A commercial aquaculturist, currently working as the Principal consultant of Seacucumber Consultancy Pty. Ltd., Queensland. He is responsible for the development of Seacucumber Consultancy’s unique commercial production technologies for the commercially valuable sea cucumbers. He is a qualified commercial marine biologist with more than 18 years of experience in commercial sea cucumber aquaculture and research and development in Australia, Republic of Maldives, India, Middle East, Malaysia and Philippines.
He has been a project/hatchery manager and consultant, producing millions of sea cucumber juveniles for commercial farming and sea ranching operations in different countries. He is responsible for the development of Sea Cucumber Consultancy’s unique commercial production technologies for the most valuable tropical sea cucumbers Holothuria scabra (sandfish) and Holothuria lessoni (Golden sandfish). Dr Beni Giraspy has a thorough understanding and experience with designing and utilising different aquaculture systems for tropical and temperate sea cucumbers. As the Principal Consultant he oversees all aspects of a project.
Dr. Walsalam currently working as Senior Consultant provides more than 15 years of sea cucumber aquaculture expertise, and technical assistance on commercial projects. During her training at the Central Marine Fisheries Institute she gained wide experience in sea cucumber aquaculture, laboratory scientific methods and participated in several aquaculture projects. She did her research in sea cucumber aquaculture technology development for her Ph.D. studies that mainly focused on improving sea cucumber larval survival and settlement. Her areas of expertise include live feed production, larval growth management, juvenile rearing, project coordination and research and development.
Her international experience has been in the Maldives and Australia where she has managed sea cucumber larval production and grow out stages. She has also provided sandfish aquaculture training for associated technicians and managed environmental sampling and monitoring as well as live feed production, larval rearing and nursery management.
Dr. Raj brings more than 8 years of laboratory and field research experience on echinoderms especially sea cucumbers. His specialisation as a Research Scholar in the University of Kerala was conducting population studies of shallow water echinoderms in relation to environmental and biological characteristics of the coastal region and also analysing their Pharmacological properties. In addition to this he has conducted extensive studies on seasonal water quality parameters of coastal areas along south west coast of India.
His specialisation in aquaculture includes, but is not limited to, site selection, water quality management, environmental monitoring, hatchery production issues, animal health and physiology, microbiology and biochemistry. He implements protocols that enhance productivity in the hatchery and nursery conditions. Based on the results of his research, he determines the best approach for achieving improvement in water quality parameters in the culture systems and grow-out requirements in the aquatic environment.
Dr. Kumar helps construct farming management strategies for sea cucumber grow-out areas (ponds and lagoons) by analysing physico-chemical, biological and substratum characteristics. He also identifies suitable areas for sea ranching and performs grow-out monitoring surveys, throughout the grow-out period.
Background in Plankton dynamics, algae-bacterial kinetics with specific expertise for applications in the aquatic/fisheries sector. An extensive international record within the Middle East for 30 years in strategic sectoral planning, research management, shell fish / finfish / sandfish culture program design, management and evaluation. Core competencies are: Overall Implementation of responsible principles of Aquaculture; Strengthening of keen competitiveness through continued innovation and economic viability of the project; New technology assessment; R & D surveillance and elaboration of constructive solutions. Served KISR, Kuwait; FAO (KSA); KAU(KSA); ANAF (UAE), FOF & asmak (UAE), Al Murjan (YEMEN), Thapar group (INDIA).
Daniel is a Sandfish Biologist and marine science writer with a Masters in Aquaculture from UGent Belgium. A passionate diatomist and a photosynthetic trainer for Amphora cultivation systems. Has got exposed to aquaculture systems in Sri Lanka, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Ecuador and Belgium. Ecohydrology and Holothurian resources are his biotechnical pursuits in career.
He has accomplished series of internships on thin film cell kinetics and nutrient flux with ARAMCO, FAO and CENAIM. High density Eustigmatophytes, Prasinophytes and Chrysophytes are pertinent candidates in his professional industrial attainments. Capacity building on the alteration of ecological niches, the spatial and temporal opening and closing of ‘‘ecological windows” through allelochemical release stands his prime focal point in his science portal for the future. Translating biofilming science into nutritional commerce for fishfeed supplementation would be deciphered more in the days to come in his intellectual estate accrual.
Miss. Sholin is a young, dynamic Microbiologist. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology at the Manonmanian University, and was awarded her qualification in 2006. She then went on to complete her master’s Degree in 2008 at the Bharathidasan University.
Her special area of expertise involves the isolation of microbes and the identification of chemotherapeutic agents for the control of pathogenic microbes. She maintains her interest in disease management and systems and practices involved in bio-security to strengthen biological risk management.