This project is essential for cohesive research and development aimed at meeting the priority needs of the highly successful tuna aquaculture industry. While the industry has developed rapidly since its initiation in 1990, research and development is a pivotal requirement to underpin its development and assure the long-term sustainability of the industry.

This project is focussed on managing and coordinating the infrastructure for small scale, experimental, high risk and/or novel research and development activities utilising live SBT. These services have been and continue to be required by a range of projects managed by the SBT Aquaculture Subprogram (the specific scientific methods associated with each research project is developed more fully within the relevant project).
This project will:
1) ensure that an experimental system with live SBT is available for researchers focussing on the R&D priorities of the tuna farming industry;
2) ensure that the use of the available resources is optimised and that a minimum level of duplication occurs;
3) enable the costs associated with these activities to be clearly distinguished;
4) play a key role in communication between researchers and tuna farmers as the project staff are based in Port Lincoln, the centre of commercial activities.
Larger scale pilot commercial trials are now recognised to be more effectively undertaken by commercial
farmers with their larger pontoons, commercial stocking densities and more wave-exposed sites. This strategy also has the advantage of improving the transfer of research outcomes to industry, involving industry to a greater extent in the evaluation of outcomes, enhancing industry development of innovative technologies and practices to address commercial issues, and disseminating information more representative of their commercial operations. All these aspects are important in facilitating the take up and commercialisation of the research outcomes.