CtrlAQUA Research to Optimize

Closed-Containment Systems for

Atlantic Salmon Post-Smolt Production

Bendik Fyhn Terjesen

Centre Director, CtrlAQUA SFI
Senior Research Scientist, Nofima
 Salmon farming in 2050

Multi-million ton salmon

produced annually in 2050?
 It has been predicted that Norway
alone will produce 5 mill. ton salmon
in 2050 (Olafsen et al 2012)
 5x increase in production volume,
8x in total value creation
 Large increases in related
industries, such as water treatment
technologies
Envisioned value generation (in NOK) provided limiting factors for growth
 This prediction assumes that in the aquaculture value chain are addressed. Value estimates from
Olafsen et al (2012). 1 US$ ~ 8.5 NOK
sustainability issues are solved,
such as sea lice, escapes, and high
fish mortality
How do we combat sea lice and other
challenges in the future?

Propose that the future of salmon farming is

"a combination of different approaches,
including partly onshore farming, offshore
farming, and breeding of special types of
fish that eat salmon lice.“*

*BFT interview to Wall Street Journal “Fish Farming Explores Deeper, Cleaner Waters”,
printed 18 April 2014.
Terjesen, unpublished, 2014. CCS = Closed-Containment Aquaculture Systems
 Postsmolts are sea-water adapted salmon,
up to ̴1 kg

CtrlAQUA working hypotheses on
postsmolts from closed systems:

 Less sea lice

 Faster growth and reduced mortality
 Improved fish welfare
 Better exploitation of net pen licences
 Reduced production time
 Research is useful also for closed Foto: Nofima

systems to harvest size

 Several RAS for 1000-2000 ton/yr postsmolts or
for harvest size now operating or being built in
Norway

Photo: Bremnes Seashore

Photo: Fredrikstad Seafood

Photo: Hatchery International

Photo: Medvind24

Photo: Grieg Seafood Photo: Sævareid

Fiskeanlegg
Development licences in sea: many closed-
containment systems in submitted proposals
(>200 000 tons/yr total)

Photo: Photo: ØDP

Photo: MNH Production
Aquafarm
Equipment
Photo: Medvind24

Photo: Hauge Aqua Photo: Hauge Aqua

Photo: Lerøy SeaFood Photo: Grieg Seafood Photo: Sævareid
Group Fiskeanlegg
What is the capacity for If all salmon in Estimate closed
closed system Norway to 1 kg in system capacity:
~70 000 ton
closed systems:
production, in operation 290 000 ton, 12x (operating + licences +
or planned in Norway? necessary! plans)

Today: 25 000 Licenses: 14 300 Signals: 20 000 ton

ton/yr in closed ton land + 10 700 i land-based
systems as ton sea = systems to harvest
smolts in Norway 25 000 ton
Postsmolt in ToShort time
harvest in
size
Closed systems on Smolt in closed
closed open net
systems (RAS) inpens,
RAS land-
land systems (RAS) coastal
land-based based
land-based or offshore
0-80 g 80 g – 1 kg 1 kg – 5 kg

Postsmolt in Short time in

Closed systems in Smolt in closed
floating open net pens,
systems (RAS)
sea land-based
closed coastal or
systems sea offshore
0-80 g 80 g – 1 kg 1 kg – 5 kg
 CtrlAQUA SFI objective (2015-2023)

Develop technological and biological innovations to make closed-

containment aquaculture systems (CCS) a reliable and economically
viable technology, for use in strategic parts of the Atlantic salmon
production cycle-

- thus contributing to solving the challenges limiting the

envisioned growth in aquaculture

Reliable closed
technology

Current closed
technology
 21 CtrlAQUA SFI partners

Host institution: User partners:

• Nofima Technology suppliers:
• Krüger Kaldnes
R&D partners: • Storvik Aqua
• UNI Research • Aquafarm Equipment
• University of • Oslofjord Ressurspark
Bergen • FishGLOBE
• Norwegian • Botngaard
University of Farming companies:
Science and
• Marine Harvest
Technology
(NTNU) • Cermaq
• The Freshwater • Grieg SeaFood
Institute, WV, U.S. • Lerøy SeaFood Group
• University of • Bremnes Seashore
Gothenburg • Smøla Klekkeri &
• University of Settefisk
South-east Norway Biotechnology companies:
• Pharmaq
• Pharmaq Analytiq
 Innovations for
CtrlAQUA focus industry-reliable
areas closed systems

Dept.
Preventive Fish Photo: Terje Aamodt

Dept. Health
Production
& Welfare

Dept.
Technology &
Environment
Dept.
Training &
recruitment
Closed
systems
today
 Some of the 18 current CtrlAQUA projects
SENSOR: Sensor
protection & maintenance
in closed systems Foto: Steve Summerfelt

HYDRO: Hydrodynamic
CO2RAS: To determine optimal challenges in huge tanks
CO2 levels for use in dimen- >1000 m3
sioning of RAS for post-smolts
PHOTO and BENCHMARK:
PARTICLE: Particle tolerance Health and performance in
in post-smolts reared in post-smolts when using
recirculating aquaculture novel production protocols
systems (RAS)
BIOMASS:
BARRIER/SalmoFutura: Machine
Barrier-functions (against vision for
pathogens) related to salt biomass in
balance, and chronic and acute closed
stress in post-smolts reared in systems
Foto: Aquafarm Equipment
closed systems
Foto:: Jelena Kolarevic
 Growth rate improved in RAS with lower
salinity and more exercise

Ytrestøyl, T., Takle, H., Kolarevic, J., Calabrese, S., Rosseland, B., Teien, H.-C., Nilsen, T.O., Stefansson, S., Handeland, S., Terjesen, BF., 2013.
Effects of salinity and exercise on performance and physiology of Atlantic salmon postsmolts reared in RAS, Abstracts Aquaculture Europe 2013.
European Aquaculture Society, Trondheim, 465.
 Improved feed utilization at lower RAS
salinities (FCR, feed:gain)
FCR entire trial (70-800 g) FCR 250-450 g

1.10 1.20
Salinity:p=0.071 Exercise
Exercise
Exercise: NS No exercise
Salinity:p<0.005 No exercise
1.05 1.15
Exercise:NS
FCR (feed/gain)

1.10

FCR (feed/gain)
1.00
1.05
0.95 1.00
0.90 0.95
0.90
0.85
0.85
0.80 0.80
0.00 0.00
12 22 32 12 22 32
Salinity (ppt) Salinity (ppt)

Ytrestøyl, T., Takle, H., Kolarevic, J., Calabrese, S., Rosseland, B., Teien, H.-C., Nilsen, T.O., Stefansson, S., Handeland, S., Terjesen,
BF., 2013. Effects of salinity and exercise on performance and physiology of Atlantic salmon postsmolts reared in RAS, Abstracts
Aquaculture Europe 2013. European Aquaculture Society, Trondheim, 465.
Improved survival at low salinities, when
kept in similar conditions throughout
100 12‰ salt, 99%
% Cummulative survival 22‰ salt, 97%
90

80
Mean survival in cages

70 32‰ salt, 71%

60
12‰ + Exercise
22‰ + Exercise
50 32‰ + Exercise
12‰ - Exercise
22‰ - Exercise
32‰ - Exercise
0
0 200 400 600 800

Fish weight (g)

Ytrestøyl, T., Takle, H., Kolarevic, J., Calabrese, S., Rosseland, B., Teien, H.-C., Nilsen, T.O., Stefansson, S., Handeland, S., Terjesen, BF., 2013.
Effects of salinity and exercise on performance and physiology of Atlantic salmon postsmolts reared in RAS, Abstracts Aquaculture Europe 2013.
European Aquaculture Society, Trondheim, 465.
 Skin health Increasing salinity Increasing salinity Increasing salinity

and welfare

Increasing mucous
Important tissue for pathogen
and parasite control

Significantly less mucous and

more tissue damage, at
higher salinity, and postsmolt
size

Exercise had a negative

effect on skin health at 22 Increasing postsmolt size
and 32, but not at 12 ‰, at
end of exp.

iNOS gene expression

Up-regulation of stress-
related genes HSP70 and
iNOS in skin at 32,22 but not
at 12‰

Ytrestøyl, T., Takle, H., Kolarevic, J., Calabrese, S., Rosseland, B., Teien, H.-C., Nilsen,
T.O., Stefansson, S., Handeland, S., Terjesen, BF., 2013. Effects of salinity and
exercise on performance and physiology of Atlantic salmon postsmolts reared in RAS,
Abstracts Aquaculture Europe 2013. European Aquaculture Society, Trondheim, 465. Salinity, ppt S
Little early maturation observed when using RAS
postsmolt strategies at ~12.5°C

Gonadosomatic index (% BW-1)

Gonadosomatic index (% BW-1)
0.12 0.12
Factor salinity:
250 g Exercise
Factor salinity:
NS
850 g Exercise
NS
No exercise No exercise
0.10 Factor exercise: 0.10 Factor exercise:
NS NS

0.08 0.08

0.06 0.06

0.04 0.04

0.02 0.02

0.00 0.00
12 22 32 12 22 32

Salinity Salinity

600 g - 2,600 g
Treatment Sampling BW (g) CF GSI HSI CSI

RAS 12 ‰ May 2nd 628±34 1.34±0.07 0.07±0.03 1.11±0.16 0.09±0.03

RAS on RAS 12 ‰ June 6th 971±57 1.46±0.08 0.35±1.01 1.07±0.12 0.10±0.03
land
RAS 12 ‰ Oct 30th 1696±46 1.35±0.11 0.20±0.17 0.88±0.09 0.08±0.01

SW 600 g Oct 30th 2594±393 1.42±0.1 0.10±0.04 1.18±0.13 0.09±0.03

SW 1000 g Oct 30th 1880±550 1.28±0.2 0.13±0.08 1.33±0.17 0.10±0.01

Cages in
sea Treatment p˂0.0001 P=0.005 NS p˂0.001 NS

sampling p˂0.0001 p˂0.0001 0.032 p˂0.001 NS

Ytrestøyl, T., Takle, H., Kolarevic, J., Calabrese, S., Rosseland, B., Teien, H.-C., Nilsen, T.O., Stefansson, S., Handeland, S., Terjesen, BF., 2013. Effects of salinity and exercise on performance
and physiology of Atlantic salmon postsmolts reared in RAS, Abstracts Aquaculture Europe 2013. European Aquaculture Society, Trondheim, 465.
 CtrlAQUA PARTICLE project
PL: Astrid Buran Holan

• Knowledge exists about the

effect of particles on water
treatment processes
• Lack of experimental evidence
on effects of typical RAS
particles on salmon post-smolt
welfare, health and performance
• If no detectable need to keep
small particles below a certain
concentration and/or size range,
this can impact prod costs
 Choice of experiment particle levels

• We measured TSS levels at producer sites, such as Grieg Seafood at

Lebesby in Adamselv (large-scale RAS for postsmolts )
• Nofima Center for Recirculation in Aquaculture (NCRA) in
Sunndalsøra mg/L

System 3 at GSF Lebesby System 1 at GSF Lebesby

8.0 8.0

6.0

TSS MG/L
6.0
TSS (MG/L)

4.0 4.0

2.0 2.0

0.0 0.0

Particle concentrations varies between 4 and 8 mg TSS/L

Holan et al., unpublished
Experimental design
PARTICLE
• Five different concentrations of particles in the water
• Three replicates per treatment level (15 tanks in total)

12 ppt S clean water Clean water Experimental tanks

TSS water 0% TSS water

Belt filter 12 ppt S clean water +
particles from separate
RAS with biomass fish 25% TSS water

Fish biomass 50% TSS water

75% TSS water

100% TSS water

Outlet water dumped, not

reused in RAS
 PARTICLE results – treatment levels
1 mg/L
TSS 6 mg/L
50
14 mg/L
45
19 mg/L
40
27 mg/L
35
TSS (mg/L)

30
25
20
15
10
5
0 0 NTU
0 4 6 11 21 33 41 48 53 Turbidity 0,8 NTU
6
1,8 NTU
Days since start of experiment
5 2,4 NTU
3,1 NTU

Turbidity (NTU)
4

0
0 4 6 11 27 41 48 53

Days since start of experiment

Holan et al., unpublished

 PARTICLE results: fish performance
Survival
100
Survival at final sampling (%)

95

90

85

80

75

70

65

60 Cumulative feed intake per tank

1 mg/L 6 mg/L 14 mg/L 19 mg/L 27 mg/L
3000

Cummulative feed intake per tank

TSS concentration (mg(L)
2500

2000

(gram)
1500 1 mg/L
6 mg/L
1000
14 mg/L
500 19 mg/L
27 mg/L
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Days since start of experiment

Holan et al., unpublished

 PARTICLE results: weight and growth rates
Individual weight
500 Day 0
450 Day 57
400
350
Weight (g)

300
250
200 SGR and TGC
150
2.5
100 SGR (%)
50 TGC
0
2.0

SGR (%) or TGC

1 mg/L 6 mg/L 14 mg/L 19 mg/L 27 mg/L
1.5
TSS concentration (mg/L)

1.0

0.5

0.0
1 mg/L 6 mg/L 14 mg/L 19 mg/L 27 mg/L

TSS concentration (mg/L)

Holan et al., unpublished

 PARTICLE results: Oxygen consumption - end
of trial
• MO2 of the treatment water (1, 14, 300
27 mg/l TSS) measured over 120
min (mg/l/min) c
Water MO2
• MO2 of fish from total MO2 of 250
tank, but subtracting the ∆O2 with
bc

(mg O2/kg/h)
MO2 from water itself, for one
b
HRT of the tank
200

MO2
• Temp-adjusted (small increase at
high TSS loads), using Q10 of 2.3
a a
• Standardized to BW of control 150
group (to adjust for lower BW at
higher TSS), using mass Postsmolt MO2
exponent of -0.3
100
• Prelim statistics significant
correlation between TSS 0
treatment and MO2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
TSS concentration (mg/L)

Holan et al., unpublished

 CtrlAQUA BARRIER and SalmoFutura
projects PL: Bendik Fyhn Terjesen & Sven Martin Jørgensen

Need to predict and improve the tolerance of

the fish to chronic and acute stress, such as
high fish density

Important knowledge for optimal engineering

of RAS and semi-closed systems; will in the
long run lead to lower production costs

To achieve this: new indicators must be

developed for welfare documentation and
assessment of post-smolts in closed systems
 CtrlAQUA BARRIER
/SalmoFutura:
Experiments to identify good
response variables in post-
smolts to chronic and acute
stress in closed systems Low density, RAS
20-30 kg/m3
High density, RAS
80-100 kg/m3
Photos: Jelena Kolarevic
Biomass adjustments

RASHD 3 tanks 90 kg/m3 12‰ -RAS 200g 12‰ -RAS 500g 90 kg/m3 900g
ACT at
3 tanks 25 kg/m3 12‰ -RAS 200g 12‰ -RAS 500g 25 kg/m3 900g
RASLD 300 kg/m3
Acute challenge test at ~300 kg/m3
for 30 min at Nofima Sunndalsøra

Nofima NCRA 200g 500g 900g

12:
FW-FT 12
24L
ACT ACT ACT
200g 500g 900g ACT at
300 kg/m3
FTLD 3 tanks 25 kg/m3 32‰ FT 200g 32‰ FT 500g 25 kg/m3 900g

FTHD 3 tanks 90 kg/m3 32‰ FT 200g 32‰ FT 500g 90 kg/m3 900g

LD = Low fish density

Biomass adjustments
HD = High density
RAS = Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
FT = Flow-through systems Restitution 24 h after stress-test, in flow-through
ACT = Acute Challenge Test sea water, in 0.5m3 tanks, Nofima Sunndalsøra
CtrlAQUA BARRIER/ Salmofutura: Effects of postsmolt size
and rearing density on skin barrier-functions in RAS
Transepithelial resistance (TER)

Low fish density (LD)

High fish density (HD) Foto: Terje Aamodt

Mannitol permeability

350g 550 g 900 g 24h after acute

challenge to 300
kg/m3 (ACT) at 900 g

 Skin barrier in postsmolts gets tighter towards

500 g in RAS
 Chronic (80-100 kg/m3) and acute stress (300
kg/m3) tends to increase permeablity of ions 350g 550 g 900 g 24h after acute
challenge to 300
through skin kg/m3 (ACT) at 900 g
 Consequence of stress: Increased cost for ion-
and osmoregulation
 Skin barrier in postsmolts gets tighter towards 500 g
in RAS
 Chronic (80-100 kg/m3) and acute stress (300 kg/m3)
tends to increase permeability of molecules through
the skin
 Consequence of stress: increased disease
Sundh and Sundell, unpublished Foto: UGOT suceptability
CtrlAQUA BARRIER/SalmoFutura
Effects of acute stress and rearing density on skin gene
expression of postsmolts in RAS or FT, microarray

• Response to extreme
density in gene
transcription is greater in
FT vs brackish water RAS
Number of regulated genes

• Response to acute stress

seen in skin of FT-fish is
similar to wound healing
model (Sveen et al., in
prep), i.e. extreme density
may generate small
wounds?

Postsmolts RAS postsmolt FT postsmolt Post-smolts Post-smolts

before ACT 24h after ACT 24h after reared at low reared at high
(300 kg/m3) ACT (300 density (20 kg density (80
kg/m3) m3) kg/m3)

Ytteborg, Krasnov et al. unpublished

 CtrlAQUA BENCHMARK project
PL: Trine Ytrestøyl

• What photoperiod and salinity conditions

are optimal for postsmolt production in
RAS?
• Several Norwegian postsmolt
producers, in RAS, do not use any light
manipulation to make smolts; just 24:0
• Some use FW, some use 10-15 ppt S
• Still, ion-regulation and performance
after sea transfer are reportedly good
• No controlled experiments to evaluate
health and welfare
• Objective: To benchmark several
different postsmolt production protocols
in terms of fish performance, health and
welfare
RAS fish handle sea water earlier than fish from
flow-through systems, despite similar body size
12L:12D 24L:0D
220
P<0.01

200
**
Plasma chloride (mM)

180

RAS
160 FT
Plasma chloride in
smolts previously reared
in FW RAS, after 72
140 hours in sea water test
(34 ‰ S)

120
0 60 70 80 90 100 110

Days since start of trial

Kolarevic, J., Baeverfjord, G., Takle, H., Ytteborg, E., Reiten, B.K.M., Nergård, S., Terjesen, B.F., 2014. Performance and
welfare of Atlantic salmon smolt reared in recirculating or flow through aquaculture systems. Aquaculture 432, 15-25.
CtrlAQUA BENCHMARK experimental design
We are
Treatments here! Fish size (g)
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 1000

Will continue to harvest size at 5kg

Control FT FW-RAS 24:00 12:12+Vacc, 6 wk FW-RAS 24:00, 6 wk Stocking at sea
Salinity
Light FW 12 ppt SW
Treatment A1 FT FW-RAS 24:00
24:00 12:12+Vacc, 6 wk FW-RAS 24:00, 6 wk BR-RAS, 12:12 LD Stocking at sea
Treatment A2 FT FW-RAS 24:00
24:00 12:12+Vacc, 6 wk FW-RAS 24:00, 6 wk BR-RAS, 12:12 LD Stocking at sea
12:12 FW x 12:12 12 ppt x 12:12
Treatment B1 FT FW-RAS 24:00
24:00 Vacc FW-RAS 24:00 Stocking at sea
Treatment B2 FT FW-RAS 24:00
24:00 Vacc FW-RAS 24:00 Stocking at sea

Treatment C1 FT FW-RAS 24:00 12:12+Vacc, 6 wk

24:00 FW-RAS 24:00 FW x 24:0
Stocking at sea
12 ppt x 24:0

Treatment C2 FT FW-RAS 24:00 12:12+Vacc, 6 wk FW-RAS 24:00 Stocking at sea

Treatment D1 FT FW-RAS 24:00 Vacc BR-RAS, 24:00 Stocking at sea

Treatment D2 FT FW-RAS 24:00 Vacc BR-RAS, 24:00 Stocking at sea

Salinity
Light FW 12 ppt SW
FW x 12:12 12 ppt x 12:12
12:12 (C1 and C2) (A1 and A2)

FW x 24:0 12 ppt x 24:0

24:00 (B1 and B2) (D1 and D2)
Many thanks for the efforts by all
the researchers and technicians in
CtrlAQUA and associated projects

Thank you for the attention!

Follow us on:
www.ctrlaqua.no

Funded by the Research Council of

Norway and the partners
Foto: T. Aamodt