Salmon health study granted £1.4m
Stirling University project aims to reduce mortality linked to gill and skin health issues by exploring tissue remodelling processes during smoltification
A study aiming to reduce mortality rates of between 15% and 20% in farmed salmon smolts has been awarded more than £1.4 million in funding.
Dr Rose Ruiz Daniels, a lecturer in Aquaculture Genomics at Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA), has secured the funding from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) for research aimed at transforming understanding of salmon health and disease resilience.
The project will explore tissue remodelling processes in salmon, aiming to reduce mortality linked to gill and skin health issues.
The research, hosted at the IoA, also benefits from £120,000 of in-kind support from Benchmark Genetics, a global leader in aquaculture innovation.
Repairing tissues
Researchers will study salmon during smoltification. This critical adaptation from freshwater to seawater involves major changes in the body, making it valuable for understanding how fish both repair and strengthen their tissues.
Ruiz Daniels said: “When smoltification fails to proceed normally, the fish become more vulnerable to stress and disease. By examining smoltification as a biological remodelling event, we can identify how salmon repair tissues, resist disease, and adapt to changing environments.
“The findings will help inform improved breeding and health management strategies that enhance resilience across the industry.”
Core aims
The study has three core objectives:
- To develop phenotyping tools - tools that look at the visible traits or characteristics of a salmon and measure how effectively fish can repair and rebuild their body tissues during smoltification.
- To determine whether this healing capacity has a genetic basis and evaluate its potential to support better-informed future breeding strategies.
- To discover the key biological processes inside salmon cells that enable tissue repair, and link these processes to the fish’s ability to both heal and maintain long-term health.
By identifying key genes and biological processes involved in successful smoltification, the research team aims to deliver practical tools that support fish health and productivity, whilst also improving the sector’s sustainability.
A selectable trait
“This work will help transform how we understand salmon biology. Recognising remodelling as a selectable trait will support breeding strategies that enhance survival and welfare across aquaculture,” said Ruiz Daniels.
The study builds on existing data and continues the University’s long-term collaboration with Benchmark Genetics and other aquaculture partners.
Andrew Preston, lead for trait development and landbased at Benchmark Genetics, said: “Developing new health traits that complement existing gill health traits marks an important step towards improving salmon welfare at critical stages of production, including during smoltification.
“By broadening our understanding of the biological processes behind cell repair, our goal is to harness this knowledge to enhance robustness in salmon farming, supporting healthier fish at all stages during production."
The announcement comes as work on the University’s state-of-the-art National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH) nears completion.
Funded by a £17 million investment through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, as well as a £1m Wolfson Foundation grant, NATIH will drive the UK’s ambition to be a world leader in modern aquaculture practice.
