Research Activities

The research is conducted by eight PhD students among whom four PhD students focus on biology and analysis of greenhouse gasses, while four PhD students study effects of measures on farm economics and values chains in the prawn industry. In work-package 1, new methods for analysis of emission of GHG (CO2 and methane) in prawn ponds will be developed. The greenhouse gasses will be related to abundance and activity of bacteria in the water column and in the bottom by application of molecular techniques. Next, different IMTA approaches (mixed communities of prawns, snails and floating weeds) are introduced and tested, and their effect on GHG fluxes will be determined. The nutritional value of the snails as protein-ingredient in feeds will be examined. In work package 2, new methods for alleviating seawater-induced prawn diseases will be studied. The first approach will be to find and characterize local microbes with probiotic capacity to stimulate the prawn immune system to better prevent infection, e.g., by various Vibrio species. The probiotic bacteria will be tested in laboratory and at in-situ conditions for ability for disease-controlling properties. The final aim is to establish a commercial local, village-driven production of promising, probiotic microbes. Further, elimination of pathogenic bacteria by infection of the pathogens by specific viruses (also named bacterio phages) that attack and kill the pathogens, will be examined. This phage therapy has shown to be promising in some types of fish farms but has not yet been tested in prawn production. The research on phages will include application of new molecular procedures combined with infection challenges of prawns. In work package 3, economic feasibility and efficiency of measures and techniques developed in work package 1 and 2 is studied. The option of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through changing management practices at the farm-level is studied as are production risk and climate vulnerabilities. The foundation is cost-benefit analysis. In work package 4, the option of implementing greenhouse gas emissions reduction pushed by governance of value chains is studied to make prawn value chains climate change ready. Focus is at identifying the greenhouse gas footprint in the prawn value chain from Bangladesh to Europe and how it can be reduced. The foundation is value chain analysis focusing on governance, efficiency and organization. These research activities aim at strengthening the research capacity on prawn farming in the scientific community in Bangladesh as well as to provide input to the government for new policies on making the prawn industry ready for climate change.