PhD project: Abalone Nutrition in Aquaculture

Two PhD students are sought for an innovative project addressing key challenges of abalone nutrition in aquaculture. The focus of the project is on advancing fundamental nutritional knowledge for this cultured species, coupled with innovative feeding and feed manufacturing technologies, and with the ultimate objective of improving the economic viability and the environmental sustainability of the sector.

Research will be conducted in the School of Agriculture and Food at the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne, in collaboration also with the NuSea.Lab of Deakin University at Queenscliff Marine station. Via filling nutritional knowledge gaps for this species, the project aims at developing novel feed, feeding management strategies and feed technologies to improve growth rate, favouring the utilisation of sustainable raw material originating form circular economy for feed formulation, and the development of novel feed processing technologies to improve nutrient efficiency and final product quality.

The successful candidate will have an excellent track record in aquaculture nutrition, including good laboratory skills in basic nutritional analyses, well developed aquatic animal handling skills and developing scientific writing skills.

Other desirable skills include experimental design and data analysis. Prior experience with abalone rearing in captivity and experience within the aquaculture nutrition industry is advantageous but not a requirement. The successful candidates will be both diligent and passionate about research.

Applications by email to giovanni.turchini@unimelb.edu.au providing a motivation letter, CV and grades transcript.

Project Leader: Prof. Giovanni Turchini, School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne

Co-supervisor:  Chiara Murgia and Ling Zhi  Cheong, School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne

External Co-Supervisor: A/Prof. David Francis, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University

These positions will remain open until suitable candidates have been identified.