Working Together
Aquaculture Pioneers
Ardtoe Marine Laboratory has been involved in aquaculture research and fish and shellfish production since 1965, and we continue this long history of innovation in order to develop new products and processes with commercial applications suited to today’s highly competitive world. With our unique blend of academic and commercial expertise we are able to work easily and effectively with both industry and academic partners, bridging the traditional gap between the two sectors.
As a very recent example of our pioneering spirit, Ardtoe has now set up the very first commercial seaweed hatchery in the UK and, as far as we are aware, Europe, with the aim of producing the seed stock which will be needed for sustainable marine biomass-biogas production and as a source of potential neutraceutical and pharmaceutical compounds.
Knowledge
Our team consists of very experienced commercial aquaculturists, researchers and technicians whose expertise covers just about every aspect of marine finfish and shellfish hatchery production, from the capture and maintenance of breeding stocks, developing spawning techniques, handling and incubating eggs, producing live feeds, rearing larvae and juveniles, optimising growth and survival, monitoring stock health and welfare, shipping and transporting stocks, and grow-out technologies and procedures. Staff research interests cover broadly similar areas, but extend into additional aspects such environmental impact reduction, selective breeding, development of novel automated feeding and monitoring systems, water recirculation systems (RAS) and reducing energy usage in aquaculture.
Flexibility
Our broad experience means that we can provide an unparalleled service to our clients and collaborators, often finding solutions to research problems, or suggested improvements to products, based on our previous experiences in sometimes in completely different areas. Our research facilities are also highly flexible, we can modify and adapt tank and other systems to meet the needs of individual clients and projects.
Cost effectiveness
With our broad range of both commercial and research activities, and our flexible and practical approach, we are highly efficient both in he way we use our facilities and deploy our staff. We are thus able to keep our direct and indirect costs down, and can thus offer our research services and, indeed, our commercial products, at very competitive prices. We understand that in today’s economic climate R&D budgets are being squeezed, so we can use our flexible approach, and research experience, to tailor trial designs to our clients’ precise needs, giving them the maximum output for the minimum cost.
Unique and Wild environment
Ardtoe is located in the western Highlands of Scotland, 50 miles from Ben Nevis and Fort William, which is famed as the outdoor activity capital of Scotland. The laboratory itself is in an isolated location on the Lochaber peninsula, in an area of unspoilt natural beauty, where it benefits from class A quality seawater and a particularly mild climate. Wild otters and various species of seabirds are regular visitors to the lagoon behind the laboratory, and large numbers of red deer roam the hills and glens around. This unique location reminds us every day of the need to maximise the sustainability and minimise the environmental impact of the all technologies that we develop.
