Dr Leo Nankervis ~ Senior Lecturer, Aquaculture
Marine & Aquaculture Sciences
- About
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- Initial investigations into nutrient requirements for grass emperor, a new species for aquaculture
- Tropical spiny lobster feeds to fuel sustainable development; optimising feeding behaviour and nutrient requirements.
- Bringing out the giant in giant grouper; optimising energy inputs and metabolism for giant grouper growth and efficiency.
- Integrative nutrition and physiology in aquafeeds; understanding the interaction between feed ingredients, intestinal function and nutrient metabolism.
- Teaching
- Interests
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- Research
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- Feed development for fish and crustaceans. Feed ingredient development and evaluation. Nutrient requirements. Integrative nutrition and physiology. Functional ingredient evaluation. Appetite and behavior regulation.
- Experience
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- 2020 to present - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
- 2016 to 2019 - Marketinf/Product Performance Manager, Skretting Australia (Hobart)
- 2007 to 2016 - Researcher/Team Leader, Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (Stavanger, Norway)
- 2005 to 2007 - Adjunct Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
- 2003 to 2007 - Consultant/R&D Manager/Technical Manager, Cell Aquaculture (Townsville/Freemantle/The Netherlands/Bulgaria)
- 2000 to 2002 - Assistant Hatchery Manager, Seafood Online (Bowen)
- Research Disciplines
- Socio-Economic Objectives
Dr Leo Nankervis is an expert in aquaculture nutrition and feed development. He is a Senior Lecturer at JCU and leads the Tropical Aquafeeds Innovations Laboratory at James Cook University, which engages with fundamental research, development and consultancy within the Australian and international aquaculture industries.
Previously Dr Nankervis has worked within commercial research, development and management within the global aquafeeds industry. He brings a diversity of experience, having lived in Australia, Norway and The Netherlands for extended periods and working across the aquaculture industry in 5 continents. Having led large highly skilled research and business groups, Dr Nankervis has experience with nutrition, formulation, quality, sustainability, feed safety, communications and feed production technologies in addition to his pimary focus of nutrition R&D.
Research interests include using physiology to solve commercially relevant production bottlenecks, raw materials for aquafeeds, nutrient requirements, digestive processes in aquatic organisms, taste and palatability.
Research Projects on Offer
- Publications
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These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.
- Journal Articles
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- Bansemer M, Salini M, Nankervis L and Stone D (2023) Reducing dietary wild derived fishmeal inclusion levels in production diets for large yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi). Aquaculture, 572.
- Candebat C, Eddie T, Marc A, Fernando F and Nankervis L (in press) Exploring the physiological plasticity of giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) to dietary sulfur amino acids and taurine to measure dietary requirements and essentiality. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry,
- Fernando F, Candebat C, Strugnell J, Andreakis N and Nankervis L (2022) Dietary supplementation of astaxanthin modulates skin color and liver antioxidant status of giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus). Aquaculture Reports, 26.
- Li J, Nankervis L and Dawson A (2022) Digesting the Indigestible: Microplastic Extraction from Prawn Digestive Tracts. Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry, 3.
- Nankervis L and Jones C (2022) Recent advances and future directions in practical diet formulation and adoption in tropical Palinurid lobster aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture, 14 (4). pp. 1830-1842
- Nankervis L, Cobcroft J, Nguyen N and Rimmer M (2022) Advances in practical feed formulation and adoption for hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × E. lanceolatus ♂) aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture, 14 (1). pp. 288-307
- Fraser T, Witten P, Albrektsen S, Breck O, Fontanillas R, Nankervis L, Thomsen T, Koppe W, Sambraus F and Fjelldal P (2019) Phosphorus nutrition in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): life stage and temperature effects on bone pathologies. Aquaculture, 511.
- Vikesa V, Nankervis L and Hevroy E (2017) Appetite, metabolism and growth regulation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) exposed to hypoxia at elevated seawater temperature. Aquaculture Research, 48. pp. 4086-4101
- Vikeså V, Nankervis L and Hevrøy E (2017) High dietary energy level stimulates growth hormone receptorand feed utilization in large Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) under hypoxic conditions. Aquaculture Nutrition, 23. pp. 1193-1203
- Vikesa V, Nankervis L, Remo S, Waagbo R and Hevroy E (2015) Pre and postprandial regulation of ghrelin, amino acids and IGF1 in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) at optimal and elevated seawater temperatures. Aquaculture, 438. pp. 159-169
- Linn S, Ishika M, Koshio S, Yokoyama S, Murata T, Hamasaki Y and Nankervis L (2014) Effects of replacing fish meal with plant protein on growth performance, feed utilization and oxidative condition of red sea bream Pagrus major. Aquaculture Science, 62 (4). pp. 341-352
- Nankervis L and Southgate P (2009) Enzyme and acid treatment of fish meal for incorporation into formulated microbound diets for barramundi (Lates calcarifer) larvae. Aquaculture Nutrition, 15 (2). pp. 135-143
- More
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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 20+ research outputs authored by Dr Leo Nankervis from 2000 onwards.
- Current Funding
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Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research - Fisheries Program
Addressing key technical bottlenecks in the grouper supply chain in Vietnam and Australia through manufactured feed and hatchery developments that aim to improve sector profitability
- Indicative Funding
- $2,500,000 over 3 years
- Summary
- The project aims to address key bottlenecks in the aquaculture grouper supply chain in Vietnam and Australia through research into nutritional constraints and drivers for commercial feed adoption by the Vietnam grow-out farming sector, as well as factors affecting the supply of high-quality eggs, larvae and juveniles in both Vietnam and Australia. A physiological approach to nutrient requirements and feeds development will be applied to address nutrient-related production bottlenecks for grouper aquaculture. This project will develop commercially implemented feed formulated specifically for grouper, facilitating the further development of the industry in Vietnam and Australia.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis, Kyall Zenger and Kelly Condon (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Grouper (Epinephelus spp); Nutrition; Hatchery; Vietnam; ACIAR
Australian Research Council - Linkage - Industrial Transformation Research Hubs
ARC Research Hub for Supercharging Tropical Aquaculture Through Genetic Solutions
- Indicative Funding
- $4,996,503 over 4 years, in partnership with Australian Genome Research Facility ($150,000); Cygnet Bay Pearls PL ($500,000); Mainstream Aquaculture ($500,000); Sea Forest Pty Ltd ($500,000) and THE COMPANY ONE PTY LTD ($500,000)
- Summary
- This project aims to integrate cutting edge genetic and genomic approaches into innovative aquaculture enterprises that farm in tropical northern Australia. It will deliver the requisite genetic knowledge to instigate world-leading and highly productive breeding programs for five species (barramundi, pearl oyster, prawn, grouper and marine seaweed), along with a novel understanding of the genetic basis of disease resistance and how the production environment interfaces with the bacterial microbiome, pathogens and water quality to cause disease. It will increase Australia's capacity to deliver advanced genetics outcomes to the aquaculture sector, while increasing productivity, international competitiveness, and lowered risk due to disease.
- Investigators
- Dean Jerry, Kyall Zenger, Benjamin Hayes, Rocky de Nys, David Bourne, Andreas Lopata, Ron White, Jan Strugnell, Chaoshu Zeng, Kelly Condon, Mostafa Rahimi Azghadi, Ira Cooke, Leo Nankervis and Carla Ewels (College of Science & Engineering, The University of Queensland, College of Public Health and Medical & Vet Sciences)
- Keywords
- Selective Breeding; Genomics; Aquaculture
Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre Limited (AEGIC) - Contract Research
Evaluating Australian grains potential for Aquafeed in SE Asia
- Indicative Funding
- $27,608 over 1 year
- Summary
- Australia produces a range of grains and legumes that are routinely used for aquafeed in Australia, however their uptake in SE Asian markets appears to be limited. This project investigates opportunities and constraints of Australian grains and legumes in aquafeed production in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. It consists of a desktop study and report on opportunities and directions in this export market, followed by engagement with aquafeed specialists in these areas and scoping opportunities for research to test our assumptions around the most likely products in local feed production in-country.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Aquaculture; Grains; Nutrition; Aquafeed; Asian aquaculture
Australian Government - Innovation Connections
Towards sustainable economic aquafeed for spiny lobsters
- Indicative Funding
- $50,000 over 1 year, in partnership with Ornatas ($50,319)
- Summary
- Aquaculture of the tropical lobster Panulirus ornatus is a recently commercialised industry in Australia. Recent review of nutritional knowledge of this species has revealed significant limitations to commercialisation of feeds, including data on key nutrient requirements, raw materials and feed processing. This project will begin to address these limitations, placing this industry on the path towards improved sustainable development.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Lobster; Nutrition; Aquaculture; Panulirus ornatus
CRC for Developing Northern Australia Scheme - Scholarship
Intensification of the redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) industry: the importance of sperm quality and male fertility to productivity.
- Indicative Funding
- $60,000 over 3 years
- Summary
- Expansion of the redclaw aquaculture industry is limited by suboptimal methods to produce fertilized eggs and craylings for pond production. Improvement of reproductive efficiency is dependent on several factors as well as understanding the underlying causes of subfertility. This project seeks to develop advanced reproductive technologies to characterise sperm quality; establish optimal diets; and develop artificial fertilization and sperm cryopreservation techniques for superior male broodstock to accelerate selective breeding.
- Investigators
- Jon Irish Aquino, John Cavalieri, Leo Nankervis and Estelle Venter in collaboration with Chaoshu Zeng and Lisa Elliot (College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, College of Science & Engineering and Australian Crayfish Hatchery)
- Keywords
- Cherax quadricarinatus; Sperm quality; Redclaw crayfish aquaculture; Sperm freezing; Broodstock nutrition; Artificial fertilization
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment - Contract Research
Protein and energy requirements of grass emperor
- Indicative Funding
- $10,000 over 1 year
- Summary
- This contributes to the DAFF project developing grass emperor as a new aquaculture species. Being new to aquaculture, we lack a fundamental understanding of appropriate feeds. This project will address the protein and energy requirements of grass emperor to gain baseline understanding of appropriate feed macronutrient levels.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Grass Emperor; Aquaculture; Nutrition; Lethrinus Laticaudis (Lethrinidae); Protein; Energy
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research - Contract Research
PNG & Pacific Island Nations Feeds Review.
- Indicative Funding
- $33,085 over 1 year
- Summary
- Review the barriers to expansion of tilapia aquaculture for development in PNG, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, with special reference to feeds and fingerlings.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Papua New Guinea; Nutrition; Pacific Islands; Feeds; Aquaculture
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research - Fisheries Program - Small Research Activity
Supporting grouper farming small holders in Vietnam to produce commercial feeds
- Indicative Funding
- $206,468 over 2 years
- Summary
- Developing key nutrient requirements for giant grouper in Australia for application to Australia and Vietnam. The project is based at JCU Townsville, with engagement from key stakeholders in the aquafeed industry in Vietnam through development of an Expert Working Group for dissemination and input into future research. It is aimed at developing feeds for grouper that enable smallholders to transition from `trash? fish feeding to commercially produced feeds and to support the industry in R&D dissemination, implementation and feed supply debottlenecking.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Grouper; Fish Nutrition; Formulated Feeds; Nutrient Requirements; Vietnam; Developing Countries
CRC for Developing Northern Australia - Grant
Improved education and training models to futureproof the aquaculture industry need for skilled staff to 2050
- Indicative Funding
- $128,155 over 1 year, in partnership with LMC Training Pty Ltd ($1,000) and the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation ($18,200)
- Summary
- By evaluating industry workforce needs currently and into the future and analysing the gaps between industry need and educational output, we aim to highlight gaps in careers pathways to meet future industry requirements. These careers pathways will form the basis of promotional tools created to highlight education and skills development options that lead secondary students into the aquaculture industry. Cost-effective delivery models for training will be key to the outcomes of the project and a pilot project to up-skill existing industry employees in biosecurity will be used to develop and de-bottleneck new training delivery models.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis, Kelly Condon and Amy Diedrich (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- aquaculture; Careers; educational models
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research - Contract Research
Grouper nutrition review
- Indicative Funding
- $50,272 over 1 year
- Summary
- A new ACIAR Concept Note is in preparation for the continuation of ACIAR investment in hybrid grouper aquaculture in Vietnam (FIS/2020/106). In parallel with the development of the Concept Note that will include a high level approach to nutrition research, a desk-top review of existing research is needed to prepare a targeted and practical research focus for the grow-out nutrition component of the project. The frequency of publication of peer-reviewed articles in grouper nutrition is ever increasing and understanding the current status of research is critical in order to maximise ACIAR investment in this area. The review will inform the detail of the experimental approach in the next ACIAR project, which needs to be planned in advance of the project start to maximise outcomes (possible start in July 2021). In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented further scoping travel to Vietnam in the short-term which will necessitate careful remote planning with proposed research partners to identify the most appropriate research systems and resource requirements in Vietnam and Australia for this research component (to be considered in time for resource requirements to be included in the Concept Note submitted in June 2019).
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis and Jennifer Cobcroft (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Aquaculture; Vietnam; Grouper (Epinephelus sp); Marine Fish Hatcheries; Fish Nutrition; Developing Economies
Tarac Technologies Pty Ltd - Contract Research
Acti-meal dose-response for abalone.
- Indicative Funding
- $59,500 over 1 year
- Summary
- Tarac international wish to evaluate their grape marc commercially marketed as `Acti-Meal?. This has shown positive effects on growth for greenlip abalone. Marketing this product needs further validation and examination of mode-of-action, which we hope to elaborate with this project. This research is expected to lead on to further contracts with Tarac, including abalone and prawn nutrition.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Fish Nutrition; Consultancy; Commercial Feeds
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research - Contract Research
ACIAR Lobster Nutrition Review
- Indicative Funding
- $35,490 over 1 year
- Summary
- A new ACIAR scoping project is being prepared in support of possible new ACIAR investment in tropical rock lobster (Panulirus homarus and Panulirus ornatus) aquaculture in Indonesia. A thorough review of literature is proposed in order to prepare for the nutrition and feeds development component of the project, ensuring that we apply the learnings from previous projects and current scientific literature. The review will inform the detail of the experimental approach in a proposed new ACIAR project, which will benefit from advanced planning prior to the project start to maximise outcomes (possible start in July 2021). In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented any scoping travel to Indonesia in the short-term, providing opportunity to complete a review and facilitating best use of resources once the project starts.
- Investigators
- Leo Nankervis and Clive Jones (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Aquaculture; Indonesia; Lobster (Panulirus sp); Developing Economies; Crustacean nutrition; Review
- Supervision
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Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.
These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.
- Current
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- Planktivorous fishes on coral reefs: A trophic exploration (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
- Sperm quality of male redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus): Insights from conventional and advanced sperm diagnostic tools, methods of spermatophore collection, and broodstock nutrition (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
- Enhancing reproduction in female redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) for commercial juvenile production (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
- Cryopreservation methods for gametes and embryos of groupers and pearl oysters (Masters , Primary Advisor)
- Effects of dietary level of Phosphorus on growth and skeletal formation in giant grouper (PhD , Primary Advisor)
- Investigation of Skin Coloration of Coral Trout Plectropomus leopardus to solve darkening Skin issues in its Mariculture (PhD , Primary Advisor)
- Tracing the impacts of Dietary Starch on growth, physiology and health of Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) (PhD , Primary Advisor)
- Nutritional Requirement Study and Optimised Feed Development for Red Snapper (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
- Collaboration
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The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.- 5+ collaborations
- 4 collaborations
- 3 collaborations
- 2 collaborations
- 1 collaboration
- Indicates the Tropics (Torrid Zone)
Connect with me
- Phone
- Location
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- 32.015, Sir George Fisher Research Building (Townsville campus)
- Advisory Accreditation
- Primary Advisor
- Find me on…
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My research areas
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Dr Clive JonesMarine & Aquaculture Sciences
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A/Prof Chaoshu ZengMarine & Aquaculture Sciences
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Dr Mark CyrusMarine & Aquaculture Sciences
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A/Prof Matthew TanCollege of Science & Engineering