaining water quality, particularly through microbial processes driving the nitrogen cycle, as well as their relevance to fish performance. Distinct microbial compositions were observed between RAS systems and compartments, reflecting differences in system function. Fish quality was also evaluated through purging experiments comparing conventional and electrolysis-based RAS, which showed only minor differences in off-flavor removal. Together, these studies provide a broader understanding of how microbial processes and system configurations influence water quality, fish performance, and the sustainability of RAS production.