A brief description of research, education and services in the domain of aquaculture by the Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Belgium

1. networking
• Aquaculture Consortium: coordinates interdisciplinary aquaculture
related research of 14 departments of the Ghent University
• ASEM Aquaculture Platform: a multi-stakeholder dialogue between Asia
and Europe for the development of sustainable aquaculture
(www.asemaquaculture.org)
• VIFINET: Vietnam Fisheries and Aquaculture Institutional Network
• others: EATP, Food2Know, EAS, WAS
Department of Animal Production
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Ghent University
Rozier 44 – 9000 Gent – Belgium
www.UGent.be/aquaculture
artemia@UGent.be
disease & health management
• Standard gnotobiotic Artemia culture system for studying host-microbial interactions especially
the mode of action of probiotic and pathogenic bacteria
• Challenge test on turbot larvae with Listonella anguillarum through bio-encapsulation in Artemia
• Study of penaeid viral diseases
web based & online services
• BibMail & IoI: on a 2-weekly service to our graduated MSc and PhD students.
Contains the compiled content tables of the major aquaculture journals.
‘Information of Interest’ features news on interesting new projects, grant
applications, job vacancies, etcetera
• Aquaculture Database: a database that allows to browse through our vast
collection of images, literature references & useful links
• Electronic Larviculture & Artemia Newsletter: a biweekly newsletter compiling
relevant information on larviculture. Distributed via e-mail and available online
contract research & analysis
• Artemia cyst quality control
• Artemia cyst bank
• Lipid analysis (HUFA, lipid classes)
• Feeding trials with fish & shellfish larvae and juveniles
MSc Aquaculture
A multi-disciplinary, internationally oriented, 2-year postgraduate programme, established in 1991.
The objective is to deliver students with a critical attitude necessary for scientific research as well
as technical and management skills, enabling our graduates to pursue a successful career in the
aquaculture industry or preparing them for a leading policy and decision-making position.
Aqua-TNET
European Thematic Network which aims at facilitating the integration of European education in
aquaculture, fisheries and aquatic resource management (www.aquatnet.com).
MAqFish
A project that strives towards the integration of the curriculum of our MSc with six other leading
European universities teaching aquaculture at the MSc level. This yields a higher variety of
specialised courses and thesis work for our students.
The ultimate goal is the establishment of a European Masters in Aquaculture (www.maqfish.com).
larviculture, broodstock & egg quality
• Small scale recirculation systems for the culture of fish and shrimp larvae
• Zootechnical aspects and water quality management
• Know-how on turbot, European seabass & seabream, African catfish, various
penaeid shrimp species, Macrobrachium, and others
nutrition
• Application of Artemia as live food, such as decapsulation and bio-
encapsulation
• Application of rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis): enrichment
procedures & products, high-density closed recirculation culture…
history
Under impulse of the FAO, the Artemia
Reference Center (ARC), was established in
1978 as a section of the Laboratory of
Mariculture. It became an independent
Research Center of the Faculty of Bioscience
Engineering in 1985. In view of an expansion
of research and training activities the name
"Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia
Reference Center (ARC)" was adopted in
1989. In 1990, Prof. Dr. Patrick Sorgeloos was
officially appointed as director.
The lab counts on average 25 staff members,
about half are scientific staff and resident
PhD students and the other half are technical
and administrative staff. About 10 more PhD
students are partly resident and partly based
in their home university.
Artemia studies
• Artemia strain characterisation, taxonomy, life cycle aspects like
diapause, enrichment metabolism and applicability in larviculture.
• Biology and population dynamics of natural Artemia populations
• Production of Artemia cysts and/or biomass in ponds and solar saltworks
• Integrated Artemia/salt and/or shrimp production
The
Laboratory of Aquaculture &
Artemia Reference Center
has (had) projects running
in, or cooperated with
partners from:
Belgium, The Netherlands,
France, UK, Ireland, Greece,
Spain, Italy, Portugal, Norway,
Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya,
Israel, Iran, Kenya, South-Africa,
USA, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Chile,
Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, China,
Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, The
Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia,
Japan, Australia, and others.