Nephrocalcinosis and hemorrhagic smolt syndrome (HSS) are disorders that pose challenges in the production of
Atlantic salmon juveniles (smolt). This project will investigate the causes that trigger these conditions by conducting controlled experiments.
Environmental parameters will be altered, and the fish will be reared until completion of smoltification. In the experiment, biomarkers in the blood will be analyzed as the basis for training a machine learning model to classify the conditions. The project aims to identify causal factors and establish tools for monitoring.
Investigating Kidney Health and Smolt Syndrome in Salmon
This research project aims to uncover what causes kidney calcification (nephrocalcinosis) and hemorrhagic smolt syndrome (HSS) in salmon — two conditions that impact fish health and survival during smoltification.
By running controlled experiments at Nord University, researchers expose fish to specific environmental factors such as water chemistry and alkalinity to understand how these influence disease development.
Using advanced AI tools from AquaPredict, the project also seeks to create a monitoring model that can predict early signs of health issues in hatchery fish.
Ultimately, the findings will help improve fish welfare and production stability in land-based aquaculture systems.
Project owner
R&D Partner(s)
Financing
This project is financed by MABIT
Duration
2025 - 2026
