Graduate student researcher Rebecca Lawson is excited to begin her project at the Ontario Aquaculture Research Centre, a state-of-the-art facility owned by the Government of Ontario and managed by U of G through the Alliance. The centre supports innovative research for Ontario’s aquaculture sector and is a key space to train the next generation of agri-food innovators.
Growing up, Rebecca always had a passion for the aquatic environment. She moved to Halifax to complete her B.Sc. in marine biology at Dalhousie University and graduated in May 2020 with a certificate in aquaculture. In January 2021, she began her M.Sc. thesis with Dr. David Huyben, Department of Animal Biosciences, on an Alliance-funded project she hopes will advance her career in the aquaculture industry.
We caught up with Rebecca to learn more about her research goals.
What challenge were you setting out to address when you started your research?
My research plans are to address the nutritional requirements of lake whitefish. My project will aim to assess the effects dietary lipids, proteins and insect meal have on the growth and microbiome of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). My project will consist of a four-month growth trial where lake whitefish will be fed various diets differing in lipid and protein levels as well as a diet that will include insect meal as a feed additive. I will also be conducting a meta-analysis to rank the factors that affect the gut bacteria in salmonids. I hypothesize that the growth of lake whitefish will increase when fed a lower lipid-to-protein ratio diet because it will better fulfill their nutritional requirements. In addition, I hypothesize that growth will also increase when their diet includes insect meal, due to the beneficial compounds it provides, which may diversify the gut microbiome.
What impact do you anticipate your work will have on the agri-food sector and whom will it benefit?
I think the results of my research project will help optimize a commercial aquaculture feed for lake whitefish. This will allow for the successful rearing of lake whitefish for aquaculture purposes and could also help diversify the salmonid aquaculture industry in Ontario. Aquaculture feed producers and finfish farmers would benefit the most from the results of my research.
Why do you think it is important to share the results of research like yours?
The results could be used to formulate feeds and provide producers with a better understanding of the nutritional requirements and welfare of their fish.
What would your research program look like without Alliance funding/research centre access?
My research project would not be possible without the help of the Ontario Aquaculture Research Centre. In addition to providing laboratory space to conduct my trials, the staff at the research centre will play a vital role in caring for the fish and assisting with sampling. I am looking forward to working with the staff at the Ontario Aquaculture Research Centre and learning from them!
What inspired your interest in this challenge/issue?
Throughout my undergraduate studies, my passion for aquaculture continued to grow, and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the aquaculture industry. I developed an interest in research that aims to improve the aquaculture industry in Canada. I have always been interested in the ability aquaculture has to relieve pressures from wild-caught fisheries. After learning about lake whitefish and its potential as an aquaculture species, I quickly became interested in helping establish it as an aquaculture species here in Ontario and the rest of Canada.
What kind of response have you received regarding your research?
My adviser and advisory committee members are all very excited about the project, and this excitement is echoed in discussions with my peers about the project.
Where do you see yourself after your MSc is complete?
I hope to continue conducting research for the aquaculture industry. I would love to continue to work with whitefish to increase their success as an aquaculture species. I could imagine myself working in this capacity in an academic environment or with a nutrition company.
