Scientists in Norway are investigating how farmed salmon and rainbow trout perceive light in their environments. The goal is to offer recommendations to fish farmers regarding lighting techniques for both species, from hatching to harvesting.
The company has launched surveys on light control to provide a knowledge-based overview. “We hope industry players will respond so we can connect research-based knowledge with practical experience,” says Anja Striberny, project leader from Nofima.
By viewing the light environment from the fish’s point of view, researchers aim to propose lighting strategies that align with the fish’s biological needs throughout their lifecycle.
“There are more than a thousand scientific articles on the effects of light on salmon and trout. Fish farmers have requested a knowledge-based overview, so we have launched a survey about their light control,” Strinberry added.
The team will also review existing literature and carry out new experiments.
Addressing gaps in understanding
Researchers acknowledge significant knowledge gaps about how light affects salmon, primarily measured in lux, a unit based on human vision. Alexander West from UiT—The Arctic University of Norway is leading studies on salmon’s light-sensitive proteins called opsins.
“Humans have only a few opsins, while salmon have more than fifty. Characterising these is an important step towards measuring light from the salmon’s perspective,” West explained.
In parallel, SINTEF Ocean will characterise various light conditions, while Nofima and NORCE will analyse how different light qualities affect salmon’s physiology and welfare.
The “IllumiAkva” project involves scientific and industry partners, including Nofima, UiT, SINTEF Ocean, NORCE, the University of Manchester, and the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN). Industry partners include Salmar Settefisk, Grieg Seafood, and NCE Aquaculture. Funded by FHF—the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund—the project will run until June 2028.
More details can be found here.
