Christopher Noble

I am a Senior Scientist within the Production Biology department of Nofima. The majority of my work focuses on animal welfare in commercial aquacultural production, primarily the development and application of Operational Welfare Indicators (OWIs) for different species, routines and existing and emerging rearing systems. I am also very interested in the opportunities that digitalisation can offer in terms of monitoring aquatic animal welfare in both the lab and out on the farm.

I have over 20 years experience in aquaculture research. Following a BSc in Marine Biology at the University of Liverpool and a PhD in farmed Atlantic salmon feeding management at the University of Glasgow, UK, I held Post-Doctoral positions at the University of Glasgow, UK and at the Teikyo University of Science and Technology in Japan. I have taught courses on fish welfare at the University of Tromsø since 2015. Since 2013 I have also been a contributing Editor to the journal Aquaculture Environment Interactions and a contributing Editor to the journal Animal Welfare since 2023.

My Projects

Biologically driven automation of salmon production conditions in RAS

Animal Welfare in Fisheries

Harvesting at Sea

Adapting spectral and molecular tools to improve fish welfare assessments

Digitalisation for better assesment of fish welfare

Atlantic salmon biology in focus: for a robust fish in a shifting aquaculture industry

Animal welfare, ethics, quality and added value in coastal fisheries

Farmed animals welfare toolbox

My publications

Evaluating a crowding intensity scale and welfare indicators for Atlantic salmon in sea cages

Soundscape characteristics of RAS tanks holding Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during feeding and feed withdrawal

Fasting and its implications for fish welfare in Atlantic salmon aquaculture

Embracing prospects for reducing the numbers of animals used in aquaculture research

Digital scoring of welfare traits in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) – a proof of concept study quantifying dorsal fin haemorrhaging via hyperspectral imaging

Digital scoring of welfare traits in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) – a proof of concept study quantifying dorsal fin haemorrhaging via hyperspectral imaging

The skin mucosal barrier of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) is weakened by exposure to potential aquaculture production-related stressors

Utvikling av standarisert velferdsovervåking for laks i matfiskanlegg

Theoretical basis and principles for welfare assessment of farmed fish

Welfare indicators for farmed reinbow trout. Part C – fit for purpose OWIs for different routines and operations

Welfare indicators for farmed rainbow trout: Part B – Fit for purpose OWIs for different production systems

Welfare indicators for farmed rainbow trout – Part A. Knowledge and theoretical background

Welfare of farmed fish in different production systems and operations

Welfare Indicators for farmed rainbow Trout: Tools for assessing Fish welfare

Velferdsindikatorer for regnbueørret i oppdrett: Hvordan vurdere og dokumentere fiskevelferd

Welfare in cleaner fish – operational welfare indicators (OWI) – RENSVEL. Revised edition of report 12/2019

RENSVEL OWI FACT SHEET SERIES: An introduction to Operational and Laboratory-based Welfare Indicators for lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.)

RENSVEL OWI FACT SHEET SERIES: An introduction to Operational and Laboratory-based Welfare Indicators for ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta)

Welfare in cleaner fish – operational welfare indicators (OWI) – RENSVEL

Cleaner fish welfare

Del C. Bruk av operative velferdsindikatorer i forbindelse med ulike håndteringsprosedyrer

Del B. Bruk av operative velferdsindikatorer for ulike produksjonssystem

Del A. Fiskevelferd og oppdrettslaks, kunnskap og teoretisk bakgrunn

Welfare Indicators for farmed Atlantic salmon: Tools for assessing fish welfare

Velferdsindikatorer for oppdrettslaks: Hvordan vurdere og dokumentere fiskevelferd. 3. utgave

Velferdsindikatorer for oppdrettslaks: Hvordan vurdere og dokumentere fiskevelferd – Del C. Bruk av operative velferdsindikatorer i forbindelse med ulike håndteringsprosedyrer

Velferdsindikatorer for oppdrettslaks: Hvordan vurdere og dokumentere fiskevelferd – Del B. Bruk av operative velferdsindikatorer for ulike oppdretts- og produksjonssystem

Velferdsindikatorer for oppdrettslaks: Hvordan vurdere og dokumentere fiskevelferd – Del A. fiskevelferd og oppdrettslaks, kunnskap og teoretisk bakgrunn

Velferdsindikatorer for oppdrettslaks: Hvordan vurdere og dokumentere fiskevelferd

Environmental impacts, Chapter 4, page 173-231 in: Deliverable D2.1 Production issues in organic aquaculture

Production systems, Chapter 3, page 122-172 Deliverable D2.1 Production issues in organic aquaculture

Welfare, Health, veterinary treatments and biosecurity, Chapter 2, page 48-121 in: Deliverable D2.1 Production issues in organic aquaculture

Evaluating the effects of a short-term feed restriction period on the behavior and welfare of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, parr using social network analysis and fin damage

Beste praksis for medikamentfrie metoder for lakseluskontroll (MEDFRI) – Faglig sluttrapport

Sea Urchin Fishing Techniques Report. (Activity A3.1.1 of the NPA URCHIN Project. Amended Version released April 17th 2018

Velferd hos villfanget torsk i merd – Hovedvekt på hold uten fôring ut over 12 uker

Sea urchin fisheries, management and policy review (Activity A4.2.1 of the URCHIN project)

Sea Urchin Fishing Techniques Report (Activity A3.1.1 of the NPA URCHIN project)

Review on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus, 1758) nutrition and feed management: a practical guide for optimizing feed formulation and farming protocols

Delousing of Atlantic salmon with two different sizes of farmed ballan wrasse

Effects of transfer from continuous light to different light regimes on growth, survival, and fin and skin health

Feed Management in aquaculture – operational precision livestock farming. In “Precision Livestock Farming ‘13” Papers presented at the 6th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming, Leuven, Belgium, 10-12 Septemnber(D. Berckmans and J. Vandermeulen, eds.). pp 739-747

Gode driftsrutiner reduserer tapet

Post-escape dispersal of juvenile Atlantic cod Gadus morhua from Norwegian fish farms and their potential for recapture

Fangstbasert akvakultur. Mellomlagring, oppfôring og foredling av villfanget fisk

BIO-ECONOMIC COSTS AND BENEFITS OF USING TRIPLOID RAINBOW TROUT IN AQUACULTURE: REDUCED MORTALITY

The bio-economic impact of improving fish welfare using demand feeders in Scottish Atlantic smolt production

The bio-economic costs and benefits of improving productivity and fish welfare in aquaculture : utilizing CO2 stripping technology in Norwegian Atlantic salmon smolt production

How to measure the economic impacts of changes in growth, feed efficiency and survival in aquaculture

MODELING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WELFARE INTERVENTIONS IN FISH FARMING—A CASE STUDY FROM THE U.K. RAINBOW TROUT INDUSTRY

A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY FRAMEWORK FOR BIO-ECONOMIC MODELING IN AQUACULTURE: A WELFARE CASE STUDY

Using rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss as self-feeding actuators for white-spotted charr Salvelinus leucomaenis: Implications for production and welfare

Investigating the influence of predictable and unpredictable feed delivery schedules upon the behaviour and welfare of Atlantic salmon parr (Salmo salar) using social network analysis and fin damage

Appetite and Feed Intake

Demand feeding and welfare in farmed fish

Injuries and deformities in fish: their potential impacts upon aquacultural prodution and welfare

Behavioural indicators of welfare in farmed fish

Does feeding time affect fish welfare?

Can the presence of a large conspecific improve the production and welfare of groups of smaller self-feeder competent rainbow trout?

Slakting direkte fra oppdrettsmerd.Tauranga – fase 3

Social network analysis of the behavioural interactions that influence the development of fin damage in Atlantic salmon parr (Salmo salar) held at different stocking densities

Examining the daily feeding rhythms of amago Oncorhynchus masou masou using self-feeding systems

Social network analysis of behavioural interactions influencing fin damage development in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during feed-restriction

Growing amago and rainbow trout in duoculture with self-feeding systems: Implications for production and welfare

BENEFISH: A European project to put a cost on fish welfare actions

Growth, production and fin damage in cage-held 0+ Atlantic salmon pre-smolts (Salmo salar L.) fed either a) on-demand, or b) to a fixed satiation-restriction regime: data from a commercial farm