Biosciences / Aquaculture: Fully Funded KESS II MRes Scholarship: Development of a Sperm Bank for Supporting the Cleaner Fish Industry in Wales
*This scholarships is part funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys.*
Start date: October 2019
Sea-lice control remains one of the most important challenges for the salmon farming industry in the UK and worldwide. The use of lumpfish as cleaner fish offers a ‘green alternative’ to medicines for sea-lice control, but production still relies on the capture of wild fish, which is not sustainable. To meet global industry needs, lumpfish production needs to increase to reach c. 50 million fish annually and this can only come from aquaculture. Wales is uniquely positioned to help deliver lumpfish for the global cleaner fish market, but to achieve sustainable intensification several technical challenges remain; these can only be overcome through a dedicated R&D programme involving HEIs and Industry.
Based at the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research (CSAR), this is a collaborative project with Three-Sixy Aquaculture and the Cleaner Fish Company.
Scholarships are collaborative awards with external partners including SMEs and micro companies, as well as public and third sector organisations. The scholarship provides 1 year funding with a 3 month period to complete the thesis. The achievement of a postgraduate skills development award, PSDA, is compulsory for each KESS II scholar and is based on a 40 credit award.