Akvaplan-niva is a certified R&D institute and pursues a range of R&D activities in several fields of research, financed by both the governmental and private sector. APN has its own R&D licence for farming of salmon in cages to undertake experiments on issues relevant to the aquaculture industry. In addition to this, we are the scientific partner in several projects related to other R&D licenses as well as in R&D projects.

Our aquaculture scientists undertake both basic and applied research in most areas related to biology in aquaculture. Our research focus on new concepts and technologies for aquaculture production (e.g., post-smolt in RAS), effects from production regimes on fish health/welfare and growth, the development of new aquaculture species as well as the assessment and monitoring of environmental impacts. During the later years Akvaplan-niva has acquired a broad knowledge on the farming of lumpfish and currently works with all life stages of lumpfish like brood fish, genetics and breeding, early development, transport, deployment, environmental conditions, behaviour, stress, capture, re-use and slaughter.

Research topics • New aquaculture species and developmental biology • Optimisation of production regimes • New and improved aquaculture methods • Performance in RAS • Large-scale operations at sea • Development of new environmental assessment and monitoring methods