Devin Fitzgerald Email & Phone Number

Ben Lomond, Ca, Us

Ben Lomond, Ca, Us

Moss Landing, California, United States

Design, organize and execute research grant projects with staff, students, and stakeholders to support aquaculture extension activities aligned with CASG goals.

Establish and support hatchery methods for Olympia oyster conservation aquaculture projects.Create effective protocol for roe enhancement to support urchin ranching economic feasibility.Develop culture methods and provide larval care for the critically endangered Sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) alongside experts.Maintain marine microalgae cultures for live animal feeds at various life stages.Assist extension staff with outreach, project reports, and staff management.

Developed a water stable Red abalone feed with varying levels of grape pomace, a co-product of the wine making process.

Santa Cruz, California

Assisted with the design, construction, and operation of a recirculating aquaculture facility used to support digestibility and fish growth performance experiments.Installed parameter monitoring, emergency backup, and alert notification systems while coordinating with campus network services and vendors to ensure live animal safety 24/7. Managed a live animal care facility and multi-use laboratory space used to support research projects for 2 USDA (Animal Nutrition, and Interdisciplinary Engagement in Animal Science) grants and their projects.Maintained laboratory apparatus, equipment, chemical inventory used for regular water quality testing and biochemical analysis. Prepared and analyzed scientific samples using novel (pH stat in-vitro digestibility, anti-nutrient quantifying bioassay) and established methods (EPA3050b, ICP-OES, elemental combustion, benchtop VIS and UV-VIS spectrophotometry). Sample preparation for ICP analysis included safely using strong acids, diluting concentrated test samples to meet expected output values, creating and maintaining standards solutions for precise analytical results.Developed collaborations with researchers within the department and industry, as well as within overlapping fields of interest. Used established laboratory techniques and protocols for monitoring nutrient concentrations in aquaculture wastewater and the nutritional content of novel feed ingredients.Procured and installed a laboratory-scale extruder, created a protocol for extrusion of aquatic animal feeds, and established a protocol to process novel algae ingredients.Developed optimal RAS operation protocols and training schedule for laboratory scale facility to support new aquaculturist and grant projects. Trained and supervised over a dozen students from diverse backgrounds in (RAS) operation, maintenance, and water quality parameters. Ensured lab safety training compliance for all staff, students, and interns.

Santa Cruz, California, United States

Promoted to associate specialist.

Hanover, Nh

Established a standard operating procedure for the aquaculture laboratory used to support USDA animal nutrition grants.Managed a live animal care facility and laboratory bench, provided training, ensured training compliance, and updated chemical inventories.Implemented protocols to care for tilapia, maintained recirculating aquaculture systems, and performed water quality assessments.Conducted digestibility experiments and feed trials using microalgae in novel formulations.Cultured microalgae using wastewater from regional breweries, assessed growth and conducted biomass estimates and colony forming unit tests.Mentored undergraduate interns and students, provided methods training and assisted with new research projects.Currently investigating the digestibility of several microalgae species and their possible incorporation in tilapia feed formulae to replace fishmeal and fish oil, while examining the assimilation of microalgae-based diets into an integrated food energy systems (IFES).Specifically, I have designed daily operations protocol for tilapia care tailored to our lab-scale recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) drawn from my past experience running commercial rearing systems at Australis Aquaculture. At Australis and for my current position I am responsible for performing water chemistry involved in fish husbandry, health assessments, and monitoring key growth performance indicators. I assisted two professors with conducting nutrient analysis, digestibility and nutritional feeding experiments using processed microalgae product over the last year. I have, through biology and chemistry based laboratory experience, helped develop an agglutination assay to detect anti-nutritional proteins in microalgae product, aided in culturing a specific algae on brewery waste, and run acid digestions to process material for phosphorous content testing.

Turners Falls Ma

Working with Barrmundi (Lates calcarifer) from 0.3g to 450-600g. Familiar with health and operation requirements at all size classes.Tasked with the active management of 2 separate 130,000 gallon systems containing up to 90,000 fish in each. Plan and organize minimal as well as large scale and advanced maintenance projects Perform daily chores that include collecting mortality, distributing feed, checking components, and completing system checklistsMaintain essential system components (sump pumps, valves, motors, etc)Regulate water quality parameters and administer treatments for tank cleaning and fish healthSample and record culture tank population data including weight sample, size grades and feed requirements Organize and perform fish grades and movement at different life stages between the appropriate systemsCollect and test culture water, and waste water samples for daily chemistry analyses using a standard lab equipment.Perform fish dissections and health surveys to assess the quality of gills, lamella and organs. Prepare, and examine skin scrapes for parasitic organisms.Respond and troubleshoot overnight alarms and problems with system hydraulics (including holiday and weekends