Why did you choose the service/institution you chose?

I wanted to do a research stay at Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU) in Trondheim because of their expertise in working with pelagic copepods. The dedicated Sealab lies across the fjord from CFEED, a commercial provider of copepod eggs for aquaculture companies. During my visit, I had the opportunity to visit the company and other lab facilities of NTNU.

How did this access experience support your research?

The research at NTNU was an important part of my PhD and allowed me to work on the copepod microbiome on the scale of a semi-industrial culture. This was a really cool opportunity to lift my research to a wider scope and applied level. My visit also allowed me to get in closer contact to the aquaculture industry and experience issues and opportunities from the first row in the audience.

How does your project benefit society, industry, or policy?

Copepods comprise the natural food source for fish larvae because they have an ideal size and nutrition for the developing juvenile fish. This would make you believe they are also important in aquaculture feeds, but this is actually not the case.

Culturing copepods requires expertise and labour, with copepods prone to harbour fish pathogens. The most conventional feeds in aquaculture are brine shrimp (Artemia) and rotifers. These can be easily harvested or grown at mass scale and are widely known as gold standard in feeding. They are less nutrional than copepods as they lack omega-3 lipids, which need to be added artificially. Because of this, feeds for marine fish still rely on wild-caught fish processed into fishmeal and fish oil.

My research at NTNU examined potential benefits of adding pre- and probiotics to copepod cultures. This research was done in cooperation with CFEED, the sole European provider of copepods at industrial scale. I hope my project further enhances the use of copepods in aquaculture, lowering the need for artificially enhanced feeds.

How did this experience mark your scientific career?

The visit to NTNU was a great learning opportunity and gave me the possibility to collaborate with industry partners in a way that I was missing before in my PhD. My time in Trondheim gave me food for thought about future career plans and possible international collaborations.

Please share some words of encouragement to future users.

Go for it! A research stay abroad is an adventure and will provide you with many new experiences: a fresh view on your work, insights from industry, new interests in life, an exciting hobby, or a different view on the world around you.