NEED
This project is essential for cost effective and cohesive R&D aimed at meeting the priority needs of the
highly successful SBT aquaculture industry. While the industry has developed rapidly since its initiation in
1990, R&D is a pivotal requirement to underpin its development and assure the long-term sustainability of
the industry. This project is focused on maintaining an offshore SBT R&D capability.

It involves providing services to support to research activities undertaken on and around offshore commercial tuna farms including managing and coordinating the infrastructure for small scale, experimental, high risk and/or novel research and development activities utilizing 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 are developed more fully within the relevant project).

This project will:
1) ensure high quality technical services are provided in Port Lincoln to tuna researchers in a coordinated
way. These services are provided for experiments primarily on commercial tuna farms and the waters adjacent to these.
2) ensure that the use of the available resources is optimized 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 is based in
Port Lincoln, the centre of commercial activities.

This project will provide support for scientists involved in effectively undertaking research using the new commercial (industry) seacage research platform, where research with live tuna will occur on commercial farms. This strategy has the advantage of conducting research in the most appropriate circumstances to achieve the desired outcome. The greater industry involvement in this project, through the involvement of an experienced industry operator, 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 commercialization of the research outcomes.