Services

The Institute of Marine Research studies everything from the seafood we eat to the most subtle details of marine ecosystems. We also invest a lot of resources in aquaculture research and developing new technology. Our vessels, laboratories and research stations collect the data that inform our research and scientific advice.

About Austevoll Research Station (ARS): IMR-ARS is one of Europe’s largest and most advanced research facilities. In keeping with species seasonality, complete life cycles (from embryo to adult stages) are produced for numerous marine fish species. The facilities have been approved for more than 150+ species of economic and ecological interest.

MR-ARS will make available the EMBRC facilities, holding a unique and stable broodstock of Atlantic halibut, European plaice and Atlantic cod. The broodstock facility comprises three 8 m diameter tanks (50,000 L) and three 5 m diameter tanks with constant temperature (6-9℃) and flow through open system. Three experimental buildings are offered to the applicant. The hatchery has sixteen circular 250 L incubators (for halibut embryos in season), nine silos (cylindro-conical tanks) of 8000 L for larval nursing and twelve cylindro-conical 70 L tanks used for embryos and larval incubators for other fish species. Twelve first-feeding tanks of 1500 L and eighteen 500 L tanks are also available. Two racks of twelve circular 50 L tanks are also available for larger experimental design. Silo systems have previously been used and adapted for cultures of Calanus copepods, so the system may be available for other research purposes than larval incubation. Live feed departments (Artemia and natural zooplankton) are also provided to fit the feed requirements of the fish early stages. A new sea facility consists of 16 cages, a separate floating quay and a feeding facility. The feeding system is specially designed for IMR to be able to carry out experiments, also on feeding in small and large units. Everything is controlled digitally.

Services: The experimental facilities and the biological resources available at IMR are excellent for performing experiments in the following research areas:

• Establishing new fish species for sustainable aquaculture;

• Optimization of aquaculture technology;

• Life history traits and fish development and transitions;

• Hatchery technology and larviculture;

• Life environmental requirements;

• Fish nutritional requirement (feed, feeding and digestive physiology);

• Optimization of feeding and alternative feed sources;

• Welfare indicators for fish;

• Disease in farmed and wild fish;

• Fish behavioural studies;

• Fish developmental physiology;

• Fish reproductive physiology;

• Transcriptomics and bioinformatics.

  
  

Additional laboratories are available for environmental and anthropogenic impact research aspects (recirculation lab (e.g. crude oil exposure), low trophic lab (e.g. heavy metals, PFAS, mining exposure) and Arctic lab for research related to extreme cold water species/Arctic species. IMR has internationally recognised scientists who will be involved in networking and research activities. This will provide a great supportive and stimulating environment for the applicant.

Bioresources available

Stem Algae Culture (on-site service):

• Access to cultures of Dunaliella pluvialis, Tetraselmis suecica, Tetraselmis sp., Rhodomonas baltica, Isochrysis galbana, Pavlova lutheri, Chaetoceros muelleri, Chaetoceros pumilus, Skeletonema costatum and Isochrysis sp.

Species collected upon request (on-site service): Regulation approved more than 150 species (all life stages) to work at IMR. Given its coastal location, it offers access to important marine ecosystems of our Norwegian fjords, coastal and offshore waters.

• Access to deep-sea species (e.g. deep-sea corals, bivalves) and coastal species of plankton, fish (e.g. European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), European flounder (Platichthys flesus), Lemon sole (Microstomus kitt), Lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus), cleaner fish (wrasse (Labrus bergylta), lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)), crustaceans (European lobsters (Homarus gammarus)), bivalves (e.g. blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), cockles (Acanthocardia echinata), scallops (Pecten maximus), polychaetes (e.g. Capitella sp.).

Live feeding department (on-site service): rotifers, Artemia sp., Arcatia sp. (upon request) and access to a natural production pond of copepods (Svartasjen pond of IMR).

Marine model organisms (on-site service and remote access/delivery for eggs stage):

• Broodstock of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) from wild and cultured, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Atlantic haddock 97 (Melanogrammus æglefinus).

• In season, lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) production is from wild catch spawners. Unique production of lesser sandeel (from egg to juvenile stages).

• Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) can be used for experiments in sea cages upon request.

Support offered

Experienced technical assistance will carry out the standard procedures and the general maintenance. Specialist technical support for daily experimental work and sampling can be provided to all visiting scientists (on-demand access and additional personnel costs might be applied). In case of absence during the experimental period, the experiment will be supported by the IMR station technicians in close contact with the user. IMR greatly supports scientific cooperation and research network.

Modality of access

The cost model is unit cost and the unit of access is defined as one tank/week. The access time and unit at IMR-ARS is strongly dependent on the research planned objectives and the targeted-species and -life stages. A typical project is 3 months for one person focusing fish early life stages, 1-2 months (9 to 12 tanks) for the first-feeding stages and 1- to several months for juvenile/young adults stages experiment (12 to 15 tanks), depending on the research objectives.

The research activities at IMR are season- and species-dependent, therefore supply of different life stages are also season-dependent. The applicants will coordinate with the liaison officer whether the facilities are appropriate, available for the planned research and determine the most suitable time for the visit depending on other demands of the facilities and technical assistance. Support with accommodation will be provided.

The applicant will be welcomed by the liaison officer and be integrated to a scientific research group related to the subject of the project to facilitate the applicant integration and scientific support. To facilitate the development of cooperation and scientific network between the applicant and host, the applicant will be encouraged to communicate and disseminate their research and participate in the Institute ongoing program. During the visit, the applicant will have access to the office facilities, IT service and scientific library.