A biochemistry graduate of the University of Havana, Adriana Artiles, PhD completed a doctorate in biological sciences in 2001 and has expertise in research and clinical laboratories. Her passion for aquaculture began more than 15 years ago when she took a position as the molecular laboratory head at the Fisheries Research Center in Havana, Cuba. As part of the team at Center for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT), she brings her expertise and enthusiasm for both field and laboratory work to help clients identify optimal tools and solutions to facilitate genetic improvement for a variety of aquatic species and production systems.

Andrew Preston, PhD, has been working within aquaculture production and research over the last 15 years, spending the last two years with Benchmark Genetics. Prior to joining Benchmark, Andrew worked with AquaMaof Aquaculture Technologies as Head of Production on their land-based projects and at the University of Stirling, where he started his career as a salmon biologist in 2008. Andrew completed both his BSc and PhD at the Institute of Aquaculture and plays a key role in Benchmark’s technical support within the Commercial Team for land-based. He undertakes research focused on developing a portfolio of products for Benchmark’s land-based customers.

Kennebec River Biosciences, located in Richmond, Maine, provides a range of diagnostic services and veterinary biologics (vaccines and probiotics) to aquaculture companies around the globe. Bill Keleher sits on a number of state and national aquatic animal health focused committees including the Maine Aquatic Animal Health Technical Committee, the USDA’s National Aquaculture Health Plan & Standard Technical Working Group, and National Aquaculture Association’s Aquatic Animal Health Committee.

Brian Brawner is a marine biologist with more than 40 years experience in the aquarium, zoo and aquaculture industry, working with recirculating aquaculture systems, life support systems for aquariums and zoos, quarantine systems, equipment specification and supply. Specialties: Life support equipment specification, application and supply for the aquarium, zoo, and aquaculture industries.

Brian J. Vinci, PhD, PE, works as the director of the Freshwater Institute, a field office and program of The Conservation Fund (Arlington, Va.). Dr. Vinci earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Cornell University and earned his PhD in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell. He is a past-president of the Aquacultural Engineering Society, a past vice-president of the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers, and an active member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Carlo C. Lazado holds a PhD degree in Aquatic Biosciences from Nord University. He carried out his post-doctoral trainings at the Technical University of Denmark and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (as a Jacob Blaustein Fellow). His research addresses the basic and applied aspects of fish health with a strong focus on how the rearing environment shapes and modifies fish mucosal immunity.

Born in South Georgia, Charlie Culpepper graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and began his aquaculture career after college working at several food fish farms in the Georgia and North Carolina area. He then went on to obtain a Master of Science in Aquaculture from Mississippi State University in 2015. Charlie began work in aquaculture regulation and development at the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Aquaculture; serving as the Assistant Division Director from 2019 – 2022. Now as a relieved and recovering regulator, Charlie works to grow the National Aquaculture Association’s ranks and bring American aquaculture into a new era through coalition building, political advocacy and public education.

Chris Good, DVM, PhD, leads the Freshwater Institute’s USDA-ARS-funded research program, which aims to assist the domestic land-based RAS salmonid industry in expanding sustainably and improving economic viability. Chris is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a Certified Aquatic Veterinarian with the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association.

Christine Lepine, MS, is currently researching areas including the evaluation of “waste to value” in an aquaculture setting, examining anaerobic digestion and composting processes as alternatives to traditional waste disposal methods. Christine holds an M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Resource Management from Shepherd University.

Curtis Crouse, MS, holds a Bachelor’s degree in animal and Avian Sciences from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in Zoology from Southern Illinois University. In 2020, he was recognized by Hatchery International as a Top 10 Under 40 hatchery professional.

Damien Claire leads Atlantic Sapphire’s sales and marketing efforts for Bluehouse Salmon farming. He has diverse work experience spanning multiple industries. Prior to joining Atlantic Sapphire, Damien was the President of Platina Seafood, Inc. From 2009 to 2014, he served as Sales/Analyst for South Pacific Specialties in Miami. From 2004 to 2008, he also acted as VP of Business Development for Global Outsourcing in Chile. Damien earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Business Administration from Lander University in South Carolina.

Dan Farkas is an experienced RAS operator, project manager, and co-founder of HTH Full Spectrum Aquaculture, currently based in Jensen Beach, Fla., USA. Farkas specializes in marine aquaculture operations and facility management, and has extensive experience with species including cobia, pompano, and shrimp.

The primary focus of David Cerino’s work is on education, training, and workforce development. Carteret Community College in Morehead City, NC, carries out applied research to improve aquaculture productivity and sustainability. Collaboration with industry, academic partners, regulators, and NGOs offers opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning and support industry growth.

David Kuhn has more than 20 years of experience in civil engineering and environmental technology. He is currently the associate professor and extension specialist of food science and technology at Virginia Tech. Kuhn has published more than 100 journal articles on seafood quality, aquaculture research, and outreach programs.

She currently manages public relations and community outreach for several RAS facilities including Pine Island Redfish and Kingfish Maine. Her work goes beyond sustainable seafood. She’s served as communications manager for a publicly traded tech company; produced thousands of videos in multiple languages for various industries and has managed international PR for yacht racing campaigns.

Emmanual Briquet dedicated 35 years to the development of sustainable aquaculture, with a diploma in Marine Resource Mgt from the Center of Oceanology of Marseilles. He created the first organic-certified fish farm in 1989 (Provence Aquaculture) and again with Corse Aquaculture in 2005. He is a member of the French Department Of Agriculture’s Organic Aquaculture Working Group, OrAQua (the official EU working group), the European Commission on Organic Aquaculture, USDA’s Organic Aquaculture Task Force, and UNIDO.

George Nardi has three decades of experience in the seafood and aquaculture industry and provides clients with strategic direction and expertise on hatchery and farm operations. In 1995, George co-founded Great Bay Aquaculture, a New Hampshire-based fish farm that started as single marine species hatchery before evolving into a large hatchery and grow-out operation spread across three states and four countries. George holds a Bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s degree in marine environmental science from SUNY Stony Brook. He currently serves on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Aquaculture Task Force.

Heather Hamlin is a reproductive endocrinologist primarily interested in the mechanisms by which environmental factors influence the reproduction and development of aquatic animals. She is a professor and director of the School of Marine Sciences, and a member of the Aquaculture Research Institute at University of Maine. She has been engaged with RAS aquaculture for more than 20 years.

Hisham Abdelrahman is from Cairo, Egypt and studied at Auburn University as a student of Dr. Claude Boyd. He was an extension specialist at the AL Fish Farm Center in Greenville AL before his position at Roger Williams University, working mainly with shellfish. Hisham is also in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine as an assistant professor at Cairo University.

Howard Tang executes the investment firm’s vision through extensive relationships in the capital markets and aquaculture sector. Peritus has financed more than US$250 million in complex financial solutions for some of the world’s top seafood companies. Howard holds a CFA designation and Series 7, 24, 27, 63, and 79 licenses.

Huy Tran has 30 years in the aquaculture industry as a farm manager to system designer/integrator of RAS. Tran has worked in the aquatic toxicology industry, and managed multi-species (29) broodstock and hatchery production, producing aquatic organisms for testing. Tran has worked on turnkey aquaculture education systems and aquaponics designs for the Aquatic Eco-Systems catalogues and sale from 1997 to 2014.

Jacob Bregnballe is a well-known expert in recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) and holds a M.Sc. degree from Copenhagen University, Denmark. Jacob has a strong background in designing and engineering aquaculture projects around the world for 40 years. He has a strong commercial background from managing his own land-based and sea-based aquaculture business for 20 years before joining AKVA Group. Jacob has gained extensive experience from research & development projects working closely with universities and institutions in several programmes for aquaculture. He has also worked as an international aquaculture consultant for the FAO under the United Nations and has written the booklet. “A guide to recirculation aquaculture.”

James Tuller is currently the commissioning manager at Pure Salmon Technology (PST), based in Drammen, Norway. He has been involved with commissioning since he started at PST about 5 years ago as a process engineer, for the last five project deliveries. He has been working in the field of aquaculture for the past 16 years, working with various species around the world, including tilapia in Thailand and East Africa, barramundi in Australia, and currently salmon with PST.

James Tuller is currently the commissioning manager at Pure Salmon Technology (PST), based in Drammen, Norway. He has been involved with commissioning since he started at PST about 5 years ago as a process engineer, for the last five project deliveries. He has been working in the field of aquaculture for the past 16 years, working with various species around the world, including tilapia in Thailand and East Africa, barramundi in Australia, and currently salmon with PST.

Jason Danaher has worked 15 years in both the aquaculture and water resources management industries serving university, local government, and private business sectors. He currently resides in Central Florida working for a small aquaculture business and is an adjunct professor at a local college teaching aquaculture, hydroponics, and aquaponics.

Jean Ko Din manages and curates the print and digital media content for Hatchery International and RAStech Magazine. She also assists in the production of Aquaculture North America. Jean produces a wide range of special projects for these aquaculture industry publications, including HI’s Top 10 Under 40 program, the Hatchery 101 webinar series and the RASTECH Conference and Trade Fair. She is also co-host and producer of the RAS Talk podcast for recirculating aquaculture professionals.

John Davidson, PhD, has authored more than 50 research articles on a range of topics including recirculating aquaculture system technologies, characterizing, and optimizing the fish culture environment for salmonids, off-flavour remediation, and sustainable aquafeeds. John holds a Dr. Philos. degree from the University of Bergen, Norway, a Master of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources from West Virginia University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Shepherd University.

John Holder is a registered professional biologist in the Province of British Columbia and he graduated from the University of Guelph in 1973. He started his aquaculture career in that same year. He has had extensive experience with designing land-based freshwater and saltwater systems dealing with salmonids, cichlids as well as numerous salt-water species including shrimp and he can be considered an expert in the RAS field. He has worked and consulted for aquaculture companies on six continents.

John Stieglitz, PhD is a research assistant professor in Aquaculture at the Rosenstiel School of the University of Miami. Utilizing approaches centred on applied ecophysiology and bioenergetics of marine fish, his research aims to address marine aquaculture production challenges while also developing a greater understanding of the impacts of both natural and anthropogenic induced environmental stressors on marine fish species throughout the world. In addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in aquaculture at UM, John conducts research investigating sustainability within the seafood business sector and has served as a consultant to commercial marine aquaculture companies in the US, the Caribbean, and the Americas.

Joshua Rosettani is the go-to expert for the FloNergia Systems product line. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a Master’s degree in Applied Science from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. He is responsible for training new distributors on FloNergia’s advanced pump technology, ensuring seamless implementation across various systems.

Justin Henry has worked with RAS since 1995, built his first commercial RAS facility in 1998, and his first aquaponics system in 2010. Henry developed the monosex female Coho broodstock program in B.C., Canada. He chairs the technical committee for the Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard and sat on the WOAH ad hoc group on Aquatic Animal Biosecurity. In 2017, Henry started Henry Aquaculture Consult Inc. and in 2020, launched a Graduate Certificate in the aquaculture program at University of British Columbia.

PR Aqua is a leading aquaculture design and technology provider located in BC, Canada. As a professional engineer with over 25 years of experience in aquaculture, K.C. Hosler has led RAS design projects for some of the world’s largest salmon farming companies and has been a key knowledge leader in the development of the RAS industry in North America.

Kevin R. Sowers obtained a PhD in Anaerobic Microbiology from Virginia Tech and is currently a professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He is the co-founder of two startup companies, RemBac Environmental and Silfra Biosystems, which specialize in bioremediation technologies. Dr. Sowers specializes in the development of anaerobic consortia of bacteria optimized for bioremediation of specific organic wastes and environmental contaminants. Current research projects in land-based recirculating aquaculture focus on the application of methanogenic consortia for the conversion of solid waste to fuel-grade biogas.

Kevin Torben Stiller’s research interest is the link between innovative technology development and the resulting housing conditions of aquatic animals. The research has strong implications for the industry for bettering the state-of-the-art close containment and semi-closed system technology reducing carbon footprint and/or energy costs for fish farming.

Kimberley Player has spent more than 20 years crafting real asset investment strategies for a wide range of clients, the last seven of which have been focused on the agriculture and food, and renewable energy sectors. In her current role as Director of Research for Equilibrium, she led the development of the firm’s aquaculture strategy and is responsible for pipeline origination and underwriting. Kimberley graduated from the University of British Columbia with a B.Comm. in Finance and, more recently, returned to her alma mater as a guest lecturer in Business Concepts in Aquaculture.

Lauren Enz launched Searenity Seafoods in 2024 with the goal of connecting international sustainable seafood producers with end consumers in North American markets. Lauren has 25 years of expertise in national seafood sales and business line development, most recently serving as US Vice President of US Sales for the Kingfish Company. Her past positions include Director of Seafood Purchasing at Darden Restaurants, VP of Business Development for Mark Foods and VP Sales/Purchasing at Midwest Seafood. Current Searenity Seafoods clients include The Kingfish Company, Matorka, Stolt Sea Farm, Pine Island Redfish, and Atlantic Sea Farms.

Maddi Badiola, PhD, PM, is a RAS engineer and co-founder of HTH Full Spectrum (fullspectrumaquaculture.com; HTHaqua.com) in Basque Country, Spain. Her expertise includes energy conservation, lifecycle assessments and RAS global sustainability assessments.

As founder of Spheric Research, Matt Craze has carried out consultancy projects in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company has carried out eight multi-client studies through an
exclusive partnership with Undercurrent News. Through Spheric Research, Craze conducts business with several major agricultural and aquaculture companies, governments, and NGOs.

A tradesman turned academic, Matthew J. Stromberg has transitioned from a full-time blacksmith to an engineering doctoral student at IMET. Graduating from UVA with degrees in both civil & environmental engineering and environmental sciences, Matthew is co-advised by Dr. Yonathan Zohar and Dr. Upal Ghosh. His research focuses on both the removal technologies for off-flavor, and the underlying mathematical end-engineering processes that control their operations.

A specialist in the field of aquaculture, Megan Sorby has specifically focused on new species development as well as recirculating aquaculture systems. From design and construction to hatchery, grow out, and even time on the seafood sales side, Megan’s experience encompasses every step of the RAS farm process. Bringing the experience to the next progression of RAS as a more regenerative and viable development both environmentally and economically led her to the inception of Pine Island Redfish and the solutions it will bring.

Michael has close to 30 years of experience in international project business and has held numerous senior positions in global process engineering companies within the aquaculture and chemical industries. He previously served as CEO of feed mill supplier, Graintec, and CEO of Industrial gases company, Union Engineering (Pentair Denmark). He holds a BSc. in engineering and a diploma in Business Administration from Henley, UK. He lives in Denmark with his wife and two teenage daughters.

Michael Nystrom has over 20 years in the aquaculture industry as a senior biologist and staff manager in the Saltwater Aquaculture Department of Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Flo., USA. Mote’s Saltwater Aquaculture program is centred on the aquaculture of indigenous sportfish of the Gulf of Mexico region. He has worked on many disciplines of aquaculture, such as live feeds production, broodstock maturation, hatchery & growout production, and system maintenance. Over the past 10 years, Nystrom’s primary efforts have been in recirculating system design and construction with a focus in saltwater aquaponics. Current bi-product crops incorporated into the aquaponics filtration systems are sea vegetables, macroalgae, periphyton, and coastal restoration plant species.

Michael Nystrom has over 20 years in the aquaculture industry as a senior biologist and staff manager in the Saltwater Aquaculture Department of Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Flo., USA. Mote’s Saltwater Aquaculture program is centred on the aquaculture of indigenous sportfish of the Gulf of Mexico region. He has worked on many disciplines of aquaculture, such as live feeds production, broodstock maturation, hatchery & growout production, and system maintenance. Over the past 10 years, Nystrom’s primary efforts have been in recirculating system design and construction with a focus in saltwater aquaponics. Current bi-product crops incorporated into the aquaponics filtration systems are sea vegetables, macroalgae, periphyton, and coastal restoration plant species.

Ohad Maiman is stubbornly convinced about the critical role of land-based aquaculture technology in solving the structural supply bottlenecks of sustainable high-quality seafood, while relieving pressure on the ocean ecosystem. Before founding Aqua Founders Capital with Thue Holm, Ohad is founder and former CEO (2015-2022) at The Kingfish Company.

Pete Anderson has a lifetime of experience in agriculture, growing up in Eastern North Carolina to a farming family with roots in forestry, row crop agriculture and beef cattle. He attended NC State University majoring in Agricultural Business Management and was employed by the university as an Agriculture Extension Agent with NC Cooperative Extension. He now serves as a consultant for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, responsible for freshwater aquaculture licensing across the state, as well as liaison to the N.C. Aquaculture Association, assisting with permitting and issues for the state’s aquaculture industry.

Rakesh Ranjan, PhD, completed his Bachelor of Technology from the College of Technology (Pantnagar, India) and Master of Technology from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT – Kharagpur, India), both in Agricultural and Food Engineering. He also holds a PhD in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Washington State University. Dr. Ranjan is leading the Precision Aquaculture program at Freshwater Institute. His team’s goal is to investigate and adopt cutting-edge smart technologies to solve problems in land-based aquaculture management, and to develop knowledge-based decision support for commercial-scale RAS farms. He is an active member of the European Aquaculture Society (EAS).

Mary Scarlett Tudor was introduced to aquaculture when she moved to Maine working on a diversity of research projects with animals like lobsters and salmon. She then shifted her career path to education which has brought together her passion for aquatic animals and mentorship. Scarlett currently mentors students through her own research, internship programs (Aquaculture Research Institute’s Externship Program and AquEOUS), and youth development programs. (4-H Aquaponics Project and 4-H Aquarium Club).

Chef Stephen Phelps is a nationally recognized, award-winning Sarasota, Fla.-based chef, avid recreational fisherman, and strong advocate for sustainable seafood policy and healthy oceans.
Chef Steve honed his craft as a chef in top Cleveland restaurants before moving to Sarasota over 15 years ago. The exciting transition from freshwater to saltwater fishing introduced him to the expansive resources within the ocean, igniting his mission to focus on sustainable seafood.

Chef Steve has earned impressive culinary and conservation accolades, including multiple recognitions as a James Beard “Best Chef South” semi-finalist in 2014 and 2015, a Seafood Watch Blue Ribbon Task Force Ambassador, a Niman Ranch Scholarship Award winner, and on the Board of Chefs’ EDF Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture.

Dr. Wong studies fish germ cell development and develops technologies blocking germ cell formation to achieve sterility induction.

Thomas Cavrois-Rogacki oversees a dynamic team of technical advisors within the Baltic business unit who provide dedicated support to our customers across diverse markets. Thomas holds a PhD in fish farming and nutrition and has a career that has taken him across various geographies, engaging in farming, product development, and customer service within the aquaculture industry. He specializes in fish nutrition, land-based aquaculture, and the production of marine and salmonid species. Thomas has a passion for exploring innovative technologies to advance the field of aquaculture.

Thue Holm is the Managing Partner at Aqua Founders Capital, which he co-founded with Ohad Maiman. Aqua Founders Capital is dedicated to advancing land-based aquaculture, reflecting the shared vision of its founders. Thue has 20 years of experience in land-based aquaculture driving innovation and sustainability in the aquaculture industry, including co-founding Atlantic Sapphire, a leader in sustainable fish farming.

Tim Pfeiffer has more than 30 years of experience with many aspects of aquaculture nationally and internationally, including marine and freshwater RAS and pond culture, shellfish, algal, and crustacean culture. Aquaculture Research Scientist currently with the USDA-ARS Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit in Stoneville, MS. He is also the current Secretary/Treasurer of the Aquacultural Engineering Society, www.AESweb.org.

Todd Deligan brings extensive business and legal experience to the salmon aquaculture industry. Todd joined Salmon Evolution in November of 2021 as the general manager of North America after working at Optimar AS, a world leader in aquaculture and processing equipment. Todd was also a founder and first employee of Whooshh Innovations where he co-invented the “Salmon Cannon™”, a novel means to transport live migratory species over or around barriers (e.g., dams) and more efficiently move fish within seafood processing facilities. Todd attended the University of Washington earning a B.A. degree and then attended Vermont Law School where he earned two degrees – a J.D. and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy.

Tom Sorby has raised multiple species of fish in several countries over the last 15 years, with a focus on the development of new species. Tom also has an expertise in system design and operation, larval, rearing and survival, and maximizing feed regime efficiency. Tom earned his Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Chemistry from Sparsholt College, Hampshire in the U.K. and Master of Science in Sustainable Aquaculture from Stirling College in Scotland.

Trevor Gent has over 25 years of engineering experience. Trevor started his engineering career in Water Treatment and after working in various industries and learning a wide variety of skills, he returned to the engineering world to support his desire to get back to his educational and environmental roots. For the past four years, he has focused on Waste and Water management solutions working on projects in the Aquaculture space in Canada, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden as well as evaluating many other global opportunities.

Trine Ytrestøyl has a PhD in Aquaculture from NMBU focusing on flesh pigmentation in salmonids. She has in the last 10 years also worked with smolt protocols in RAS focusing on the effects of photoperiod, salinity and transfer size on the performance in seawater with regard to growth, survival and maturation.

Yonathan Zohar has over 45 years of substantial R&D record in sustainable aquaculture and marine biotechnology and integrating academia with industry. He currently leads a large USDA/NIFA-funded national consortium called “Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon” (SAS²) that aims at building capacity for the expanding land-based, RAS Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the U.S. Zohar has published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and is the inventor of 10 issued international patents in aquaculture and biotechnology.