The Singapore campus of James Cook University has launched its brand new Aquaculture Research and Teaching Facility.  The facility will be used for both teaching and research purposes, and allow JCU to more effectively deliver its world-class expertise in tropical aquaculture directly into Singapore and the immediate region.

(Professor Chris Rudd OBE and Professor Dean Jerry at the Aquaculture Research and Teaching Facility.)

The facility includes a quarantine room where fish and crustaceans will initially be brought to and have their health status monitored, before they are moved to the main Experimental System, where research and student training activities will be conducted.

Outside the facility, a state-of-the-art Life Support System helps to establish a comfortable environment for the aquatic life that are being kept, and to ensure that water quality is maintained at an optimum.

With the launch of this facility, the Singapore campus of James Cook University reinforces its status as a research-intensive university, and a critical part of the broader R&D ecosystem in Singapore.

Professor Dean Jerry, Dean of Research for the Singapore campus of James Cook University, states that the Singapore government has a huge interest in the research and development of the local aquaculture sector, as part of its broader “30 by 30 Food Security Strategy,” which aims to produce 30 per cent of Singapore's nutritional needs locally by 2030.

He adds, “This has led to a close working relationship between James Cook University and the Singapore government, to further aquaculture research in the country, and the facility on our campus will be an important piece of the overall puzzle in achieving the vision related to aquaculture in Singapore.”

Professor Chris Rudd OBE, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of Campus, Singapore for James Cook University, agrees on the importance of aquaculture, saying, “When you’ve got a tiny republic like this, with not a lot of land mass, then you’ve got to look to the sea for sustainable production of food. Research and development of more efficient methods of aquaculture production offers a solution to the growing demand for high-quality seafood, especially in the tropics. ”

Ultimately, this new facility will allow James Cook University to continue to innovate and grow its strengths in aquaculture R&D and training.

Find out more information about our Bachelor of Business & Environmental Science (Majoring in Aquaculture) here.

For further information on areas of research strength in Aquaculture and future collaborative opportunities at James Cook University in Singapore, view our booklet here.