Jack Jarvis

Background

About Jack Jarvis

I am a PhD researcher at the University of Exeter funded by the BBSRC SWBio DTP and British Trout Association. My project involves optimising water chemistry for intensive production of rainbow trout in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). This research will be the first to provide guidelines for water chemistry conditions in RAS for rainbow trout, establish the complete contributors of nephrocalcinosis (kidney stones) and create a resource of water chemistry data from UK rainbow trout farms. These outcomes will be achieved by meeting the following objectives: 1. Assess the interactive effects between water chemistry variables on rainbow trout health 2. Explore the impact of water chemistry and diet on nephrocalcinosis 3. Create a database of water chemistry experienced by UK rainbow trout farms 4. Assess the variation in water chemistry between UK producers My fascination with the aquaculture industry stemmed during my undergraduate degree at the University of Exeter. This led me to analyse the water chemistry data from the RAS systems of several Scottish Atlantic salmon farms for my final year dissertation project. This reinforced my interest in research and specifically within the application of physiology, chemistry and data analysis to improve aquaculture. I especially enjoyed using the programming language R to execute complex analysis of the data provided by the aquaculture companies. During my dissertation project, I began part-time work at a rainbow trout farm (Exmoor Fisheries Ltd) which served to restock fisheries across England and Wales. Resultingly, the knowledge and skills gained in both hatchery and farm management aided me in the interpretation of my dissertation results as well as strengthened my interest within the industry. Upon graduating, I started full-time work at Exmoor Fisheries Ltd to further develop my skills and gain additional industry insight. These prior experiences, both in research and industry, made me a unique candidate for the PhD position. Subsequently, my industry knowledge has been a great aid when communicating with farmers during conferences or when visiting farms to collect water samples. Aside from my research, I am interested in sustainability and tackling the Environment and Climate Emergency. Accordingly, I have joined the Advocate Climate Taskforce to support the University’s commitment to its net-zero target and nature positive goals. If you require any additional information or would like to get in touch, please contact me via LinkedIn or on my email: jj421@exeter.ac.uk.