Since several years IMARES is involved in practical testing of diets for fish and shellfish larvae, fingerlings and during the grow-out phase. Next to practical testing IMARES works on the improvement of the nutritional value of diets in terms of their sustainability. This work is placed in a holistic system context, as each diet manipulation has not only direct consequences for the fish but as well on the system performance, its water quality, treatment facilities, waste flux and therefore in a feed back on the fish, its health and performance.
IMARES makes use of different systems, such as recirculation aquaculture system, flow-through systems, stagnant ponds and others, bioenergetic models, the water quality laboratory to determine the effect of feed manipulations on fish and surrounding system. Next to the obvious involvement of IMARES in finfish research, IMARES is involved in testing and developing diets for shellfish during the hatchery but as well during a possible grow-out phase on-land instead of in the sea.