Student interview: She compares open cages to closed systems

“I was lucky enough to go to Japan for three weeks and work with experts in biological growth factors. It was an extremely rewarding experience,” says Gamlem. Photo: Eivind Senneset Bergenhus, UiB.

One of the main issues with closed-containment systems is that they incur higher investment costs than traditional rearing technologies, which implies higher production intensity. It is important to research whether salmon post-smolts can perform equally well, or even better, in these closed systems compared with open cages. That’s what Ingrid Gamlem’s master’s degree is about:

“My work focuses on whether post-smolt grow and perform equally well in the semiclosed system, PRELINE, as in open reference cages,” says Gamlem.

Additionally, she is investigating if biological growth factors, such as the protein IGF-I, can be used as a tool to evaluate and predict growth in Atlantic salmon post-smolt. This is clear from laboratory studies, but has not been validated in large-scale systems.

“To make closed systems a reliable and economically viable technology, my contribution will be to clarify the production potential in a semi-closed system.

“These innovative systems have the potential to solve some of aquaculture’s major challenges, whilst also being vital to the industry’s ambitious future. I absolutely want to continue to work in this field if the opportunity comes my way,” says Gamlem.

University: University of Bergen – Institute of Biology

Student status: MSc 2015-2017

Supervisors: Tom Ole Nilsen and Sigurd Handeland

CtrlAQUA project: PRELINE and Rigid S-CCS