Partnership aims to provide the Friends of Clickimin Loch group with detailed information to better understand and monitor the health of the loch.
SalMar-backed salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) is aiding a local group in monitoring water quality at Clickimin Loch using their advanced fluid imaging microscope, FlowCam.
This collaboration is a response to concerns raised by the Friends of the Clickimin Loch group regarding a decline in wildlife and an increase in algae, according to Shetland News.
SSF’s Shetland laboratory now analyzes water samples from Clickimin Loch monthly, employing FlowCam, a tool typically used for assessing plankton levels at SSF’s farm sites. The laboratory’s supervisor, Hannah Bloomer, has compiled reports on species found in the loch and regularly checks samples for changes.
Bloomer highlighted the unique capabilities of FlowCam, noting that it “is the only tool of its kind in Shetland, and in the company,” and significantly speeds up the analysis process compared to manual counting. The tool enumerates, classifies, and measures particles, creating records with images.
The partnership aims to provide the Friends of Clickimin Loch group with detailed information to better understand and monitor the health of the loch. “Some of the species identified are different to what we normally see on our marine sites because the loch water is brackish,” said Bloomer.
“We can then make important decisions about feeding and treatments based on the results. The aim is to increase understanding of how plankton and jellyfish affect the gill health of salmon because that’s one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced in our farming regions in the past couple of years.”
Group chair Arwed Wenger expressed gratitude for SSF’s assistance, stating, “When Hannah got in touch, offering Scottish Sea Farms’ lab services for free, it was like a dream come true.”
Monitoring plankton and jellyfish is also crucial for managing fish health at SSF’s farms. “We can have up to 19 farms in operation in Shetland, which is a lot of samples to analyze, but with FlowCam, we can get a report out by lunchtime,” said Rhanna Turberville, SSF’s Shetland fish health and welfare manager. This allows SSF to make informed decisions about feeding and treatments based on the results.
