A major new University of Stirling led study aiming to address one of the biggest issues in UK aquaculture has been awarded more than £1.4m in funding.

Scottish salmon farming generates around £750 million in exports annually, despite smolt (young fish) mortality rates of 15% to 20%, with gill and skin conditions being major contributors.

Dr Rose Ruiz Daniels, a Lecturer in Aquaculture Genomics, has now secured more than £1.4 million in funding from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) that she believes can transform understanding of salmon health and disease resilience.

The project will explore tissue remodelling processes in salmon, aiming to reduce mortality linked to gill and skin health issues - major ongoing challenges affecting the global aquaculture industry.

The research, hosted at the University’s world-renowned Institute of Aquaculture, also benefits from £120,000 of in-kind support from Benchmark Genetics - a global leader in aquaculture innovation.

Researchers will study salmon during smoltification - a key stage when young fish adapt from freshwater to seawater. This critical process involves major changes in the body, making it valuable for understanding how fish both repair and strengthen their tissues.

Dr Ruiz Daniels explained: “When smoltification fails to proceed normally, the fish become more vulnerable to stress and disease. By examining smoltification as a biological remodelling event, we can identify how salmon repair tissues, resist disease, and adapt to changing environments.

“The findings will help inform improved breeding and health management strategies that enhance resilience across the industry.”

The study has three core objectives:

• To develop phenotyping tools, tools that look at the visible traits or characteristics of a salmon and measure how effectively fish can repair and rebuild their body tissues during smoltification.
• To determine whether this healing capacity has a genetic basis and evaluate its potential to support better-informed future breeding strategies.
• To discover the key biological processes inside salmon cells that enable tissue repair, and link these processes to the fish’s ability to both heal and maintain long-term health.

By identifying key genes and biological processes involved in successful smoltification, the research team aims to deliver practical tools that support fish health and productivity, whilst also improving the sustainability of this vital contributor to the Scottish economy.

Dr Ruiz Daniels added: “This work will help transform how we understand salmon biology. Recognising remodelling as a selectable trait will support breeding strategies that enhance survival and welfare across aquaculture.”
The study builds on existing data and continues the University’s long-term collaboration with Benchmark Genetics and other aquaculture partners.

Andrew Preston, Lead Trait Development & Land Based, Benchmark Genetics, said: "Developing new health traits that complement existing gill health traits marks an important step toward improving salmon welfare at critical stages of production, including during smoltification.

“By broadening our understanding of the biological processes behind cell repair, our goal is to harness this knowledge to enhance robustness in salmon farming, supporting healthier fish at all stages during production."
The announcement comes with work on the University’s state-of-the-art National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH) nearing completion.

Funded by a £17million investment by the UK Government through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, as well as a £1m Wolfson Foundation grant, NATIH will drive the UK’s ambition to be a world leader in modern aquaculture practice.