Case Study: University of New Brunswick improves kelp-to-salmon ratios for sustainable aquaculture with Palisade @RISK

University of New Brunswick Applies @RISK to Sustainable Seafood Farming

The University of New Brunswick faced the challenge of optimizing nutrient recycling in its Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture system to reduce the environmental impact of fish waste from salmon farming. To determine the ideal ratios of kelp needed to absorb these nutrients, Dr. Gregor Reid from the university turned to Palisade's @RISK software to model this complex, variable system.

Palisade's @RISK enabled a semi-stochastic simulation that quantified uncertainty in key inputs, such as nutrient loading, creating a practical weight-ratio model. The results provided clear, actionable guidance for aquaculturists, showing the amount of kelp harvest required per unit of salmon growth. While full nutrient recovery was found to be spatially impractical, the study proved that any level of removal is beneficial, directly helping to improve the sustainability and efficiency of commercial aquaculture operations.

University of New Brunswick

Gregor Reid

Senior Research Scientist