IAESTE Programme
Over the summer CSAR has been hosting two intership students on the IAESTE programme. This will be 7th consecutive year that CSAR has hosted students on this programme. This year the students are from China and Portugal, previously students have come from as far afield as Japan, Sierra Leone and Russia.
IAESTE state the following as their aims and mission:
Aims – To provide students in higher education with technical experience relevant to their studies. To offer employers well-qualified and motivated trainees. To be a source of cultural enrichment for trainees and their host communities.
Mission – To operate a high quality practical training exchange programme between members in order to enhance technical and professional development and to promote international understanding and goodwill amongst students, academic institutions, employers and the wider community.
IAESTE Internships
This year we have welcomed Joao and Fengjun (Luffy).
João Gonçalves
‘I had the opportunity to do an internship in the Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research at Swansea University by the IAESTE internship program. This internship allowed me to contact with different species and lines of investigation and showed me new approaches to science.
I was also able to interact and learn with an amazing group of investigators, being a good complementation to my studies and working experience.
In the weeks I was in CSAR I was able to see how a multidisciplinary team can work so well together and how that can be crucial to science.’
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Enalgae Project gets go ahead with Swansea as lead partner
The Energetic Algae project (EnAlgae), is a 4 year Strategic Initiative of the INTERREG IVB North West Europe Programme, engaging 19 partners and 14 observers across 7 EU Member States.
EnAlgae aims to reduce CO2 emissions and dependency on unsustainable energy sources in North West Europe. This will be achieved through the accelerated development of sustainable technologies for algal biomass production, bioenergy and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, from pilot phase to application and marketable products, processes and services. The transnational cooperation provided by the project is crucial to the selection and uptake of appropriate algal biotechnologies in the region.
Innovation within Energetic Algae therefore stems partly from project participants extending and sharing their particular technological innovations as part of a NWE network, for example by adapting ecologically based mathematical models into a specially developed ICT-based decision support tool. This tool will be used provide investors and policy-makers with the necessary means to tailor algal-based energy solutions to particular physical and social conditions within NWE. Energetic Algae therefore represents an innovative means for positively and sustainably influencing the development of algal biomass and bioenergy products, processes and services within NWE.
‘Microalgal Biotechnology can assist the development of novel products, markets and environmental services. Welsh enterprises now have the opportunity to benefit with our expertise and via our unique and fully accessible facilities’
Further details can be found at the Enalgae website @ www.enalgae.eu
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Ocean Acidification Project awarded to Swansea University and CSAR
CSAR in collaboration with partners at Exeter University, Plymouth University and Strathclyde University have been awarded funding as part of the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme. Swansea University’s Prof. Kevin Flynn will lead the project that aims to improve understanding of the potential impacts on marine organisms, with focus on population,community and ecosystem impacts for all life stages for commercially-important species and their capacity to resist and adapt to Ocean Acidification.
Part of the extensive facilities at the Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research (CSAR) at Swansea University will be used to support the experimental component of the project. Phytoplankton, zooplankton, shellfish and fish will be grown providing a complete trophic interaction under controlled conditions of temperature and pH.
The project will run for 4 years starting on the 1st of January 2011 and is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs (Defra) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Further details can be found at https://www.oceanacidification.org.uk/
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SEACAMS Project Starts
SEACAMS is a new stragetic parnership aimed at integrating research and businesses to underpin sustainable development in the coastal and marine zones in Wales, now and in the future.
SEACAMS offers businesses with interest in the marine sector access to research, expertise and knowledge base of universities in Wales. For further details visit the SEACAMS website.
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Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) approval for new Knowledge Transfer Centre (KTC) Algal Biotechnology for Wales to support local businesses
With assistance from WAG and colleagues in Durham and Glyndwr University, CSAR successfully completed a feasibility study investigating the potential uses of single celled microalgae. This culminated in a Technology Review and Roadmap which identified market requirements for nutritional supplements, biofuels, C02 capture, waste water remediation and livestock feeds in Wales.
WAG has continued to invest in this area of research, and recently approved a KTC at CSAR. This will enable access to specialist expertise in algal biotechnology, provide a service to local businesses and permit installation of new equipment for high density microalgae production. Until early 2013, CSAR will provide microalgal biomass for product development, act as a platform for technology demonstration and produce a final evaluation report detailing additional delivery to Welsh businesses and public utility companies.
Local enterprise is expected to benefit by:
● developing new high quality products from microalgae;
● reducing the environmental impact of industrial and agricultural processes;
● diversifying biomass sources for biofuel and bioenergy production;
● increasing the energy efficiency of commercial microalgae production.
If you want to learn about how we could assist your business, please contact us or email our dedicated address: [email protected]
*** Algae KTC website now up and running. www.algaektc.com ***
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New projects (2012):
FishScan
The FishScan project, aiming at developing a system for continuous and highly accurate remote monitoring of weight, growth and size distribution of fish in aquaculture enclosures. FishScan was initiated by the coordinating SME, Stovik Aqua AS, and funded the funding scheme "Research for SMEs" within the EU 7th Framework Programme.
Visit the FishScan website here.
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DeammRecirc
The DeammRecirc project is based on the recent experiences and success of using deammonification to convert ammonia to nitrogen gas in other waste water treatment applications. .
For futher details please visit DeamRecirc or contact Purazen.
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ACCOMPLISH
The 30 month project, known as ACCOMPLISH (Algal Carbon Capture and BiOMass Production - LInked Supply cHain) is being supported with more than £425,000 by EU structural funds, the Welsh Government and resources from industrial partners, and aims to harness the properties of photosynthetic microalgae to reduce carbon emissions and provide sustainable energy.
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NEPHROPS
The NEPHROPS project aims at developing new techniques in hatchery, rearing, fishery enhancement and aquaculture for Nephrops.
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CSAR helps BBC Life film impossible underwater details
Young "Nemos" from Swansea University's Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research (CSAR) featured in the network BBC wildlife series Life, screened on BBC One at 9pm on Monday, November 2, 2009.
The clownfish (pictured), which famously live in close association with sea anemones in nature, will feature in an episode dedicated to the diverse life histories of fish.
CSAR was approached by the BBC's Natural History Unit in Bristol in late 2008 to assist in the production of this 10-part series, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
The series' team wished to feature detailed recording of the behaviour and development of larvae and young juveniles and the ultra close up detail shots of the developing eggs in the clownfish sequence was proving impossible to film in the wild without the risk of disturbing both parents and young.
The BBC team consulted CSAR, who suggested a way of getting these macro shots without causing the fish any problems, using fish and young they were studying in their research. (Visit www.bbc.co.uk/life for further information on the team's filming techniques.)
CSAR has been breeding clownfish successfully for many years and after several months of preparing special tanks for filming and allowing the fish to settle into their new surroundings, the chosen adults began spawning in spring 2009.
Clownfish lay their eggs on meticulously prepared rock or coral at the foot of their host anemone and vigorously defend and clean their clutch throughout development.
Having photographed these well known behaviours in the wild, the Life production team were keen to obtain additional close up shots under controlled conditions, showing larvae hatching and swimming into open water and small juveniles taking refuge for their first time within a sea anemone.
The series' Assistant Producer Simon Blakeney and cameraman Rod Clarke, assisted by CSAR staff, patiently observed and recorded the tiny clownfish larvae and juveniles during successive evenings over several weeks, in order to obtain a short section of footage for inclusion in the impressive final feature.
CSAR Director, Dr Robin Shields, said: "We have been delighted to contribute to the Life series in this way. The BBC Natural History Unit are rightly world famous for their expertise and diligence in bringing the natural world to our screens and it has been a great experience for our team to participate in this latest of Sir David Attenborough's productions."
Life was screened on BBC One at 9pm on Monday, November 2, 2009. For more information on the series visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/life
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