DTU Aqua

🦐 AI og undervandskameraer til tidlig sygdomsdetektion i rejeopdræt
DTU Aqua og Sincere Aqua udvikler et AI-system, der med undervandskameraer overvåger rejer døgnet rundt og kan opdage tidlige tegn på sygdom, før de bliver synlige for det blotte øje.

Projektet Sincere Shrimp Disease Detector (SSDD) bruger computer vision til at genkende små ændringer i adfærd og mønstre, som kan indikere udbrud som hvidpletsyge. Målet er tidligere og mere præcis sygdomsopsporing end manuel inspektion.

Teknologien bygger på eksisterende AI-løsninger i dansk akvakultur og videreudvikles nu til en ny og voksende industri for rejeopdræt i Europa.

🔗 Læs mere på dtu.dk/aqua
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🌊 Hvordan redder vi livet i havet? Nyt forskningsprojekt sætter fokus på Skagerrak – et af Nordens mest biodiversitetsrige, men også pressede havområder.
📉 Problemet: Fiskeri, klimaforandringer og næringsstoffer presser økosystemet. Torsken er allerede tæt på at forsvinde.
📚 På vej mod en løsning: Projektet SAMSKAG II går tilbage til ca. år 1900 for at:
○ Skabe en historisk baseline
○ Forstå hvordan økosystemet egentlig så ud
○ Undgå “shifting baseline syndrome” (vi vænner os til dårligere natur)
🔬 Hvad gør forskerne?
○ Indsamler historiske data fra arkiver og litteratur
○ Udvikler biodiversitetsindikatorer (målbare tegn på økosystemets tilstand)
○ Designer fremtidige scenarier for beskyttede havområder
🤝 Nordisk samarbejde: Danmark, Sverige og Norge arbejder sammen – fordi havet ikke stopper ved landegrænser.
🚢 I 2026: Fælles ekspedition i Skagerrak & Kattegat med forskningsskib for at dokumentere sårbare habitater.
🎯 Målet: Bedre beslutningsgrundlag → stærkere beskyttels

❄️ A small fish with a big impact on life in the Arctic
Arctic cod plays a key role in Greenland’s marine ecosystems — but new research shows the species is declining rapidly and shifting north as the climate warms. Rising sea temperatures, shrinking sea ice, and changes in plankton are pushing this ice-dependent fish out of its traditional habitats.
The consequences go far beyond the fish itself. Arctic cod is a cornerstone species for seals, seabirds, other fish — and for Greenlandic fishers and hunters who have relied on it for generations. As it disappears from coastal areas, both ecosystems and livelihoods are changing.
New research combining long-term scientific data with local knowledge from Greenlandic fishers highlights how fast and deeply climate change is reshaping Arctic marine life.
🔗 Read the full story on dtu.dk/aqua
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PHD DEFENCE. On Friday, 20 March 2026, at 13:00, Athanasios Kandylas from DTU Aqua will defend his PhD thesis, “Carbon Sequestration and Oxygen Minimum Zones in the Ocean”.

You can follow the defence online or in person at DTU, building 208, auditorium 53, 2800 Kongens Lyngby.

Athanasios’ PhD thesis introduces SISSOMA, which is a platform that enables researchers to track the fate of small organic particles in the ocean from their production in the upper layers to their export into deeper layers.

The ocean plays a critical role in regulating Earth’s climate, acting both as a reservoir of carbon and as an emitter of carbon by releasing carbon back to the atmosphere. Photosynthesizing phytoplankton and their predators, zooplankton, produce organic particles in the upper ocean, which sink to the deeper layers of the ocean, where the carbon is stored. This process helps mitigate the effects of human-induced climate change.

However, organic particles are also involved in releasing carbon back to the surrounding water as microbes feed on them, consuming oxygen and producing carbon. Combined with the oxygen replenished through the circulation of the ocean, this defines the oxygen availability in the deep ocean. Athanasios’ research shows significant negative local effect on oxygen levels with the potential of expanding areas already suffering from low oxygen.

Learn more about the PhD defence on DTU Aqua's website:
https://www.aqua.dtu.dk/english/about/calendar/phd-defence-athanasios-kandylas?id=7cf7d9c4-0e9d-4149-8c7d-71444c92a2bf

🎣 New milestone in sustainable fishing innovation
Researchers have successfully filmed fish behavior inside a trawl during the first sea trial of the ACCELERATOR project: a key step toward greener fishing technologies. Using advanced acoustic cameras and AI analysis, scientists can now observe how individual fish move and react inside fishing gear, even in dark and turbid waters.
These insights will help design smarter trawls that reduce bycatch, improve fish welfare, and support a more sustainable and economically viable fishing sector.
The project brings together researchers, industry, retailers, and certification bodies to develop solutions across the entire value chain, from sea to shelf.
The project is supported by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund
Read more on Aqua.dtu.dk

PHD DEFENCE:
On Friday, 6 March 2026, at 13:00, Alejandra Villamil Alonso from DTU Aqua will defend her PhD thesis, “Renibacterium salmoninarum: molecular tracing in the North-East Atlantic and infection studies in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)”.
You can follow the defence online or in person at DTU Lyngby Campus, building 208, auditorium 54, 2800 Kongens Lyngby.
Alejandra’s thesis investigates the population structure of the bacteria Renibacterium salmoninarum, infection dynamics in rainbow trout, and host-pathogen interactions through complementary genomic, experimental, and transcriptomic approaches.

R. salmoninarum causes bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in farmed and wild salmonid populations worldwide. The infections are often subclinical and may remain chronic, with bacteria able to spread from asymptomatic fish. No vaccine or treatment for BKD have proven effective. Therefore, long-term infection reservoirs can undermine disease control and biosecurity efforts in aquaculture.

Alejandra’s work resolves the phylogenomic relationships of the largest collection of R. salmoninarum to date, including those related to the BKD epizootics developing in Norway between late 2022 to 2024. She also established an infection model providing a valuable framework for future studies on subclinical infections.

Learn more on DTU Aqua’s website:

PhD defence by Alejandra Villamil Alonso Alejandra Villamil Alonso will defend her PhD thesis, “Renibacterium salmoninarum: molecular tracing in the North-East Atlantic and infection studies in rainbow trout”.

📘🐟 New release: Atlas of Danish Marine Fishes
A major new scientific reference work mapping all saltwater fish species recorded in Danish waters has just been published. Atlas over Danske Saltvandsfisk is a unique three-volume publication (2,000 pages, 9.2 kg) developed over 16 years and released by the Natural History Museum of Denmark, with substantial contributions from DTU Aqua researchers.
The atlas documents 214 species, combining detailed distribution maps with updated insights into each species’ biology, ecology, taxonomy and use. It includes both well-known species such as cod and lesser-known or rare visitors like ocean sunfish and seahorses.
With 18 DTU Aqua scientists contributing to 31 chapters, the atlas provides an essential baseline for research, education and marine management: a snapshot of Danish marine biodiversity that will help track future ecological change.
📍 Available in bookstores and at the Natural History Museum from 9 February 2026

🌊🌱 New funding secures the future of marine nature restoration in Denmark
The National Centre for Marine Nature Restoration has received a renewed grant of DKK 20 million (2026–2030) from the Velux Foundation and Havnaturfonden, ensuring continued research, collaboration and impact. DTU Aqua is a key partner in the centre.
The funding supports knowledge-based restoration of Danish marine habitats such as stone reefs, eelgrass meadows and mussel beds, while strengthening collaboration between universities, authorities and local actors.
Looking ahead, the centre will also explore coexistence between marine restoration and offshore wind, develop decision-support tools, and enhance citizen involvement in marine recovery efforts.
📸 Mussel reef in Danish waters, photo by Mikael van Deurs
📍 National Centre for Marine Nature Restoration

🌊🔬 Danish Marine Research Meeting 2026
DTU Aqua was strongly represented at the Danish Marine Research Meeting 2026, that took place in Helsingør in January. Over three days, researchers, authorities, NGOs and industry gathered to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and shape the future of marine research and management in Denmark.
DTU Aqua researchers contributed with keynotes, talks and sessions spanning topics from marine ecosystems and biodiversity to monitoring, restoration and climate impacts. The meeting highlights the crucial role of scientific knowledge as a foundation for informed decision-making for the ocean.
📍 Konventum, Helsingør
📸 Photo: Professor Brian MacKenzie presenting on the return of tuna to Danish waters