Norman Ragg
Research Scientist – Shellfish Biology and Physiology
Qualifications
- PhD (Animal Physiology). University of Canterbury, 2003
- MSc (Shellfisheries/Biology/Culture). University of Wales, 1994
- BSc (Hons, Marine Biology). University of Wales, 1992
Role at Cawthron
Norman leads the physiology team at Cawthron, drawing on a background of work in the aquaculture industry combined with training as a classical biologist focusing on physiology. This is brought to bear in a range of projects where the physiology of aquaculture species is a key issue, such as:
- Quantifying stress and resilience in shellfish
- Mitigating the effects of ocean acidification and warming: building resilience in the aquaculture industry
- Identifying resource-efficient shellfish families for use in selective breeding
- Optimising hatchery processes
- Enhancing meat quality and yield through good harvest practice and transport technology
Technical skills, experience and interests
- Introduction of physiological tools and scientific discipline to optimise the effectiveness of aquaculture research
- Integration of selective breeding with physiological performance parameters
- Climate change simulation and mitigation
- Baseline biological description of novel aquaculture species
- True sustainability in the primary industry, minimising or even eliminating net environmental impact while optimising productivity
Professional affiliations
- Society for Experimental Biology
- Malacological Society (London)
- Royal Society of New Zealand
- Australia – New Zealand Society for Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
- New Zealand Marine Sciences Society
- Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
View Norman's ResearchGate profile here
Publication links
- Ibarrola I, Hilton Z and Ragg NLC 2017. Physiological basis of inter-population, inter-familiar and intra-familiar differences in growth rate in the green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus. Aquaculture. Volume 479. Pages 544-555.
- Powell JA, Ragg NLC and Dunphy BJ 2017. Phenotypic biomarkers in selectively-bred families of the Greenshell™ mussel (Perna canaliculus): Anaerobic enzyme and shell gape behaviour as biomarkers of prolonged emersion tolerance. Aquaculture. Volume 479. Pages 601-608.
- Law CS, Bell JJ, Bostock HC, Cornwall CE, Cummings VJ, Currie K, Davy SK, Gammon M, Hepburn CD, Hurd CL, Lamare M, Mikaloff-Fletcher SE, Nelson WA, Parsons DM, Ragg NLC and Sewell MA, Smith AM, Tracey DM 2017. Ocean acidification in New Zealand waters: trends and impacts.
- Le DV, Alfaro AC, Pook C, Ragg NLC, Hilton Z and King N 2017. Biochemical composition of New Zealand geoduck clam broodstock (Panopea zelandica) conditioned under different temperature and feeding regimes. Aquaculture Research. Volume 48, Issue 4. Pages 1799-1814.
- Le DV, Alfaro AC, Ibarrola I, Ragg NLC, Hilton Z and King N 2017. Allometric scaling of physiological rates in the New Zealand geoduck clam, Panopea zelandica. Aquaculture. Volume 473. Pages 105-109.
- Le DV, Alfaro AC, Ragg NLC, Hilton Z and King N 2017. Establishing the thermal window for aerobic scope in New Zealand geoduck clams (Panopea zelandica). Journal of Comparative Physiology B. Volume 187, Issue 2. Pages 265-276.
- Le DV, Alfaro AC, Ragg NLC, Hilton Z, Watts E and King N 2017. Functional morphology and performance of New Zealand geoduck clam (Panopea zelandica) larvae reared in a flow-through system. Aquaculture. Volume 468, Part 1. Pages 32-44.
- Ragg NLC and Watts E 2015. Physiological indicators of stress and morbidity in commercially handled abalone, Haliotis iris. Journal of Shellfish Research. 34(2). Pages 455-467.
- Dunphy BJ, Watts E and Ragg NLC 2015. Identifying thermally-stressed adult green-lipped mussels (perna canaliculus gmelin,1791) via metabolomic profiling. American Malacological Bulletin 33: Pages 1-9.
- Khor S, Wood SA, Salvitti L, Ragg NLC, McNabb P and Cary SC 2013. Development of a non-lethal biopsy technique for estimating total tetrodotoxin concentrations in the grey side-gilled sea slug Pleurobranchaea maculata. Toxicon 74. Pages 27-33 .
- Ragg NLC, Watts E and others 2013. Progress towards the establishment of baseline haemocyte parameters for the Greenshell™ mussel Perna canaliculus. Fish & Shellfish Immunology 34(6): 1674-1674.
- Dunphy BJ, Ragg NLC and Collings MG 2013. Latitudinal comparison of thermotolerance and HSP70 production in F2 larvae of the Greenshell™ mussel (Perna canaliculus). Journal of Experimental Biology 216 (7) Pages 1202-1209.
- Lurman GJ, Hilton Z and Ragg NLC 2013. Energetics of byssus attachment and feeding in the green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus. Biological Bulletin 224(2): 79-88.
- Ragg NLC, King N, Watts E and Morrish J 2010. Optimising the delivery of the key dietary diatom Chaetoceros calcitrans to intensively cultured Greenshell™ mussel larvae, Perna canaliculus. Aquaculture 306(1-4): 270-280.
- Petrone L, Ragg NLC, Girvan L and McQuillan AJ 2009. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-Ray microanalysis of Perna canaliculus mussel larvae adhesive secretion. Journal of Adhesion 85(2-3): 78-96.
- Ragg NLC and Taylor HH 2006. Heterogeneous perfusion of the paired gills of the abalone Haliotis iris: an unusual mechanism for respiratory control. J. Exp. Biol. 209, 475-483.
- Ragg NLC and Taylor HH 2006. Oxygen uptake, diffusion limitation, and diffusing capacity of the bipectinate gills of the abalone, Haliotis iris. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A. 143, 299-306.
View more publications
+64 3 548 2319 ext 297 or 716
norman.ragg@cawthron.org.nz