- A406, Portland Square, Drake Circus
- +44 1752 584888
- daniel.merrifield@plymouth.ac.uk

Profiles
Dr Daniel Merrifield
Associate Professor of Fish Health and Nutrition
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
Role
Research and teaching
Qualifications
PhD - Evaluation of selected probiotics and bovine lactoferrin asfeed supplements for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) forapplications in aquaculture. Plymouth University
Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP), Plymouth University
PgCert (distinction) -Research Methods, Plymouth University
General Teachers Associates training course, Plymouth University
BSc (Hons; 2:1) - BiologicalSciences, Plymouth University
Professional membership
Society for Applied Microbiology
World Aquaculture Society Publication Committee
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Environment, Food and Biotechnology Research Group
Roles on external bodies
Editorial and referee commitments
· Associate Editor for the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society (2015-present)
· Memberof the Editorial board for
- PLoS ONE (2012-present)
- Aquaculture Research (2010-present),
- Aquaculture International (2011-present)
- International Aquafeed (2010-present)
· Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Aquaculture Research and Development (2010-2014)
· Chief Editor of the Fisheries andAquaculture Journal (2011-2013)
· Chief Editor for special issue onprobiotics and prebiotics in aquaculture, Journal ofAquaculture Research and Development (2011)
· Panel member for the Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Panel of the Stimulus ofScientific Employment, Individual Support - 2017 Call. The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology(FCT)
· TheNational Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR),Italy; eValuation of Quality of Research (VQR)2004-2010 and 2011-2014
· Referee for the followingscientific research bodies:
- The Biotechnology andBiological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC),UK
- The United States Department of Agriculture(USDA)
- The French National ResearchAgency (Agence Nationale de laRecherche; ANR)
- The Portuguese Foundation for Scienceand Technology (FCT)
- The Netherlands Organisation forScientific Research (NWO)
- The Israel Science Foundation (ISF)
- The Polish National Science Centre (NCN)
- Superior Council of the National Fundfor Scientific & Technological Development (FONDECYT), Chile
- National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa
- The National Science Centre (NCN), Poland
- Wageningen Institute of Animal Science (WIAS),Netherlands
- IdEx Bordeaux Post-doctoral program,University of Bordeaux
- Universidad de la Sabana PhD proposal
- Policy documents for the UKGovernment Office for Science (GO Science)
- Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC),USA
- Czech Science Foundation (GACR)
- The Royal Society
Teaching interests
Topics:
Gut health and microecology
Aquatic microbiology
Aquaculture
Probiotics and prebiotics
Programme Leader:
MSc(PgDip) Sustainable Aquaculture Systems
Module leader:
BIOL120 Cell Biology and Microbiology
BIO5208 Contemporary Issues in Aquaculture
BIO504 Health and Production in Aquaculture
BIO504: Health and Production in Aquaculture
BIO5131: Postgraduate Research Skills & Methods
Courses:
MSc(PgDip) Sustainable Aquaculture Systems
BSc(Hons) Biological Sciences
BSc(Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare
Research interests
Feed additives
Gut health
Alternative protein sources
Probiotics and Prebiotics
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Dr Gabriella Do Vale Pereir- Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Dr Mark Rawling - Post-Doctoral Research Associate
RungtawanYomla - PhD student; Development of autochthonous probiotics for applicationsfor tilapia
Kurt Servin - PhD student; The use of yeast-derived feed additives to support in shrimp health and production (part-time, overseas)
Nicola Pontefract – PhD student; Feed additive strategies to improve mucosal defenses in fish
Lucy Sykes - MPhil student; The application of GOS in aquafeeds
Grants & contracts
Funding generated: >£1,300,000 (RCUK = £450,000, other FEC contractualprojects = >£380,000, studentships = >£475,000, other = > £13,500)
Recent examples (PI = PrincipleInvestigator; Co-I = Co-investigator; DoS = Director of Studies):
£1,560 | Contractual work, Coppens, 2017 (PI) |
£7,800 | Commercial contract - Lallemand, Norway (PI), 2018 |
£17,600 | Commercial contract - Skretting, Norway (PI), 2018 |
£3,040 | Commercial contract - Lallemand, Norway (PI), 2018 |
Total £433,000 (PU £130,000) | Innovate UK project (application ref 84746-536289) Low Cost, High Quality, Algal Biomass for Aquaculture Feed, 2017-2019 (Academic PI) |
£60,852 | MPhil studentship, Clasado Biosciences, 2017-2019 (Lucy Sykes) (DoS) |
£1,500 | Contractual work, Coppens, 2017 (PI) |
£10,531 | Commercial contract - Skretting, Norway (PI), 2017 |
£15,705 | Commercial contract - Skretting, Norway (PI), 2017 |
£3,173 | Contractual work, Coppens, 2017 (PI) |
£2,837 | Contractual work, Coppens, 2017 (PI) |
£1,700 | Contractual work, INTA, 2017 (PI) |
£262,000 | BBSRC project (BB/N024028/1) Mucosal health and microbiota during sea lice parasitism: effect of oral delivery of immunomodulants, 2016-2018 (PI) |
£8,997 | Commercial contract - Skretting, Norway (PI), 2016-2017 |
£2,700 | Contractual work, INTA, 2016 (PI) |
£12,000 | Contractual work, Lallemand SAS, 2016 (PI) |
£1,500 | Contractual work, INTA, 2016 (PI) |
£34,800 | 50% PhD studentship, Lallemand SAS, 2016-2019 (DoS) |
£3,300 | Contractual work, Lallemand SAS, 2016 (PI) |
£1,300 | Contractual work, BioMar, 2016 (PI) |
PU: £50,000 (Total £250,000) | BBSRC-NERC project (BB/M026604/1): Gut health and immune function: the emerging role of gut microbiota in sustainable aquaculture, 2015-2017 (Co-I) |
Research groups
- Food, Nutrition and Health
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsAdditional information
Scopus Young Researchers in Biological Sciences: ranked top 5 nationally 2011
Early Career Enterprising Researcher Award, Vice-Chancellor's Enterprise Awards 2010Links
Journal of Aquaculture Research and Development
Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal
Public Library of Science ONE (PLoS ONE)
Aquaculture Research
Aquaculture International
Journal of Aquaculture Feed Science and Nutrition
International Aquafeed