Freshwater research infrastructure at Newport
We installed the freshwater RAS in 2019 as part of the Newport Strategy. Its eight 5.5m3 tanks have a total capacity of 44,000 L and can produce up to 12,000 Atlantic salmon pre-smolts. The system controls water temperature, oxygen levels, and light to provide stable conditions, reduce stress, and improve fish welfare.
Research across freshwater and marine environments
The Newport RAS and Lehanagh Pool Marine Research Site are intended to support collaboration across a variety of research projects. Together, they could form part of a marine research cluster involving third-level institutions, state agencies, and the aquaculture industry in the west of Ireland.
The SALMSON smolt project
The four-year SALMSON smolt project was funded under the EMFF Knowledge Gateway Programme, administered by BIM. It used the RAS to investigate whether the technology could produce larger Atlantic salmon pre-smolts than conventional flow-through systems. The project aimed to reduce the time required for the marine grow-out phase.