25 April 2024 – The ECOLUMP project, led by Caroline Durif and funded by the Norsk Forskningsråd, has started! The project’s objective is to generate new knowledge on the ecology, migration and behavior of the fascinating lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus), a species widely used as cleaner fish (to remove the ectoparasitic salmon lice) in salmon aquaculture.
One of the objectives of ECOLUMP is to understand the behavior of migrating juvenile lumpfish – that workpackage is led by Alessandro Cresci. The team is investigating this question by conducting experiments in the Bjørnafjorden using drifting chambers, and in the MagLab magnetoreception facility. This research is part of Torjus Kristiansen’s the Master of Science thesis. They managed to test more than 50 individuals in each system. Another trial will be carried out in August. This will allow us to see if lumpfish orient according to a specific direction and whether their behavior changes as the fish develops into adults.
