Nutrition

Feeds and feeding is globally the major production cost of modern intensive aquaculture, hence the need for a nutritionally complete, cost-effective and sustainable feed has become pivotal. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) highlights the increasing reliance of Aquaculture globally on aquafeeds and the need to optimize feed production and management practices. Formulation issues, and in particular the provision of species-specific feeds that meet the nutritional requirements of different life stages of the farmed species using sustainably sourced ingredients, remain important topics for feed production sectors in order to improve productivity and reduce cost.

Nutrition is one of the three major research focus areas within CSIRO Aquaculture. The group works on various multidisciplinary projects nationally and internationally. Our research projects are multi-disciplinary bringing together scientists from across CSIRO’s diverse portfolio, to solve nutritional challenges for multiple species (tiger prawn, whiteleg shrimp, abalone, spiny lobsters, barramundi, Atlantic salmon, tilapia and yellowtail kingfish), with a common underlying vision to develop more sustainable and cost-effective feed formulations and ingredients for the global aquaculture industry.

Nutrition research is carried out in state-of-the-art facilities at the Bribie Island Research Centre (BIRC) and the Queensland Bioscience Precinct (QBP) as well as within industry  facilities, and globally through collaboration with various collaborators in countries like Norway, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Tanzania. Our novel feeds are produced in-house at BIRC ensuring the highest quality control over our nutrition research from feed to animal trial to analysis. The multi-million dollar Nutrition research pipeline delivers impact in broad research areas such as animal nutrition, bioenergetics, metabolism, digestive function, gut microbiota, immunity and biotechnology, through the application of conventional nutrition research and innovative ‘omics’ approaches. This enables assessment, review and analysis of impacts of novel ingredients, and dietary changes on aquatic animal production from animal production to the consumer plate. 

Examples of our research topics include assessment of novel omega 3 oils produced from GMO canola and single-cell algae in Atlantic salmon, replacement of fishmeal in aquafeeds , the use of Novacq^TM and other bioactive ingredients to enhance productivity and feed sustainability, reducing nutrient loss of feeds, essential inorganic minerals in animals, understanding and reducing feed leaching losses, and the application of NIR technology to predict ingredient and feed nutritional value.

For more information contact Research Group Leader Dr Cedric Simon