"Advancing understanding of Atlantic salmon at Sea: Merging genetics and ecology to resolve stock-specific migration and distribution patterns" - SALSEA-Merge
Funding Year: 2007
Funding Scheme: Small-to-medium scale collaborative project
Project Duration: 36 months
Total Project Value: €5m
EU Grant-Aid: €3.5m
Grant-Aid to Ireland: €767,753
Lead Partner: Institute of Marine Research (Norway)
Irish Partner(s):
- Marine Institute (ACMS)
- University College Cork (ZEPS)
Project Summary
SALSEA-Merge will investigate the reasons why Atlantic salmon are dying at sea and the resulting decline in the species. Through a partnership of 9 European nations the programme will deliver innovation in the areas of: genetic stock identification techniques, new genetic marker development, fine scale estimates of growth on a weekly and monthly basis, the use of novel high seas pelagic trawling technology and individual stock linked estimates of food and feeding patterns. In addition, the use of the three-dimensional Regional Ocean Modelling System, merging hydrography, oceanographic, genetic and ecological data, will deliver novel stock specific migration and distribution models.
This project will also act as an important model for understanding the factors affecting survival of many other important marine species.