Role at Cawthron
Kevin focuses on understanding the biology of selected marine and freshwater animals and customising systems to culture them for economic, customary and environmental purposes.
Based in the Aquaculture group, Kevin has a diverse portfolio ranging from designing exposed ocean systems for shellfish and seaweed production, developing water recycling systems, determining the aquaculture potential of invertebrate species and the influence of diet on fish production.
Kevin leads the “Enabling Open Ocean Aquaculture” project, which draws together domestic and international experts to collaborate on understanding the science behind structural requirements for shellfish and seaweed farming in exposed seas.
Kevin also leads a project looking at the aquaculture potential of the New Zealand Scampi (Metanephrops challengeri). He and his team have successfully brought broodstock from 400m deep off the New Zealand coast, held them in a hatchery and developed husbandry techniques which produce post-larvae from eggs with increasing regularity and success.
He also leads a project that investigates the dominant factors influencing the diet uptake of King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).
Technical skills, experience and interests
Marine bivalve farming
Finfish farming
Water recycling systems
Marine organism (fish and crustacea) husbandry
Exposed ocean structural design
Qualifications
PhD. University of Auckland
MSc. Rhodes University
BSc (Hons). Rhodes University
BSc. University of Natal
