Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment

School of Life and Environmental Sciences

Dr Fernando Norambuena
  Phone   +61 3 556 33021
Email   f.norambuena@deakin.edu.au
Position   Senior Associate Research Fellow in Aquaculture Biochemistry
Campus   Warrnambool
Research grouping   Marine and Freshwater Science

I have conducted extensive research on the biochemistry of fish nutrition including those factors
contributing to reproductive problems of fish. I have focused my studies in the metabolism and dietary
requirements of fatty acids, especially arachidonic acid (20:4n-6, ARA) during maturation. I have
studied the ARA cyclooxygenase pathway to produce prostaglandins and their effect on cholesterol
and steroid synthesis. Moreover, I have studied the elongation and desaturation capacity of the fish to
produce polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6) and the storage capacity of fish tissues in terms of ARA and
n-6 fatty acids. I also studied the capacity of sole fish to use a self-feeding system and the self-
selection of fatty acids during the maturation. Previous to these studies, I have worked and
studied Feed Manufacture Technology in Norway, where I was involved in research projects on animal
feed production and the optimization of pneumatic conveyor systems used in salmonid farms. Prior to
this I worked in salmon production in the South of Chile and as a research in projects conducted to
evaluate the environmental impact and feeding process of fish farms.

I am interested in fish diets optimisation, lipid and fatty acid metabolism, biosynthesis of eicosanoids
and their effect on the fish physiology and particularly interested in the welfare of fish and the develop
of a sustainable aquaculture.

Short term research visit:

Stirling University, Nutrition Research Group (Scotland, UK), 2008 and 2010.
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB-IBB), Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, 2010.
Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal, Spain (IATS), 2011.

Research interests

  1. Diets optimisation, lipid and fatty acid metabolism, biosynthesis of eicosanoids and their effect on the fish physiology


Career

PhD in Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
MSc in Feed Manufacturing Technology, Norwegian University of Life Science, Norway (UMB)
Eng. in Aquaculture, Southern University of Chile (UACH)

Key publications

Norambuena, F., Morais, S., Estevez, A., Bell, J.G., Tocher, D.R., Navarro, J.C., Cerdŕ, J. & Duncan, N. (2013) Dietary modulation of arachidonic fatty acid metabolism in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) broodstock reared in captivity Aquaculture 372–375, 80-88

Norambuena, F., Sánchez-Vásquez, J., Estevez, A., Carazo, I. & Duncan, N. (2012) Self-selection of diets with different content of arachidonic acid by Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) broodtock Aquaculture 364-365, 198-205

Norambuena, F., Mackenzie, S., Bell, J.G., Callol, A., Estevéz, A. & Duncan, N. (2012) Prostaglandin (F and E, 2-and 3-series) production and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) gene expression of wild and cultured broodstock of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) Gen. Comp. Endocr. 177, 256-262

Norambuena, F., Estevez, A., Bell, G., Carazo, I. & Duncan, N. (2012) Proximate and fatty acid composition in muscle, liver and gonads of wild versus cultured broodstock of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) Aquaculture 356-357, 176-185

Soto, D. & Norambuena, F. (2004) Evaluation of salmon farming effects on marine systems in the inner seas of southern Chile: a large-scale mensurative experiment J. Appl. Ichthyol. 20, 493-501

View entire list of audited publications

Professional activities

Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA), Catalonia, Spain
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
Norwegian University of Life Science (UMB)
Southern University of Chile (UACH)


Deakin University acknowledges the traditional land owners of present campus sites.

8th February 2013