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Reproduction and Developmental biology group


Mutated salmon (picture Rolf Edvardsen)

Overall strategy for the Reproduction and Developmental biology group is to solve and explore sustainability issues and production bottlenecks associated with reproduction and development in farmed fish.

The overall strategy of the Institute of marine research is to secure rich and clean seas now and in the future. In this context, our group has a research responsibility which covers sustainability issues in farmed1 and wild fish, with a strong focus on both reproduction and development in fish. As such, we have a considerable emphasis on solving bottlenecks in modern aquaculture.

IMR Matre Research station. Photo: Anna Wagelius / IMR

Key activities

  • Build knowledge of key life history traits in fish; development2-5, transitions6, puberty7,8, growth9,10 and reproduction11-16, with the long-term aim to develop sustainable practices in aquaculture
  • Prevent genetic introgression of escaped fish into wild populations - sterile fish17-19
  • Explore the effect of anthropogenic activity in the coastal zone (e.g. aquaculture, oil20,21 and mining) on wild fish stocks and their early life stages.
  • Establish new fish species for sustainable aquaculture - Atlantic halibut and other marine finfish12,16,22-24
  • Solve issues related to welfare10,25-28 and disease29 in farmed and wild fish30
  • Build basic knowledge that can serve as tools for exploring the above-mentioned tasks (genomes7,29, epigenomes, transcriptomes8,31,32, proteomes, metabolomes)
  • Develop fish models (clonal and gene edited fish18,33) for specific questions such as the link between genetic and environmental control of traits and the function of single genes in development and reproduction
  • Transdisciplinary work together with competence building - with the aim to build state of the art knowledge that can significantly contribute to sustainable aquaculture
  • National and international collaboration
  • Dissemination - we have a strong focus on showing our science to the public and to other scientific environments

Sources and selected scientific publications

 

Cod developmental stages. Photo: Terje von der Meeren / IMR