Aquaculture and Fisheries

Thomas George have been a career scientist since 1966 and am well-traveled with many credentials in international aquaculture and fisheries as a scientist, an independent Consultant or Team-leader with CIDA, WHO, FAO, UNDP and AOAD. He has been an active participant or in international conferences, workshops and exhibitions held in Asian, African, Arab, European and North American countries. He graduated from the University of Khartoum in 1966. He planned, formulated and executed several aquaculture projects funded by IDRC, WHO, IFS, and the World Bank as the Project Leader. Throughout the years, he has published scientific papers in international journals, contributed significantly to public awareness on aquaculture and fisheries through multi-media presentations and interviews: TV, radio and the press.

Breeding Aquaculture Fish Species Naturally and by Induced Breeding: And their use as Biological Control Agents

Rosa Zupa graduated in Biology at the University of Bari Aldo Moro (Italy) and, subsequently, she get a 2nd level degree in Marine Biochemistry and Biotechnologies applied to Fisheries and Aquaculture and a PhD in Human and Animal Reproduction, at the same University. At present, she works as a researcher at the Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation - Section of Veterinary Clinics and Animal Production of the University of Bari Aldo. Her research activity is focused on teleost reproductive biology. In particular, she studies the effect of confinement in captivity on gametogenesis in teleost species candidate to aquaculture, such as the Atlantic Bluefin tuna and greater amberjack. Her expertise includes analysis of germ cells cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Fish reproductive biology; fish gametogenesis; effects of confinement on fish gametogenesis

Letizia Passantino is graduated in Biology, PhD in Morphology of Aquatic Species; she works as Associate Professor in Veterinary Anatomy in the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy. Her fields of interest are focused on teleost fishes: morpho-functional and immunological aspects of the limphoreticular tissues, as head kidney, spleen, liver and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues, and immune response by macrophage and "non-immune" cells such as nucleated erythrocytes and platelets. Furthermore, she described important aspects regarding melanomacrophage centres: their origin, the possible role and relationships they may have with macrophages and / or other cells, confirming the hypothesis that they can act as metabolic dumps. Her morphological, functional and immunological evaluations can represent a useful tool for diagnosis and therapies in fish farming.

Fish morphology; fish immunology

Tiantian Zhang obtained her Environmental Biology degree from Liaoning University (P.R. China) in 1982 and worked as a research scientist in the area of environmental biology before obtaining an MPhil degree in Environmental Biology at Middlesex University (UK) in 1990 and a PhD degree in Cryobiology at University of Bedfordshire in 1994 (UK). She worked as a post-doctoral research fellow and a senior research fellow at University of Bedfordshire before she was made Reader in 2003 and Professor in 2005. She was appointed Director of Institute of Research in the Applied Natural Sciences at University of Bedfordshire in 2008 before joining Bournemouth University in 2012 as the Head of the Graduate School. She is also a member of the Executive Committee of the UK Council for Graduate Education.

Cryopreservation of reproductive cells, tissues and embryos of aquatic species, studies on the effect of cryopreservation on genome, cellular metabolism of reproductive cells including stem cells

Jorge Cáceres Martínez is a Principal Researcher at the Department of Aquaculture, Oceanology Division, Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education, Mexico. His international experience includes various programs, contributions and participation in different countries for diverse fields of study. His research interests as a Researcher reflects in his wide range of publications in various national and international journals. He is a recipient of many awards and grants for his valuable contributions and discoveries in major area of research.

Aquatic Health and Pathology

Priyum Koonjul is the Director, Business Development at Aligo Innovation, Canada. She worked as a sales representative for five years for Biometra (Cape Town, South Africa), a company specializing in instrumentation for laboratories and more specifically, she focused on instrumentation geared for molecular biology. Priyum has also worked in the management and transfer of intellectual property, as a valorization agent at University of Quebec in Montreal. She holds a double major B.Sc. (Biochemistry and Microbiology), a B.Sc. (Hons.) and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa. She was also a post-doctoral fellow in Human Genetics at UCT and in plant biochemistry at IRBV (University of Montreal).

Biotechnology, Nutrition, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Gene sequences, Fishing technology

Mohammad Tabish is a conscientious Blue Ocean Brain with an ambitious vision for the Blue society, down an exciting, enriching and celebrated timeline for two decades in the Gulf. His Doctoral research was focused upon the ecological indicators of sea cage farming. His early debut was with the first commercial finfish GIAC hatchery project in Kuwait, followed by large scale sea cage production and sea cage monitoring solutions with Asmak PJSC company in accordance with private investment programs, allowing for strong, collaborative links with partners locally, nationally and building linkages across regional frontiers within GCC. The knowledge produced with fish growth physiology at 43 ppt salinity demanded an inordinate warm water nutritional requirement spectrum and the subsequently evolved new-order finfish cage farming business thereof matched science and economics for high-saline waters, virtually answering every development constraint, upholding the opportunities with sustainable limits and passing on an improved legacy to the future and strategy of bio saline, arid farming recognition systems. The next portfolio in succession was fostering an empowering and stimulating assignment with the Ministry of Environment & Water (now MOCCAE) in UAE addressing Blue economy challenges, system audits and policy advocacy mainstreaming the Ocean economics for the future with a spirit of sustainability, well-being and equity. Having set newer milestones on defining the sustainable exploitation limits for marine-based seafood products (shark fins) and derivatives within UAE territories, his accordant dispensation as National Coordinator for GCC Spanish mackerel monitoring program in consonance with national and EU expertise was towards achieving a balance of environmental pressures, animal welfare and food safety through technology-enabled solutions. Presently with ANAF Aquaculture Consulting with unshared and undivided authority as General Manager, he utilizes the power of science in crafting an economically resilient food production sector for the GCC on a mutually participatory approach with peerless managerial initiatives for improving the future of multi-generational finfish cultivation through sustainable reproduction and optimized progeny enhancement and development. His underpinning distinction in strategic Business co-ordination and development through public-private partnerships has integrated society, economy, environment and culture in UAE and beyond branching out to other GCC farming assets, estates and promising resources.

Ocean habitats and biota management, Sustainable Desert aquaculture, Aquatic Best Management Practices, Emerging Blue growth production systems, Fishery tropho-dynamics Ocean governance and economic policies, Blue Ocean system audit & climate solutions, Blue economy challenges & solutions

Matilda Olstorpe is the founder and CEO of the business group Vegafish - Development and production of sustainable land based shrimp farming systems based on microbial feed, probiotic and water purification consortia. She has an expert background in bioprocessing and biopreservation of animal feed and development of environmental friendly and sustainable microbial based protein feed to monogastric animals by transforming non-human food and rest products from industrial processes to a human food resource. Assoc. Prof. Dr Matilda Olstorpe is a Researcher in the Department of Microbiology at the Uppsala BioCenter of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). She did her Doctoral dissertation – Microbiology, Feed grain improvement through biopreservation and bioprocessing microbial diversity, energy conservation and animal nutrition aspects in 2008 and has a Master of Science in Agronomy, Animal Husbandry, 2004 SLU. She is also the Co-founder and board member of Aquaculture center east.

Microbial diversity, energy conservation, animal nutrition