Uncovering Chronic Stress in Crustaceans: A Project Partnership Between SWP and CrustaWohl

As of late November 2024, Shrimp Welfare Project (SWP) signed the latest collaboration agreement with CrustaWohl, a cutting-edge research initiative by the Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI), which aims to extract sensitive parameters for the evaluation of chronic stressors that compromise shrimp welfare.

By investigating husbandry practices such as water quality, stocking densities, and handling procedures, CrustaWohl brings a robust, scientific approach to understanding and mitigating chronic stress in shrimp farming. Additionally, through the development of an animal welfare evaluation system to assess and improve shrimp welfare in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), CrustaWohl will utilise multidisciplinary methodologies—ranging from video analysis and AI behaviour monitoring to genomic studies—for a deeper understanding of shrimp health and well-being.

This is a fully collaborative partnership and SWP will integrate CrustaWohl’s findings into practical welfare standards, ensuring that producers can adopt these insights to minimise stress and enhance both welfare and product quality. Together, we are bridging the gap between research and practice to empower industry with tools for ethical and sustainable shrimp farming with broader environmental and societal benefits—from improved health and reduced disease outbreaks to enhanced resource efficiency. 

This represents another step toward transforming shrimp farming into a model of responsible aquaculture.