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RESEARCH

Aquatonics Ltd are involved in several areas of research, ranging from environmental chemistry to aquaculture. The main areas are listed below, but if you have any research requirements in aquatic ecology and chemistry please email Phil or for ecophysiology,fish health and welfare please email Anne.

Publications

If you want a full list of publications please click here for Anne Brown's CV and here for Phil Smith's CV.

Removal of Metals and other Contaminants from Rivers and Effluents

Aquatonics Ltd was formed in April 2000 following a successful application for a SMART award from the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The SMART award of £45,000 funded a 3 year research project to examine the large-scale uses of glauconitic clay to remove metal pollution. We also examined the effectiveness of other waste and low value clays.

Report Summaries (Click to view) :
1. Laboratory trials
2. Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing
3. Wheal Jane tin mine
4. In-Stream Treatment using Clays
5. Final Report
6. Toxicity Test using the Gastropod Physa acuta

Many clays also have a very good ability to remove hydrocarbons from contaminated water. A pilot project has examined the use of clay to remove benzo-a-pyrene from water. Clays therefore have the ability to remove most of the pollutants of concern from road run-off.

Fish Health and Welfare

Please click on Fish Health and Welfare for details of our research on fish health and welfare.

Fish Physiology

Professor Anne Brown (Anne Smith) has been actively involved in research into fish physiology since 1972, with posts at the Universities of Sheffield, Hull and Exeter. She now holds an Emeritus Professorship in the School of Biosciences at Exeter University. Research within her team has focussed on understanding the impact of the environment on the physiological processes of fish. Their work has been funded by UK Research Councils (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), The Nuffield Foundation and the European Union, as well as various industries.

Anne currently leads work funded by NERC that is exploring the dispersal of alien (non-native) fishes and the impact of their saline tolerance in determining the potential spread of three species :

topmouth gudgeon

sunbleak

zander (pikeperch)

Other publications have examined the effects of parasitism (Anguillicola crassus) on European eels and the effects of aquaculture practises.

Work extending over more than 20 years has examined the impacts of environmental pollutants :

pH (acidity)

Oxygen

Salt (salinity)

Aluminium

Perchlorate

Crude oil

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP

)

Produced water from oil production

Napthalene

Flame retardants

Non-native Fish and Invertebrates

The impact of non-native (alien) fish species and their ability to adapt to saline waters and thus use salt-bridges as routes for further invasion is under investigation by Professor Anne Brown's team. Papers produced from this research area available from Aquatonics Ltd.

Phil Smith has an interest in non-native aquatic invertebrates. Whilst surveying for Associated British Ports in Southampton Water he found two species new to the UK fauna. These were identified by Dr Peter Garwood as Desdemona ornata (a sabellid polychaete worm) and Grandidierella japonica (a gammarid crustacean). The results are contained in a paper available from Aquatonics Ltd.

Rare Marine Invertebrates

We are currently compiling information on the distribution and ecology of a marine polychaete (Sternaspis scutata) that is rare in the UK but is apparently extending its range rapidly. This work is funded by Aquatonics Ltd.

Impacts on Biodiversity of Farming Novel Aquaculture Species

Aquatonics Ltd have completed a research contract by the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF) that examined the impacts on biodiversity of farming novel aquaculture species. The results of the study are available on the SARF web site. A sample spreadsheet is also available from SARF.