The Marine Aquaculture Innovation Centre (MAIC) houses six 25m³ and twelve 2m³ rearing tanks, each equipped with programmable lighting and feed delivery, water oxygenation, waste feed collection and CCTV video monitoring. The full-strength seawater supply is mechanically filtered and UV-sterilised before use and can be chilled when required.
MAIC is adaptable to studying diverse topics for temperate marine aquaculture species. Examples include feed ingredient evaluation; validation of operational welfare indicators; assessment of genetic strains; prototype testing; diagnostics testing; piloting of harvest and post-harvest methodologies; and development of rearing protocols for ‘new’ species.
Close environmental control helps to ensure reliable study data, with little variation among tank replicates. In the case of Atlantic salmon, longitudinal studies can be carried out from smoltification to harvest.
MAIC facilities are available year-round to aquaculture producers, technology suppliers and researchers, with options for both contract research and collaborative R&D.
In collaboration with:
The Marine Aquaculture Innovation Centre is operated in partnership with Otter Ferry Seafish Ltd,located on Loch Fyne.
Otter Ferry Seafish is one of the longest established Aquaculture businesses in the UK. The company now specialises in the production of Cleaner fish. The company is the UK’s only Halibut hatchery, and founders of Gigha Halibut.
Otter Ferry Seafish is blessed to be in one of the most beautiful parts of the world and strives to look after the immediate environment, as well as making the most of the natural resources available. Consistent innovation, determination and resilience has driven the evolution of the business.
Aquaculture at the UK Agri-Tech Centre
The UK Agri-Tech Centre has made strategic investments to enhance the UK’s capacity for aquaculture research and innovation. We provide expertise that delivers whole chain, science-based solutions, at scale, and connect an outstanding breadth of academia, industry, and policy across the UK.
