Postdoctoral Researcher in fish welfare

Job Details

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join our team for a two-year fixed-

term contract. The successful candidate will perform research in aquaculture and fish ethology,

within the remit of the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare. The role involves

developing indicators for negative affective states in fish and evaluating environmental enrichment

strategies to promote positive welfare in sustainable aquaculture systems.

Role Overview

This position is exclusively focused on aquatic species (including seabream, seabass and eventually

other species). The researcher will split their time between two complementary projects: one

focused on identifying robust biomarkers and behavioural indicators for negative welfare states, and

the other on implementing and assessing Positive Animal Welfare practices within finfish

aquaculture.

Project 1: Novel Measures for Negative Affective States in Fish

The first component focuses on developing animal-based measures (ABMs) for negative affective

states in fish and exploring their relationship with health and disease resistance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing ABMs for Pain & Discomfort: Investigate behavioural, affective and physiological

responses to nociceptive stimuli and management stressors such as handling, vaccination,

and transport for seabream and seabass. This includes validating indicators during

preslaughter processes, such as crowding, electrical stunning and slaughter in ice

• Assessing Chronic Low Arousal (Boredom) & Fear: Compare behaviour in barren versus

enriched tanks to identify indicators of boredom and apathy in species like seabream and

seabass. Evaluate fear and frustration responses to overcrowding and stocking density

stress using markers such as cortisol, oxygen consumption, and molecular profiling.

• Health Interrelationships: Study the impact of negative affective states on immune function,

including resistance to pathogens and resilience under aggressive environmental contexts.

Project 2: Promoting Positive Welfare in Aquaculture

The second component involves testing innovative husbandry practices—specifically Environmental

Enrichment (EE) to foster positive welfare states while evaluating environmental and economic

sustainability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist on the management and execution of empirical studies in Aquaculture context, testing

EE strategies (physical, sensory, dietary, cognitive or social) in lab scale, net-pen or tank-

based systems.

• Assess the implementation potential of these practices by measuring animal welfare

(behaviour, cognition, stress tolerance), and commercial feasibility in European context.

• Collaborate with focus groups of farmers and experts to identify barriers and opportunities

for implementing monitoring systems and EE in EU aquaculture contexts.

• Investigate how enriched rearing conditions may improve thermal resilience and stress

tolerance in the face of climate change.

Requirements

Essential:

• A PhD in Aquaculture, Fish Ethology, Fish Physiology, or a related biological discipline
• Knowledge of animal welfare science (the Five Domains, Nature/Function/Feelings based

approaches, Operational definitions, etc)

• Demonstrated experience in fish welfare assessment, particularly regarding behavioural

observation tools and physiological sampling.

• Knowledge of aquaculture production systems (e.g., RAS, net-pen, or earthen ponds) in

Europe

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently

Desirable:

Experience in one or more of the following areas will be considered an asset:

• Experience with neuroendocrinology, molecular markers(omics), or sensor technology.
• Experience in conducting cognitive bias tests or vitality assessments in fish.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and dialogue (e.g. training in industry environment;

policy advice; NGO context)

Contact Information

Application Deadline: 28th of February 2026

How to Apply

Send a CV and cover letter to careers@fishethogroup.net

Your CV should be no longer than 3 pages (no photo required). Your cover letter (maximum 1 page)

should address:

• Your motivation to work in fish welfare
• Why you believe you are well-suited for this position
• How your experience could contribute to our work and fish welfare in general

High-ranking candidates will be invited for an interview between 09th and 13th of March. The position

will start in 01st of April 2026.