Lorenzo Fruscella

Lorenzo is a PhD student from Rome, Italy. He holds a BSc in Aquatic Biology from the University of California Santa Barbara (USA) and an MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture from the University of Stirling (Scotland). His Master’s thesis focused on the energy expenditure of farmed Chinook salmon in New Zealand. Lorenzo has extensive experience in aquatic science and aquaculture, and has in his career worked with a large variety of marine and freshwater organisms in aquaculture settings; these include marine seaweeds, holothurians, cobia, red drum, Chinook salmon, lumpfish, and Nile tilapia. He joined the University of Greenwich in November 2019 with a Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship to undertake research on aquaponics and sustainable farming practices. His project focuses on the development of soil-based aquaponic systems, and on the organic certification of aquaponic produce, where he is challenging the criteria that currently regulate such certification both in greenhouse-based horticulture and aquaculture. To this end, he is conducting experiments where soil is introduced into aquaponics, testing the effects of using water from aquaponic systems to fertilise outside crops, and testing ways to substantially increase fish welfare through various methods of enhancement, including habitat and feed enhancements.

Thesis title: Investigating the potential for organic accreditation of aquaponic produce