CONTENTS

AQUA-TNET NEWS

• WP5 Core Group Meeting - 16-17 September 2013, Frankfurt, Germany
  

PROGRAMMES, COURSES & PEOPLE
RESEARCH & EDUCATION

• Winner of 2013 Lindsay Laird Award Announced
• Invitation to discuss chapters for upcoming EFQUEL publication “Quality in Vocational Training – Tools, Frameworks and Current Practices”
• What are the Prerequisites for Successful e-Learning?
• Outliers School 2013 to be held in collaboration with the Knowmad Society
• FutureLearn to Go Live in September with its First Set of Free Courses
• Routledge Releases 50 Years of Theory Into Practice: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future
• Research Project Management Autumn Training Workshop, Dublin, Ireland, 22-24 October 2013
• Last Chance to Register for Free Aquaculture Genomics Training Opportunities
• Major MSFD Workshop on Research Needs with regard to Pressures and Impacts on Marine Ecosystems
• Deadline for 5th AQUAEXCEL Call for Access Approaching 
• HEALTHY FUTURES Project Helping to Manage Human Response to Disease Risk in Eastern Africa
• AQUAMED Project Impact Analysis Report Now Available
• New COEXIST Project Website and Publication

OTHER

• LARVANET: Open Access State-of-the-Art Knowledge for Producers, Scientists and Managers
• The Fish Site Special Digital Magazine: Sustainable Aquaculture Digital
• Call for Papers: CSEDU 2014, Barcelona, Spain, 2-4 April 2014
• Open Access to Research Publications Reaching 'Tipping Point'
• Sustainable Aquaculture Course Bursaries
• Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe Issue 62, August 2013
• Assessing the Sustainability of Aquaculture Production
• Bord Iascaigh Mhara Aquaculture Survey 2013
• SARF Calls for Proposals 2013/14
  

AQUA-TNET CALENDAR
AQUATT TRAINING NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PISCESTT JOBS

AQUA-TNET NEWS

WP5 Core Group Meeting - 16-17 September 2013, Frankfurt, Germany

WP5 core group partners applaud the greater emphasis from the Commission on skills and Key Competences as set out in Rethinking Education - investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes; (COM(2012) 669), in which Digital competences come high on the agenda.

WP5 has as its major commitments a) the tapping into the potential of ICT and Open Educational Resources for learning and b) the scaling-up the use of ICT in learning and teaching. WP5 is pleased therefore to inform the wider Aqua-tnet partnership that the WP5 core group meeting will be joined by some WP2 colleagues to identify the types of tools that could be valuable in the preparation, implementation and assessment of PhD courses. Examples could include the use of an electronic learning platform, the creation and promotion of a Journal Club, and assessment instruments such as the creation of ePortfolios.

WP5 hopes to address some of the criticisms made concerning the disparities in the availability of ICT-based educational tools and content. It will attempt, for instance, to indicate how ICT assessment should be applied.

If you have an interest in any of these areas, then please contact Margaret Eleftheriou (WP5) and/or Peter Bossier (WP2).

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PROGRAMMES, COURSES & PEOPLE

To search for PhD, MSc and mobility opportunities and courses and to access information on your colleagues in Aqua-tnet3, please visit the Aqua-tnet interactive web portal. If you have any further additions or would like to make changes to your institution's information please contact Marieke Reuver at marieke@aquatt.ie

If you are a graduate and would like to post your request for an internship, or your company is seeking interns, please visit www.aquatnet.com/index.php/167/internships. 

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RESEARCH & EDUCATION

Winner of 2013 Lindsay Laird Award Announced

AquaTT are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2013 Lindsay Laird Award for the best innovative aquaculture student poster at the 2013 Aquaculture Europe Conference is Giulia Micallef from the University of Aberdeen with her poster entitled “Proteomic Investigation on the Effect of Prebiotic Dietary Supplements on the Skin Mucus of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar”

The aim of Giulia’s study was to investigate the effect of prebiotic dietary supplements on the skin mucus proteome of Atlantic salmon in order to identify potential biomarkers for future studies. She receives an iPad, sponsored by AquaTT, and a book prize from Wiley-Blackwell

In 2008, AquaTT and Aqualex Multimedia Consortium (AMC) Ltd established an award in honour of Lindsay Laird, Senior Teaching Fellow in the Zoology Department at the University of Aberdeen, for the most innovative poster (in English) submitted by a student at the Aquaculture Europe Conference. Past winners have come from Germany, Spain, Czech Republic and Portugal

Click HERE to learn more about Linsday Laird, this award and past winners. 

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Invitation to discuss chapters for upcoming EFQUEL publication “Quality in Vocational Training – Tools, Frameworks and Current Practices”

In September the European Foundation for Quality in e-Learning (EFQUEL) will publish a book entitled: “Improving Quality of Vocational Training – Tools, Frameworks and Current Practices”. EFQUEL is now opening all chapters for comments, helpful feedback or questions for the authors. Join in HERE!

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What are the Prerequisites for Successful e-Learning?

e-Learning courses can be notoriously hard to run and to participate in. There is lots of advice around concerning the ingredients for success and a growing consensus that simply trying to deliver a traditional college course online does not work very well. What do you consider to be the most important principles or building blocks for successful online learning? HERE is a stimulating blog article that might get you thinking:

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Outliers School 2013 to be held in collaboration with the Knowmad Society

Outliers School is a multiplatform educational project launched in 2012 based on the methodology of Design Thinking Learning by Doing. The initiative (with online, offline and hybrid offerings) aims to promote new ideas and models about Education Design and Digital Communication, with learning methods based on problem-solving skills and the prototyping of solution. The Outliers School 2013 will be taking place online from 4-14 November in coordination with the Knowmad Society movement, leaded by John Moravec. Only 20 participants will be selected to attend the seminar, targeted to out-of-the-box thinkers passionate about the future of education. For more information, write to info@outliersschool.net or visit www.outliersschool.net.

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FutureLearn to Go Live in September with its First Set of Free Courses

FutureLearn, the first UK-led provider of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), will unveil its first set of courses from leading international universities in mid-September. The first courses open to learners will cover a range of topics, including literature, history, social sciences, computing & IT, environment & sustainability, marketing, psychology and physical science. To learn more about FutureLearn, visit: www.futurelearn.com/about.

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Routledge Releases 50 Years of Theory Into Practice: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future

50 Years of Theory Into Practice: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future is the 50th anniversary edition of Theory Into Practice. This milestone is a testament to the continued interest in approaching educational issues with the tools of both theory and practice, and as such, it is rightly cause for celebration. The anniversary also offers an occasion for reflection, to think not only about how TIP and the field of education have developed over past decades, but also to wonder where they might go next. This special issue is a collection of such reflections, each focused on a more specific theme in the field as captured in TIP and all written by scholars who helped shape the histories they recount. To learn more, click HERE. 50 Years of Theory Into Practice: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future is available HERE. 

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Research Project Management Autumn Training Workshop, Dublin, Ireland, 22-24 October 2013

With 21 years of experience in EC-funded research projects, AquaTT as part of its Mentoring, Training and Advisory Services has devised a robust three-day Research Project Management Training Workshop primarily aimed at Researchers and Communications and Project Officers.

This practical three-day training workshop provides participants with (i) an understanding of the lifecycle of EC-funded research projects, (ii) a skillset to increase their ability to efficiently project manage their work, and (iii) the opportunity to apply these skills to real issues that occur in research projects.

Over the course of the three days, experienced AquaTT trainers will guide participants through the various stages of a research project using real case studies and scenarios while simultaneously integrating the skillset to afford the participants practical experience of applying these skills to research projects.

This workshop is designed to facilitate a quality learning experience for groups in small numbers and is therefore open to a limited amount of participants.

The programme’s customised interactive approach involves a combination of facilitated learning and practical exercises that will ensure participants experience hands-on learning to better prepare them to successfully manage EC-funded contracts.

The total cost for this three day training workshops is €1,170. This figure includes learning materials, lunch and refreshments.

For further information contact: Olivia Daly, Education and Training Manager (olivia@aquatt.ie) www.aquatt.ie/aquatt-services T: +353 1 644 9008 

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Last Chance to Register for Free Aquaculture Genomics Training Opportunities

The deadline for applications for the second training course organised by the FP7-funded AQUAEXCEL (Aquaculture Infrastructures for Excellence in European Fish Research) project is 1 September 2013. Course attendance is free, thanks to EC Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) funding.

The course, Contribution of Genomic Approaches to the Development of Sustainable Aquaculture for Temperate and Mediterranean Fish, will be hosted by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Rennes, France, on 16-18 October 2013.

Participants are requested to submit their CV and a brief letter outlining their motivation for wanting to attend the course. For more information and online registration, please visit www.aquaexcel.eu/training_courses.

Applications are also now being accepted for the third training course, The Application of Chromosome Set Manipulations and the Importance of Gamete Collection and Management in Aquaculture. This course will be hosted by the Institute of Aquaculture (IoA) at University of Stirling, Scotland, on 18-22 November 2013. Additional inputs will be provided by scientists based at l’Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France, and the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Norway. 

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Major MSFD Workshop on Research Needs with regard to Pressures and Impacts on Marine Ecosystems

The STAGES (Science and Technology Advancing Governance on Good Environmental Status) project will host its second workshop, Research needs with regard to the pressures and their impacts on marine ecosystems, from 4-5 September 2013 in Rome, Italy.

STAGES is an EC FP7-funded project that is directly responding to a request from DG Environment to put a support action in place to facilitate the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Under the MSFD, EU Member States are expected to assess the overall status of their respective marine environments and to put in place the necessary measures to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020.

The workshop is organised by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) in collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC), L’Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer (IFREMER), and el Centro Tecnológico del Mar – Fundación CETMAR; all of which are partners in the STAGES project.

The workshop report will form the basis of the STAGES science-policy report on needs for further research for the implementation of the MSFD. This report will be used to inform future research, as well as programme managers and decision makers.

This workshop is the second in a series of three workshops, the first (held in May) identified future research needs to support improved and more efficient monitoring programmes under MSFD. The final STAGES workshop, The Identification of Research Needs with Regard to Socio-Economic Analysis, will be held later this year (October 2013).

For more information about STAGES and The research needs with regard to the pressures and their impacts on marine ecosystems, please visit www.stagesproject.eu or contact Marisa Fernández Cañamero, STAGES Coordinator (mfernandez@cetmar.org) or Raquel Diez Arenas (rdiez@cetmar.org), Centro Tecnológico del Mar - Fundación (CETMAR) www.cetmar.org. 

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Deadline for 5th AQUAEXCEL Call for Access Approaching

The 5th AQUAEXCEL Call for Access will close on 13 September 2013.

The AQUAEXCEL project regularly invites proposals from European research groups for scientific research that utilises the facilities of any of the participating Aquaculture Research Infrastructures. The AQUAEXCEL project unites major aquaculture experimental facilities with capacity to undertake experimental trials on a selection of commercially important fish aquaculture species and system types. These facilities are made available to the research community for Transnational Access (TNA) with the support of the European Union 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (Infrastructures).

Interested researchers can propose projects that are compliant with the EATIP Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda, and that involve visits of one or two people to a Research Infrastructure that provides facilities not available in their own country, for periods of up to three months. Access to the research facilities and associated travel and subsistence expenses will be paid for under the project.

For more information, visit the AQUAEXCEL website: www.aquaexcel.eu.

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HEALTHY FUTURES Project Helping to Manage Human Response to Disease Risk in Eastern Africa

Important outputs are starting to arise from the HEALTHY FUTURES (Health, environmental change and adaptive capacity) project, which aims to address the risk of outbreaks and transmission of three water-related vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in eastern Africa. HEALTHY FUTURES is now past its halfway point, with less than eighteen months of the project remaining.

One of the key outcomes of HEALTHY FUTURES will be the introduction of decision support tools (DSTs) designed to assist health planners' formulation, assessment and comparison of strategies for managing human responses to disease risks for the three target diseases (malaria, schistosomiasis and Rift Valley fever) of the project. The DSTs currently being developed through HEALTHY FUTURES will be introduced to stakeholders in preliminary form at a meeting on 24-25 February 2014 at the International Livestock Research Institute’s facilities in Nairobi, Kenya. The aim of the meeting is to refine the DSTs, with the end-users in mind, prior to their implementation, through consultation with stakeholders.

HEALTHY FUTURES is also now in the process of organising a major international conference targeting climate change and health, scheduled for 2014. The meeting will be hosted by the National University of Rwanda and is scheduled to coincide with release of the next (fifth) Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Climate Change Assessment report. The conference will specifically target the wider implications of findings from research projects such as HEALTHY FUTURES, with a view to translating research results to other at-risk regions and/or applying them to other diseases that might benefit from the same generic approach. Details of the conference will be posted on the project website and emailed to stakeholders in HEALTHY FUTURES as they become available.

Finally, a promotional video that summarises the HEALTHY FUTURES project is now available. The video, which aims to raise awareness of the project, can be viewed via www.vimeo.com/70318624 or by visiting the HEALTHY FUTURES project website. 

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AQUAMED Project Impact Analysis Report Now Available

The results of the AQUAMED project are now summarised in the AQUAMED Impact Analysis report. This report provides a general overview of the key AQUAMED achievements and a description of the methodology used by the project.

This document also contains the views and expectations of stakeholders that were raised at the 2nd AQUAMED Multi-Stakeholder meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey. Based on the results from this meeting a Plan of Action was developed by the participants. The final Plan of Action, which represents the views of the project stakeholders only, can also be found in the 2nd AQUAMED Multi-Stakeholder Meeting report and constitutes a baseline document that could serve to facilitate future debate of the ideas proposed.

Find out more about the AQUAMED project at www.aquamedproject.net 

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New COEXIST Project Website and Publication

The new COEXIST project website was launched 20 August 2013. It contains a general project description and all the outputs and deliverables obtained within the project, which are now available for all interested stakeholders and the wider public.

Check the Case Study section to find all the relevant information related to your Case Study or download all the deliverables of the project in the Work Packages and Deliverables section.

The COEXIST project results are now summarised in the Guidance on a Better Integration of Aquaculture, Fisheries, and other Activities in the Coastal Zone: from tools to practical examples. This guidance document provides a comprehensive assessment of the conflicts and synergies between fisheries, aquaculture and other activities in the coastal zone in the six COEXIST case study areas. This document also accounts for the views and expectations of stakeholders that were raised at the COEXIST stakeholder workshop held in Bergen, Norway, parallel to the ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) Annual Science Conference 2012.

COEXIST was an EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) multidisciplinary project which aimed to provide a roadmap for achieving better integration, sustainability and synergies across the diverse activities now taking place in the European coastal zone. The project ended on 30 June 2013, but a shared session on the project will be held in the next Annual Scientific Conference of the ICES in September 2013.

For further information on the COEXIST project, please visit www.coexistproject.eu, or contact Emma Bello Gomez, Project Officer, AquaTT (emma@aquatt.ie Tel: +353 1 644 9008). 

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OTHER

LARVANET: Open Access State-of-the-Art Knowledge for Producers, Scientists and Managers

LARVANET (Critical success factors for fish larval production in European Aquaculture: a multidisciplinary network) have produced eight state-of-the-art reviews which have been published as an open-access supplementary section of Reviews in Aquaculture. These reviews cover broodstock, gamete quality, microbiology, skeletal development and abnormalities, digestion and nutrition, growth potential and juvenile quality as well as the importance of the inherent plasticity of fishes to aquaculture and fisheries. This resource is aimed at producers, managers and scientists in aquaculture, fisheries and evolutionary science.

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The Fish Site Special Digital Magazine: Sustainable Aquaculture Digital

The Fish Site has produced a special digital magazine which focuses on the key aquaculture industry event AquaNor. It includes an exclusive interview with Liv Holmefjord the Norwegian Director of Fisheries in which she discusses sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The theme of the report is sustainability and it features interviews and articles from leading experts in health, industry and education sectors exploring the intrinsic link between sustainability and aquaculture. Sustainable Aquaculture Digital is available online HERE. 

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Call for Papers: CSEDU 2014, Barcelona, Spain, 2-4 April 2014

The Sixth International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2014), which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, from 2-4 April 2014, is expected to provide an overview of the latest advances on computer supported education, as well as upcoming trends, and to promote discussion about the pedagogical potential of new learning and educational technologies in the academic and corporate world. CSEDU seeks papers reporting research work, academic or business case-studies, on topics indicated below in the section “Conference Areas”. Papers describing advanced prototypes, systems, tools and techniques and general survey papers indicating future directions are also encouraged. Both technological and social-oriented papers are accepted. The deadline for the submission of papers is 1 October 2013. For more information visit: www.csedu.org/CallForPapers.aspx

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Open Access to Research Publications Reaching 'Tipping Point'

The global shift towards making research findings available free of charge for readers - so-called 'open access' - has been confirmed in a study funded by the European Commission. This new research suggests that open access is reaching the tipping point, with around 50% of scientific papers published in 2011 now available for free. This is about twice the level estimated in previous studies, explained by a refined methodology and a wider definition of open access. The study also estimates that more than 40% of scientific peer reviewed articles published worldwide between 2004 and 2011 are now available online in open access form. The study looks at the EU and some neighbouring countries, as well as Brazil, Canada, Japan and United States of America. Click HERE to learn more. 

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Sustainable Aquaculture Course Bursaries

A bursary scheme, funded by the Scottish Funding Council, is now available for the October 2013 intake of the MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.  This part-funded bursary is available to EU and Scottish students. This postgraduate qualification is delivered via distance learning; hosted on TheFishSite.com and supplied by the University of St Andrews. The MSc covers all aspects of sustainable aquaculture including vertebrate and invertebrate species, giving students a thorough knowledge of the subject. Dr Neil Hazon, MSc aquaculture course director, explains the relevance of the course to the future of society. “Sustainable aquaculture is really important in terms of the future of society. With a projected nine billion mouths to feed by 2050 we have to think of different ways which we supply our food,” said Dr Hazon. Candidates wishing to be considered for the Scholarship should contact Dr Neil Hazon, Scottish Oceans Research Institute (e-mail: nh1@st-andrews.ac.uk). The application deadline is 1 September 2013. For more information, visit: www.thefishsite.com/learn/sustainable_aquaculture_bursaries.php

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Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe Issue 62, August 2013

Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe is a magazine published by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. It is distributed free on request, five times a year in all the official languages of the European Union. Issue 62 includes reports on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), European Maritime Day and the Atlantic Strategy Action Plan, which seeks to protect marine environments while creating jobs. The on-line version is available HERE.  

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Assessing the Sustainability of Aquaculture Production

Global consumption of seafood has risen dramatically over the last decade, due to a growing population, increased affluence and changing eating habits - many now see seafood as a healthy alternative to meat. The EU is the largest single regional importer, with many of its imports coming from Asia. Read more HERE.

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Bord Iascaigh Mhara Aquaculture Survey 2013

The Bord Iascaigh Mhara Aquaculture Survey 2012 was released on 19 July 2013. It contains statistics on production, price and employment in the primary aquaculture sector in 2012 based on BIM's annual survey of all licensed aquaculture producers within the Republic of Ireland. The report is available to download HERE. 

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SARF Calls for Proposals 2013/14

The Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for research and development projects in the following areas

• PAMP Refreshment Study
• Survey of Pacific oyster in Scotland
• Novel Treatments for Freshwater AquacultureAssessment of the viability of the different life stages of Lepeophtheirus salmonis following exposure to hydrogen peroxide
• Assessment of the viability of Neoparamoeba perurans following exposure to hydrogen peroxide
• Availability and use of freshwater resources in Scotland
• Finfish Feed Ingredients
• Modelling of the Potential for Shortening the Pen-Based Phase of the Salmon Ongrowing Cycle
• Technology and development of Exposed/Offshore Aquaculture in Scotland
  

Deadline for Applications: Friday 27 September 2013. For more information, visit: www.sarf.org.uk

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AQUA-TNET CALENDER

Please check the Aqua-tnet calendar for a live update of upcoming events, courses and workshops.

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AQUATT TRAINING NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

AquaTT's Training News is a free monthly e-newsletter. With the latest news from the European education community, opportunities for collaboration, announcements and a student corner, Training News is an important dissemination channel for education and training opportunities for the aquaculture and related sectors. CLICK HERE for the latest edition.

Please email news@aquatt.ie to submit your news which will reach more than 5,000 international subscribers.

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PISCESTT JOBS

PiscesTT Jobs is a free online recruitment service used by over 300 companies globally in Aquaculture, Fisheries and Marine Science. At the moment there are 10 interesting jobs/study opportunities. If you are interested in viewing or posting a vacancy please go to www.piscesttjobs.com or contact aquatt@aquatt.ie. Subscribe at www.piscesttjobs.com/feeds for live RSS updates.  

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