Tropical aquaculture
Group leader
Professor of Tropical Aquaculture, Sunil Kadri has spent more than 30 years working at the interface between academia and the global aquaculture industry, delivering both research outputs and new technologies/approaches to improve efficiencies and increase sustainability in aquaculture. He completed his PhD at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1995, and then focused on the commercialisation of aquaculture technologies, while continuing to pursue his research interests via honorary academic positions at the Universities of Glasgow and Stirling in Scotland, and later the Universidad Austral de Chile.
While his research interests are broad, he has had a particular focus on applications of animal behaviour and animal welfare studies to aquaculture, including the deployment of monitoring technologies. He continues to pursue these fields of research in Northern Australia and the wider region, alongside his passion for supporting Indigenous aquaculture ambitions.
Besides his research, Sunil provides strategic advice and governance to European, American, and Australian start-ups in the AI/machine learning, animal health, and alternative protein spaces, respectively, as well as to a Maori fisheries and aquaculture company in his home country, Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Our focus
We study biology, animal behaviour, and animal welfare as applied to tropical aquaculture systems, and provide support to both industry and Indigenous communities in developing and growing aquaculture sustainably. We have diverse expertise across these areas, with a history of research focused upon examination of individual differences within cultured populations and their implications for animal welfare, production, and sustainability; as well as deployment of specialist technologies for behavioural and production monitoring within aquaculture systems. Our research in tropical aquaculture encompasses new species development, environmental enrichment, climate change adaptation, and bioremediation.
Importance of this research
Understanding the biological patterns and processes that support tropical aquaculture systems is fundamental to the sustainable management and growth of both established and new species cultured in the region.
Current projects
Development of hatchery and nursery protocols for black jewfish Protonibea diacanthus: A new candidate for aquaculture in Northern Australia
There is growing commercial interest in black jewfish, Protonibea diacanthus, and aquaculture in northern Australia. It is an endemic, fast-growing fish with established markets for its meat and high-value swim bladder (est. at $750-$1000 per kg). However, little is known about black jewfish biology, and there is no published aquaculture knowledge available. The project entails the development and optimisation of husbandry procedures across different life stages. As hatchery-produced fish reach harvest size, they will also be assessed for end-product quality and marketability. Development of this native species for aquaculture will support the growth of northern Australia’s aquaculture industry. The project benefits from its direct alignment with a core R&D project of the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia, aimed at closing the life cycle for this species.
Co-funded by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) of the Northern Territory Government (NTG) and the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA).
Perceptions of farmed fish welfare by different stakeholders: a focus on small-scale fish farms in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
This project will provide insights into knowledge, practices, and attitudes related to farmed fish welfare within the small-scale aquaculture supply chain in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Snakehead aquaculture will be used as a model for small-scale aquaculture in the region. The outputs of the project will provide the current status with respect to attitudes toward and understanding of fish welfare by small-scale farmers and the downstream supply chain, indicating potential areas to be addressed in future projects. The sampling of water quality and information from snakehead aquaculture will also provide initial evidence of whether current practices adequately incorporate considerations of fish welfare. Overall, welfare perception in small-scale aquaculture will be elucidated in order to contribute to the future improvement of fish welfare in the region.
Strengthening Bilateral Ties: Advancing Tropical Primary Production Collaboration between Australia and China through Academic Exchanges and Collaborative Initiatives
Fostering Australia-China collaboration in primary production, this project connects Charles Darwin University with Shantou and Hainan Universities. Through mutual visits and communication, researchers aim to cultivate partnerships, share insights, and develop collaborative research for sustainable growth in aquaculture and cropping.
Contact the tropical aquaculture group
Suni Kadri
Group leader
08 8946 7752
sunil.kadri@cdu.edu.au
CDU Casuarina Campus, Yellow 1, Level 1, Room 17