Services

NTNU SeaLab provides a multidisciplinary platform for aquaculture and marine science research and education. It assembles researchers and students in the field of aquaculture biology and technology, f isheries, processing of marine resources, marine engineering, coastal community development and marine ecotoxicology. NTNUs special aquaculture competence is related to several biological aspects of f ish, zooplankton, and micro‐/macro‐algae, open ocean cage systems, environmental impacts of aquaculture, land‐based recycling systems (RAS), and hatchery technology and logistics. NTNU SeaLab offers nine flexible climate-controlled wet labs, as well as two larger climate-controlled wet labs for experiments with fish, all with access to freshwater and seawater, and a suite of analytical labs.

Facilities include:

1. CODTECH larviculture laboratory: An automated system consisting of 16 rearing tanks (100/200L) with optional self‐cleaning. It is especially designed for controlled experiments with marine fish larvae and planktonic organisms, with associated infrastructure for production of live feed organisms (Rotifers, Artemia and copepods) and microalgae. The CODTECH laboratory is suitable for experiments on a wide range of freshwater and marine species. Environmental variables such as temperature and light are controlled electronically and monitored. There are automated systems for feeding live prey and formulated feed.

2. Laboratory for trophic interactions: NTNU Sealab can offer access to facilities for performing experiments with model species of copepods (Calanus finmarchicus and Acartia tonsa) under controlled environmental conditions for observing the effects of temperature, carbon dioxide and chemical stressors - either individually or in combination. The National Center for PlanktonTechnology (Plankton lab) offers nine experimental laboratories (each 10 – 30 m²) for plankton experiments (zooplankton and algae), and live prey cultivation. o

3. Micro- and macroalgae laboratories: The labs consist of cultivation units at different volumes 103 (flasks, cylinders of 10-200 L), photobioreactors, and tanks designed for cultivation of macroalgae seedlings. New infrastructure for next-generation cultivation of several macroalgae species for further deployment in the sea. The laboratories enable temperature control, control of light intensity and rhythm, nutrients, and salinity. The labs are equipped with instruments to register spore and gamete cell densities.

4. Experimental Recirculation System (RAS): The Mini-RAS system consists of six independent recirculation systems each holding two tanks , for research and development of RAS systems and biofilters using fresh,brackish or seawater.

5. Analytical laboratories (biochemistry and histology): The analytical laboratories are equipped with basic instrumentation, such as a spectrophotometer and a spectrofluorometer (both with optional temperature control and microplate reader), a GC-MS for lipid analysis, a Coulter counter and an algae incubator. At the histology/morphology laboratory, there are fluorescence and light microscopes with cameras and access to computer‐assisted stereological software for making volumetric calculations from histological sections, as well as equipment for tissue embedding, sectioning, staining, and tissue analyses

Services: NTNU SeaLab has participated in all three of the AQUAEXCEL projects and has hosted several experiments related to cultivation of fish larvae and micro‐algae. There is great interest in working with the cultures of copepods, notably Calanus finmarchicus, which is made available to international users via EMBRC.

The aquaculture research group at NTNU is cross-disciplinary and has expertise in marine biology and technology, control systems, physiology, and microbiology. The group has a long and broad experience in developing biological knowledge and technology for intensive larval rearing of cold-water species, with numerous national and international research projects, and major international involvement in R&D.

In particular, there is high competence in innovating and improving starter feeding techniques related to the cultivation of marine cold water and tropical fish larvae. During recent years, the facility has also contributed significantly to the development of methods for the cultivation of continuous lines of copepods (e.g. Acartia tonsa). This organism is considered an important alternative larval feed source in mariculture, as well as having a long record as a model species for environmental and toxicological studies, together with Calanus finmarchicus. NTNU has the infrastructure and experience to produce different types of live feed, depending on the species cultivated and the specific needs of the experiments: microalgae, rotifers, Artemia and copepods. These prey organisms can also be enriched in various ways to provide fish larvae with the requested nutritional contents according to experimental design.

Bioresources available

NTNU SeaLab offers an in-house culture of Calanus finmarchicus, a copepod with an important role in the marine food web. The species has a wide range of applications in research as a model organism for environmental and toxicological studies. One of the full-time technicians at SeaLab offers in-house expertise on rearing and conducting experiments with marine copepods. Additional species of marine copepods may be sourced for comparative studies. Farmed and wild species of marine and anadromous fish may be sourced for experiments at SeaLab. The facility is also licensed for experiments with many species of molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms.

NTNU SeaLab hosts the research group Taskforce salmon lice, which specialises in research on this commercially significant parasite in salmonids. The research group keeps permanent cultures of two species of sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus, which can be made available to users conducting research at SeaLab.

Support offered

Scientific support: The scientific staff involved in the running interdisciplinary research and education activities consists of professors, post‐doctoral researchers and PhD‐students from several departments and faculties. The presence of experts and broad knowledge in first feeding experiments and cultivation of planktonic organisms, fish physiology, larval development and nutrition, microbiology, functional genomics, biotechnology, marine cybernetics, robotics, control systems and ICT tools in intensive aquaculture systems, provides a stimulating research area for external researchers and students visiting the facilities at Sealab.

Technical support: Dedicated technical staff for operation of tanks, instruments, monitoring and sampling gear, adjustment of experimental systems, temperature, water quality, water exchange rate according to experimental design. The water delivery system is computer controlled, meaning parameters such as water flow, oxygen level and temperature are continuously monitored, and staff are on call 24/7 to respond if there is a problem. Supply of live prey organisms, microalgae, and laboratory assistance to perform standard analyses of samples is available on request and may incur additional cost depending on the workload.

Logistic support: All users will be offered desk space and will have access to the wireless communication area of NTNU. They can use technical workshops, digital meeting rooms and library services. The university’s Office of International Relations offers professional services to all guest researchers. Accommodation is available within the city of Trondheim, but university accommodation is not offered.

Modality of access

Access is provided based on unit costs. A user or user group may stay up to three months at the infrastructure (max 90 days). Initial planning of the experiment will happen well in advance, either by email or video calls. Upon arrival, a user(group) will typically do preparatory work in the lab for about 1 week, or more, depending on the project, before experiments are conducted.

Analysis of samples may be done during or after the experimental period. Specific tools and instruments needed for individual measurements and analysis can be made available if within budget limits, depending on availability. Access includes, but is not necessarily limited to, advice on experimental design, choice of fish and plankton/live prey supply, purchase of commercial fish feed, maintenance of the infrastructure when needed and monitoring of control parameters, assistance with routine sampling and conservation of samples, provision of monitoring data and access to office space and internet. For analytical labs, assistance with sample preparation and processing of data will be available.

In general, user training will be provided when needed for the various tasks. Access also involves equipping the facility and making the necessary preparations before arrival. Any specific, experiment-related components that are not readily available at SeaLab may need to be purchased by the users themselves.

Additional technical assistance that is not included in the unit of access may be available on request and must be paid for by the user. The need for this will be clarified during planning meetings before the start of the access period.