Bennan Chen
Senior Research Officer – Finfish Larval Rearing
Areas of expertise
-
Aquaculture
-
Propagation of marine finfish and prawns
-
Larval fish digestive physiology
-
Design and construction of aquaculture systems
-
Marine biology.
Countries of work experience
Australia, China, Singapore, Vietnam
Experience and qualifications
Dr Chen has over 15 years experience in research on marine biology and in applied aquaculture. His specific interests and experience are in finfish larval rearing and broodstock management, larval finfish digestive physiology, sea-cage and land-based finfish farming, prawn larviculture and farming, the design and construction of aquaculture systems, and integrated aquaculture using wastewater streams. Through the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre he is currently researching larval rearing of southern bluefin tuna Thunnus maccoyii (SBT) as part of Cleans Seas Tuna Ltd’s SBT propagation program, a world first, and yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi (YTK), a species where production is rapidly increasing through the commercial activities of members of the Marine Finfish Farmers Association.
Bennan graduated from the Flinders University with a PhD in February 2006. His PhD project involved characterising the development of the digestive system of larval YTK using histological and enzymatic assay analysis. He examined the responses of the digestive system to starvation and dietary changes to understand the functional development and regulatory mechanisms of the digestive system. The results derived from his PhD research provided a working knowledge of the protocols of marine finfish hatcheries, especially for the culture of YTK larvae.
Bennan has been responsible for the study of reproduction and larval finfish rearing of sea perch Lateolabrax japonicus when working in the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS). Here he succeeded in spawning the fish in sea-cages by hormone injection, and producing more than 100,000 fingerlings in the final pilot larviculture trial on the eastern coast of China.
Bennan has experience in research on induced sex reversal and artificial induction of gynogenesis and polyploid of finfish and prawns when working as a key researcher with IOCAS in Qingdao. Here he also has obtained extensive knowledge of the broodstock management and larval rearing of the seahorse Hippocampus kelloggi.
When working for IOCAS, Bennan was also an industry consultant for several hatcheries along the eastern coast of China, and hatchery manager in charge of industrial-scale seedling/fingerling production of the Chinese prawn Penaeus chinensis and several marine finfish species such as snapper Pagrosomus major, black sea bream Sparus macrocephalus, redfin puffer Fugu rubripes, left-eyed flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. He was also involved with the mass culture of microalgae and rotifers for large scale industrial finfish and prawn larviculture.
Bennan also has experience in the design and construction of aquaculture systems, including closed recirculating marine finfish hatchery/nursery systems, and working with integrated aquaculture systems for organic wastewater treatment.
Professional appointments
2008-present: Senior Research Officer, Propagation and Systems Subprogram, Aquaculture Science Program Area, Aquatic Sciences, SARDI.
2006-2008: Senior Research Officer, Integrated Bio-systems Science Program Area, Livestock and Farming Systems, SARDI.
1998-2000: Visiting Scientist, Institute of Molecular Agrobiology, National University of Singapore.
1990-2001: Research Scientist, Marion Biology and Aquaculture, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Research and consulting
2006-2008: Commercial scale integrated bio-system for organic waste and wastewater for the livestock and food processing industries (Environmental Biotechnology CRC Project 6, SARDI).
2002-2006: Structural and functional development of the digestive system in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi larvae (PhD research, Flinders University and SARDI).
1998-2000: Design and construction of a semi-closed recirculating raceway system for a marine finfish hatchery/nursery (Singapore-China Bio-technique Programme).
1995-1998: One of the main researchers on the project “The study of induced sex reversal of black sea bream Sparus macrocephalus” (IOCAS).
1994-2001: As a team leader, completed the project “The study of reproduction and larval fish rearing in sea perch Lateolabrax japonicus” (IOCAS).
1994-1995:Hatchery manager, large-scale commercial fingerling production of select marine finfish (commercial hatchery affiliated with IOCAS in Qingdao, China).
1992-2001: Large-scale seedling production of Chinese prawn Penaeus chinensis and marine finfish large-scale fingerling production and farming (Industry consultant for several hatcheries in China).
1990-1995: Team research member on the project “Artificial induction of gynogenesis and polyploid in Chinese prawn Penaeus chinensis” (IOCAS, obtained MSc when working on this project).
1990-1991: Researcher on the project “Seahorse Hippocampus kelloggi broodstock management and larval rearing” (IOCAS).
Selected recent publications:
Chen, B.N., Qin, J.G., Carragher, J.F., Clarke, S.M., Kumar, M.S., Hutchinson, W.G., 2007. Deleterious effects of food restrictions in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi during early development. Aquaculture 271, 326-335.
Chen, B.N., Qin, J.G., Kumar, M.S., Hutchinson, W.G., Clarke, S.M., 2006. Ontogenetic development of digestive enzymes in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi larvae. Aquaculture 260, 264-271.
Chen, B.N., Qin, J.G., Kumar, M.S., Hutchinson, W., Clarke, S., 2006. Ontogenetic development of the digestive system in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi larvae. Aquaculture 256, 489-501.
Tan, Xuequn, Qin, Jian G., Chen, Bennan, Chen, Liqiao, Li, Xiaoxu, 2004. Karyological analyses on redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Aquaculture 234, 65-76.
Bennan Chen, Jian G. Qin, Martin Kumar, Wayne Hutchinson & Jane Ham, 2003. Morphological and physiological changes in the digestive tract of King George whiting (Sillaginodes punctata). In: G.L., Allan (Ed), Aquafin CRC snapper workshop (Fisheries Research Report Series: 8. ISSN 1442-0147). NSW Fisheries, pp 30-33.
Contact
Dr Bennan Chen
SARDI Aquatic Sciences
Tel: 08 8207 5444
Fax: 08 8207 5481
E-mail: chen.bennan@saugov.sa.gov.au