Profiles
Gianluca Amoroso
Gianluca Amoroso
Research Fellow - Salmon Growth Performance, Experimental Aquaculture Facility
IMAS Taroona , Off-Campus
+61 (0)423 373 586 (phone)
As a Research Fellow in Aquaculture I conduct research at the Experimental Aquaculture Facility at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) (Taroona). I am particularly interested in the field of farmed Atlantic salmon growth performance as well as other biological and physiological aspects of the species
Biography
My scientific career path started in Italy, where I completed a BSc in Natural Sciences and a MSc in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology with focus on Aquaculture. At the end of 2012, after receiving an offer to undertake a PhD in Aquaculture at the University of Tasmania and then being awarded a University of Tasmania and Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies “Tasmania graduate research scholarship”, I moved to Australia to begin a new journey. My PhD investigated the occurrence of skeletal deformities and their molecular mechanisms in triploid Atlantic salmon.
The molecular component of the project took place at the University of the Sunshine Coast (Queensland). A few months before being awarded my PhD on December 2016, I was employed as Aquaculture Scientist by Petuna Aquaculture, a salmon and trout producer in northern Tasmania, to design and run a $0.5 million Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) project in partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast. We investigated molecular mechanisms and genetic effect of flesh colour variation in Atlantic salmon as a result of warmer summer seawater temperatures.
The project produced critical novel results and led to the establishment of the Petuna Breeding Program which I coordinated for the last 3 years. At Petuna, I was also responsible for performance, welfare, and quality monitoring of freshwater stocks. After five years in the industry, where I had the opportunity to keep doing research and acquired a deep commercial knowledge of salmonids aquaculture, I joined UTAS to conduct research on salmon at the IMAS Experimental Aquaculture Facility
Achievements
- Master's degree in Evolutionary biology and Ecology at University of Rome 'Tor Vergata' (Italy)
- Thesis title 'Morphogenesis of sense organs of laboratory–reared Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) larvae and early juveniles'.
- Bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences at University of Rome 'La Sapienza' (Italy)
Career summary
Qualifications
Degree | Thesis Title | University | Country | Date of Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PhD | Investigations of skeletal anomalies in triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L. 1758) in freshwater with particular focus on lower jaw deformity (LJD) | University of Tasmania | Australia | 2016 |
MSc | Morphogenesis of sense organs of laboratory–reared Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) larvae and early juveniles | University of Rome “Tor Vergata” | Italy | 2011 |
BSc |
| University of Rome “La Sapienza” | Italy | 2009 |
Administrative expertise
I managed several commercial R&D projects during my experience in industry and an $0.5 million FRDC project with an academic partner. I coordinated for three years an Atlantic salmon and Rainbow trout commercial selective breeding program.
View more on Dr Gianluca Amoroso in WARP
Expertise
- Aquaculture
- Salmonids
- Triploids
- Skeletal deformity
- Flesh pigmentation
Collaboration
While working in industry, I collaborated with the University of the Sunshine Coast on a $0.5 million FRDC project. On September 2019, I was appointed as Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast due to my enduring collaboration in research projects (my PhD project and the above mentioned FRDC project) with them.
Fields of Research
- Aquaculture (300501)
- Fish pests and diseases (300503)
- Information security management (460904)
- Computer vision (460304)
Research Objectives
- Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna) (100202)
- Fisheries - aquaculture (100299)
Publications
Total publications
14
Journal Article
(8 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Vo TTM, Amoroso G, Ventura T, Elizur A, 'Histological and transcriptomic analysis of muscular atrophy associated with depleted flesh pigmentation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to elevated seawater temperatures', Scientific Reports, 13 Article 4218. ISSN 2045-2322 (2023) [Refereed Article] | |
| 2021 | Vo TTM, Nguyen TV, Amoroso G, Ventura T, Elizur A, 'Deploying new generation sequencing for the study of flesh color depletion in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)', BMC Genomics, 22 Article 545. ISSN 1471-2164 (2021) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07884-9 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 6Web of Science - 5 | |
| 2020 | Nguyen CDH, Amoroso G, Ventura T, Elizur A, 'Assessing the pyloric caeca and distal gut microbiota correlation with flesh color in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L., 1758)', Microorganisms, 8, (8) Article 1244. ISSN 2076-2607 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081244 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 11Web of Science - 9 | |
| 2020 | Nguyen CDH, Amoroso G, Ventura T, Minich JJ, Elizur A, 'Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L., 1758) gut microbiota profile correlates with flesh pigmentation: cause or effect?', Marine Biotechnology, 22 pp. 786-804. ISSN 1436-2228 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1007/s10126-019-09939-1 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 14Web of Science - 15 | |
| 2017 | Nuez Ortin W, Carter CG, Wilson R, Cooke I, Amoroso G, et al., 'Triploid Atlantic salmon shows similar performance, fatty acid composition and proteome response to diploids during early freshwater rearing', Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part D: Genomics and Proteomics, 22 pp. 67-77. ISSN 1744-117X (2017) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2017.02.005 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 13Web of Science - 13 Co-authors: Nuez Ortin W; Carter CG; Wilson R; Cobcroft JM; Nichols PD | |
| 2016 | Amoroso G, Adams MB, Ventura T, Carter CG, Cobcroft JM, 'Skeletal anomaly assessment in diploid and triploid juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and the effect of temperature in freshwater', Journal of Fish Diseases, 39, (4) pp. 449-466. ISSN 0140-7775 (2016) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12438 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 19Web of Science - 19 Co-authors: Adams MB; Carter CG; Cobcroft JM | |
| 2016 | Amoroso G, Cobcroft JM, Adams MB, Ventura T, Carter CG, 'Concurrence of lower jaw skeletal anomalies in triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and the effect on growth in freshwater', Journal of Fish Diseases, 39, (12) pp. 1509-1521. ISSN 0140-7775 (2016) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12492 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 16Web of Science - 15 Co-authors: Cobcroft JM; Adams MB; Carter CG | |
| 2016 | Amoroso G, Ventura T, Cobcroft JM, Adams MB, Elizur A, et al., 'Multigenic delineation of lower jaw deformity in triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)', PLoS One, 11, (12) Article e0168454. ISSN 1932-6203 (2016) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168454 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 6Web of Science - 5 Co-authors: Cobcroft JM; Adams MB; Carter CG |
Conference Publication
(3 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Amoroso G, Adams M, Ventura T, Carter CG, Battaglene S, et al., 'The effect of temperature and ploidy on skeletal anomaly prevalence in a fast growing phase in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and molecular investigations on lower jaw deformity', World Aquaculture 2015 Abstracts, 26-30 May, Jeju, Korea, pp. 98. (2015) [Conference Extract] Co-authors: Adams M; Ventura T; Carter CG; Battaglene S; Elizur A; Cobcroft JM | |
| 2015 | Amoroso G, Ventura T, Adams M, Carter CG, Battaglene SC, et al., 'Lower jaw deformity in triploid Atlantic salmon: an integrated morphological and transcriptomic investigation', Interdisciplinary Approaches in Fish Skeletal Biology Abstracts, 27-30 April, Tavira, Algarve, Portugal (2015) [Conference Extract] Co-authors: Adams M; Carter CG; Battaglene SC; Cobcroft JM | |
| 2014 | Amoroso G, Adams M, Ventura T, Carter CG, Battaglene S, et al., 'Are short opercula and lower jaw deformity in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar related to triploidy?', World Aquaculture Adelaide 2014, 7-11 June 2014, Adelaide, South Australia (2014) [Conference Extract] Co-authors: Adams M; Ventura T; Carter CG; Battaglene S; Elizur A; Cobcroft J |
Other Public Output
(3 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Amoroso G, 'Breeding project Xelects climate proof' fish', FishFarmingExpert, 05 October (2020) [Magazine Article] | |
| 2020 | Amoroso G, Nguyen CDH, Vo TTM, Ventura T, Elizur A, 'Understanding flesh colour variation in Atlantic salmon: molecular mechanisms and genetic effect', FRDC 2014-248 final report, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Australia, 20 October (2020) [Government or Industry Research] | |
| 2019 | Amoroso G, 'Talking Point: Catch of the day - how breeding can climate-proof aquaculture, by Ruben Alvarez', The Mercury, Nationwide News Pty Ltd, Hobart, Tasmania, 23 October (2019) [Newspaper Article] |
Grants & Funding
Funding Summary
Number of grants
5
Total funding
Projects
- Description
- Atlantic salmon is the most significant aquaculture species in Australia. Selective breeding is one of the fundamental mechanisms for improving aquaculture production. Salmon Enterprises of Tasmania (SALTAS) runs the selective breeding program for the Tasmanian Atlantic salmon industry. There are multiple traits for improvement, including growth, health, and fillet quality. The SALTAS selective breeding program deploys various trials to identify superior genotypes, and resulting quantitative genetic analysis is required to use trial data to identify superior broodstock. The SALTAS Tasmanian Atlantic salmon selective breeding program is well-established, and there has been excellent genetic improvement. However, some key areas of Atlantic salmon production in Tasmania still have the potential to be improved through selective breeding but are not currently included in the breeding goals. Therefore, there is a need to explore new and existing traits to increase the rate of genetic improvement from selective breeding. Areas needing further investigation include a quantitative assessment of spinal deformity, an improved way to generate fillet quality phenotypes, and an improved understanding of fish performance during the summer, which is characterised by elevated temperatures and low growth rates.Quantitative genetics is dependent on the quality of the phenotype. Therefore, developing accurate and reliable phenotypic measurements is critical for improving the results of the selective breeding program. Assessing spinal deformity is a crucial area yet to be included in the breeding goal due to the difficulty in generating quantitative phenotypes. High-quality near-infrared spectroscopic models to estimate fillet quality parameters will improve the selection of individuals with superior fillet quality.
- Funding
- unknown ($10)
- Scheme
- Contract Research
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Amoroso G; Carter CG
- Year
- 2023
- Description
- The objectives of this project are to: 1.To evaluate AGD progression using different challenge initiation methods2.Examine the impact of manipulating rearing parameters upon AGD progression3.Investigate the effect of RAS filtration components on removal of amoebae from the tank environment during AGD challenge4.To establish a successful AGD challenge model that allows future AGD control trials to be undertaken
- Funding
- Fisheries Research & Development Corporation ($250,000)
- Scheme
- Grant
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Adams MB; Amoroso G
- Period
- 2023 - 2024
- Description
- This project falls under the Dr Harry King Memorial Scholarship, a new University of Tasmania PhD scholarship honouringTasmanian aquaculture biologist Dr Harry King, who lost his battle with prostate cancer in 2019 and which will guide the next generation ofaquaculture researchers (https://imas.utas.edu.au/news/news-items/new-phd-scholarship-honours-tasmanian-aquaculture-researcher). UTAS andCSIRO will fund four PhD positions across five years as part of the program by splitting the scholarships costs. Three industry partners are also equallycontributing to the PhD positions with an annual cash contribution to be used as operating funds.All PhD projects will focus on Atlantic salmon physiology which reflect Dr King's expertise and which continue to represent key priorities for the Atlanticsalmon industry in order to fill critical knowledge gaps and improve commercial outcomes.
- Funding
- BioMar Ltd ($50,000); Huon Aquaculture ($50,000); Tassal Ltd ($50,000)
- Scheme
- Contract Research
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Amoroso G; Carter CG
- Period
- 2022 - 2027
- Description
- Poor skeletal health and deformities can pose a serious risk to the expected expansion of salmonids aquaculture intooffshore and high energy farming environments which require fish with a robust skeletal system. Apart from impacting on welfare and performance offish, deformities impact on final product processing efficiency and lead to increase in downgrade. New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS) stock has beenhistorically impacted by spinal curvature deformities in their stock, and in the past two years there has been an emerging issue with intermuscularbones abnormalities (commonly referred to as pin bones). These two issues indicate poor skeletal health in some NZKS stock, and this is likely tobecome exacerbated by increased musculoskeletal challenge as seen in offshore environments. The goal of this project is to better understand pinbone development and abnormalities (and their link with spinal deformity) observed in NZKS fish as a reasonable proxy for assessing overall skeletalhealth.The project consists of five main steps, 1) a literature review of pin bone development in fish and a summary of the NZKS pin bone data in relation toharvest, production and husbandry strategies, including collation and analysis of historical records, 2) the collection and analysis of affected andunaffected pin bone samples in harvest size fish, 3) a cross-sectional exploration of pin bone development in NZKS hatchery-reared salmon coveringthe company's different production strategies 4) a study of the effect of sustained exercise on pin bone strength and 5) an epidemiologic analysis ofrisk factors for spinal curvature and pin bone abnormalities, to tease out possible associations between the two and relevant environmental, geneticand husbandry factors.
- Funding
- Blue Economy CRC Co ($169,373)
- Scheme
- General Projects
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Amoroso G; Carter CG; Symonds J
- Period
- 2022 - 2026
- Description
- The principle aim is to build a translational experimental approach to identify and address critical knowledge gaps in Atlantic salmon aquaculture production by working closely with industry partners. This will consider the impact of key environmental variables, relevant to current and future offshore expansion, on commercial salmon performance. Strong engagement by the project team and students with partners, including placements with commercial organisations, will ensure their capability and career development will meet industry needs. Successful outcomes will come from establishing and validating the translation of data at the research-commercialnexus to support the industry in managing a rapidly changing climate.
- Funding
- Blue Economy CRC Co ($1,177,116)
- Scheme
- General Projects
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Carter CG; Amoroso G; Thompson AM; Henderson AD; Wilson RR; Adams LR; Poutney D; Goodrich HR
- Period
- 2022 - 2027
Research Supervision
Current
5
Current
| Degree | Title | Commenced |
|---|---|---|
| PhD | Skeletal Development in King Salmon, with an Emphasis on Intermuscular (Pin) Bones Abnormalities | 2022 |
| PhD | Benchmarking Atlantic Salmon Performance | 2023 |
| PhD | Physiological impacts of thermal stress in Atlantic salmon | 2023 |
| PhD | Advanced methods for genetic improvement of Tasmanian Atlantic salmon | 2023 |
| PhD | Indicators of Gamete Quality in Atlantic Salmon and Their Assessment in Farmed Stocks | 2023 |