Tore Kristiansen

Born 12.11.1959, Molde, Norway

Current position and research activities
Principal scientist , PhD, Research group leader (1111)  Research Group Animal Welfare (since 2007), Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway.

Coordinator and project leader (recent  and ongoing projects) :

• NEWCOPE Coping with new environments and production methods: Animal welfare and stress biology applied to modern fish farming. RCN project 2017-2020
• REGFISHWEL Effects of the Regulatory Framework on Fish Welfare and Health. WP- leader, RCN Project 2017-2018
•  COPEWELL - A new integrative framework for the study of fish welfare based on the concepts of allostasis, appraisal and coping styles (2011-2015, Cordinator)  EU-FP7  Project (no. 265957), 17 partners (www.copewell.eu )
• Monitoring of fish welfare (2012- 2015) financed by IMR/Department of fisheries and coastal affairs)
• SMARTSUB - Smart submergence of sea cages with salmon and cod to improve profitability, minimise environmental impact and ensure welfare (2010-2014), in cooperation with Sintef FH), Project in CREATE (Center for research based innovation in aquaculture technology), coordinator Sintef FH, RCN - Centre for research based innovation.
• SALMOWA Overall Welfare Assessment of Atlantic Salmon (2010-2013, in cooperation with Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences, Lifestock Research, Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands). Financed by RCN (www.imr.no/salmowa).
• WELFARE-TOOLS New tools for overall assessment of rearing environment, stress level, and fish welfare in Atlantic salmon cage farms (Coop. NOFIMA, UiO, NTNU, + industry partners, 2009-2010)”. Funded by RCN and the Norwegian Fishery and Aquaculture Industry Research Fund (www.imr.no/welfaremeter ) .
• MORECARE-Motivational states and coping ability as operational welfare indicators in farmed fish (2006-2008(2010), in cooperation with NOFIMA Marin. Financed by the Research Council of Norway.
• SUBFISH- Biological criteria for of submergence of fish” (2007-2010, in cooperation with Sintef FH), Project in CREATE (Center for research based innovation in aquaculture technology), leader Sintef FH, RCN - Centre for research based innovation.
• PHYSBEWEL - Physiological and behavioural indicators of welfare assessment for aquaculture and fisheries (2007-2010). RCN Strategic Institute Project.
• FASTFISH – On farm assessment of stress level in farmed fish (2006-2009). EU - FP6 SSP project.  Coordinator and subproject leader
• FISH SCHOOL- Learning ability, cognitive, capacity and welfare of farmed fish (2007-2008). Financed by the Research Council of Norway (RCN),

Education
Møre og Romsdal Regional College (1978-79): Mathematics and informatics. University of Bergen (1980-87 and 1994-98): Biology (basic biology and physiology, marine ecology, marine and fisheries biology), Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, Informatics, Oceanography. Cand. Scient (Master).  Institute of Fisheries Biology, University of Bergen (1987). “Growth and feeding of ranched and wild cod in Heimarkspollen, Austevoll”. PhD (Dr.Scient.), University of Bergen (2001) (incl. studies in fish behavior, multivariate statistics).  Title PhD thesis: “Stage and size dependent mortality of reared and wild cod (Gadus morhua L.)”.

Employment, project management and participation
Employed as full time researcher at Institute of Marine Research since July 1987. Project leader in multiple projects (see below). Research Group leader of IMR, Research Group: Animal Welfare since 2007.
Director of Bjørnsund Camp School – Nov 2014-Nov 2015 (wwww.bjornsundleirskole.no)

• Project leader or participation in earlier National research projects and EU-projects:
• Participation BEHAVEGENES - Behavioural and genomic characteristics of farmed Atlantic salmon related to robustness, welfare, production performance and heritability.  RCN project 2014-2017.
• Participated in several cod-enhancement projects in western Norway (1984-1997) Programs (Utsetting av torsk i Austevoll, Cod in Fjord, PUSH (National program for development of sea ranching).
• Project leader: Program: Development of marine aquaculture in Ytre-Namdal, Nord-Trøndelag county (several regional and national projects (financed by Norwegian Regional Fund, Norwegian Fisheries Research Council (Projects N1824-02 and N1824-03) and Fish Farming Industry: 1988-1993).
• Project leader: Enhancement studies of coastal cod (Gadus morhua L.) in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. (Project T11 in the Norwegian Sea Ranching Program (PUSH) (1990-97)
• Project leader: Cormorants as predators of cod (Project T23 in the Norwegian Sea Ranching Program (PUSH) (1992-97)
• Participant NFR project 122448/122 Bergen (1998, 1999-2001) Growth, reproduction and migration in wild and cultivated lobster - a continuation of the Kvitsøy project.
• Participant EU-project: FAIR CT 4266 Genetic diversity in the European lobster (Homarus gammarus (L.)): population structure and impacts of stock enhancement (GEL) (1999-2001) (Part of scientific team).
• Norwegian observer in the EU 5th Framework Concerted Action project EDFAM (European Decapod Fisheries: Assessment and Management) (1998-2001, Meetings in Dublin, Galway, La Coruna)
• Scientific project leader: Farming of plate-sized lobster (Industry led project (Norwegian Lobster Farm AS, Innovation Norway, RCN-FUNN-project) – (2000-2003)
• Project leader: Well-being behaviour of halibut (Trivselsatferd hos kveite: The Research Council of Norway project 134029/122 year 2001-2002)
• Project leader Institute of Marine Reserach’s part of Strategic Institute program: Welfare of farmed fish (2001-2006; Coordinator B. Damsgård, Fiskeriforskning). Leader of project: “Learning in farm fish”. Funded by The Research Council of Norway, SIP.
• Participant EU-project WEALTH – Welfare and health in European Aquaculture (2004-2007, Coordinated by J. Glette and G.L. Taranger, IMR).

Main research areas
• Behaviour, cognition, coping ability, neurobiology, stress sensitivity and welfare of farmed fish (2001-).
• Population dynamics, stock enhancement and sea ranching with cod, including ecological studies of wild coastal cod and population dynamic modeling (1984-2001).
• Semi-intensive production of juvenile cod, halibut and turbut. Feed and feeding routines for cod reared in cages (1988-1994)
• Genetics and population dynamic studies, stock enhancement, sea ranching and intensive farming of European lobster  (1998-2005)