|
|||||
Research
Related Links
|
Experience and Training Programs in Marine Fish CultureEach year our research team provides a number of opportunities for senior university students to assist and participate in a variety of on-going research activities in marine finfish aquaculture and aquaculture research at the Oceanic Institute. Volunteers typically commit one or more days each week for at least one semester (often many) to gain critical exposure to marine aquaculture research. While volunteering students will gain practical “hands-on” experience in one or more of the disciplines listed below … often providing the first real insights into what it takes to work in the field of marine aquaculture or conduct state-of-the-art scientific research. Many of our volunteers end up pursuing careers in aquaculture or other areas of scientific research with some becoming full time employees at OI!
Volunteers assisting with annual health checks of our moi broodstock used to generate hatchery reared fingerlings for the open ocean cage industry in Hawaii.
Internship opportunities for senior undergraduate students from Hawaii Pacific University, University of Hawaii and other schools provides a more structured learning environment under which each student develops a research project in one of the listed disciplines.
Broodstock discipline: Specific areas include broodstock systems, water quality, fish nutrition, reproductive development, spawning and egg quality, fish handling and transport.
Live feeds discipline: Specific areas includelive feeds systems, culture and methods optimization. Research may focus on work with live microalgae, rotifers and/or copepods dependent upon research opportunities at the time.
Larval rearing discipline: Specific areas include larval hatchery operation and maintenance, water quality, stocking, care and harvest of eggs and larvae through metamorphosis.
Growout discipline: Specific areas includegrowout and water treatment systems, water quality, feeding and handling of fish associated with growing animals to market size. The experience will include development a project work plan, conducting an approved research project, analyzing results and writing and paper covering the semester’s research activities. In exceptional cases, the work may lead to publication in the scientific literature and/or presentation at scientific conferences. Graduate Studies. Although the Oceanic Institute is not a degree granting institution, our federally funded research activities creates many opportunities to conduct graduate research projects on a range of topics relating to marine finfish culture. Our recent affiliation with Hawaii Pacific University provides a direct link for students to enter their Master’s degree program in Marine Sciences. In addition, students from other institutions in Hawaii, mainland U.S. and even Europe have conducted their thesis research projects at OI. Current Graduate students: Melissa Carr is currently working on her Master Thesis project under HPU Masters in Marine Sciences program in which she is examining first-feeding of yellow tang. Michael “Dean” Kline first joined our team as an intern with Hawaii Pacific University and is now conducting graduate research on the effects of density on copepod reproduction. Previous Graduate Students: Kim Falinski: Kim completed her masters in Biological and Environmental Engineering with Cornell University in May 2009 working on the “Effects of different aeration conditions on Isochrysis galbana (T-Iso) CCMP 1324 in a bench-scale photobioreactor.” Marta Bou Mira: Marta completed her masters in Aquaculture with the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in February 2008 working on the “Effect of dietary lipid content on reproduction, egg quality, and larval quality in flame angelfish broodstock (Centropyge loriculus).” Pablo Bou Mira: Pablo completed his masters in Aquaculture with the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in February 2008 working on the “Effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine and hydrogen peroxide egg disinfectants on hatching rate and early larval survival of flame angelfish (Centropyge loriculus) and bluefin trevally (Carynx melampygus) eggs.” Elisha Witt: Eli completed his masters in animal science through the University of Hawaii in August 2008 working under E. Gordon Grau of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology working on the “Effects of broodstock diet and environmental iodide concentrations on larval growth, survival, egg and whole body concentrations of thyroid hormones and cortisol in Pacific threadfin, Polydactylus sexfillis.” Megan Bushnell: Megan completed her masters in zoology through the University of Hawaii in July 2007 working under Jim Parrish of the Fisheries Co-operative Unit working on “Reproduction of Zebrasoma flavescens: Oocyte maturation, spawning patterns, and an estimate or reproductive potential for female yellow tang in Hawaii.” Chatham Callan: Chad completed his Ph.D. with the University of Maine in July 2007 working on the “Assessment of the flame angelfish (Centropyge loriculus) as a model species in studies on egg and larval quality in marine fishes.” Tanya Michaud: Tanya completed her masters in mariculture through the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi in December 2000 working on “Enhanced survival of red snapper broodstock (Lutjanus campechanus) during 24 hour simulated transport.” Contact Information Graduate Students please contact: Charles W. Laidley Ph.D. Interns or Volunteers please contact: Holly Boughton |
|
2008-2011 Oceanic Institute |
