Dr. M. Refik Orhun

Technology Transfer Specialist

  Marine Fish Aquaculture and Seafood Quality

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Education

2001    Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Fisheries (MBF), Rosenstiel School, University of Miami (UM)

1989    M.S. in Ecology (Culture and physiology of marine fish larvae), San Diego State University

1981    Biological Oceanography and Zoology, Universität Kiel, Germany (then West)

1979    Vor-Diplom in Biology und Chemistry, Universität Tübingen, Germany (then West)


Experience

11/2007 – Present    Research Fishery Biologist, Commerical Fisheries Statistics and Sustainable Marine Fish Aquaculture Development, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), NOAA-Fisheries, US Dept. Commerce

01/2003 – 08/2007    Associate Scientist, Director of Marine Fish Hatchery, and Technology Transfer Manager for ICommercial Aquaculture Development, Aquaculture Program,  Division of Marine Affairs (MAF), Rosenstiel School, University of Miami (UM)

05/1997 - Present  Seafood Professional working on Seafood Safety and Quality matters.  Serving as an independent third party professional in assisting the seafood industry. in implementing seafood safety procedures, from quality assurance and control to verification, certification and auditing. Assisting in HACCP plan development for compliance with government and more traceability. as  it is demanded more and more from the overall market. Communicated with federal, state and local government agencies implementation, interpretation, and priorities in latest regulations.

Updated HACCP plans to meet compliance towards the FDA and state regulations, e.g. those regulated by Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety. Analyzed microbiological and chemical seafood safety tests. Gave consulting advice on processing and value-adding related issues. Recommended, designed and directed research & development projects. Inspected seafood and illustrated quality with digital pictures and made available with copies of written inspection reports to clients via protected folders on my Sciencefish.com web site at URL: http://www.sciencefish.com .

Served the following seafood Clients: Anova Foods USA, Aquachile, Aquafarms International, Lan Chile, Morey's Seafood International, Pescanova USA, Regal Springs, Salmones Multiexport, Stolt Sea Farm, and Sysco Corporation. Served the following logistics clients: Hellmann Perishable Logistics, Preferred Freezer at Medley, Miami and Los Angeles locations, Consolidated Freight Forwarders at Miami and Los Angeles locations, Miami International Transit. Maintains contact with two seafood testing laboratories: Kappa Labs and Silliker Laboratories.

06/1994 - Present        Marine Fish Aquaculture Technology Transfer Specialist. Marine fish hatchery design with

specific considerations given to simplification of culture procedures, increase in efficiency and intensification, and ergonomics of culture systems.  These include all aspect from maturation, to live food production systems (i.e. microalgae, rotifers, copepods, and Artemia), to incubation, larval rearing  through weaning and nursery systems for appied research in commercial-level production of marine fish juveniles in 12-15m3 tanks.. Served as aquaculture expert for the following clients: Aquaculture Center of the Florida Keys-Marathon/FL, Aquasense/NJ, Bahamas and Panama, BahiaPesca-Bahia/Brazil, EcoMicrobials-Miami/FL, Blue and Green International-Lima/Peru, Dellta-Bahia/Brazil, Deltaqua-Istanbul/Turkey, FincaMarina-Campeche/Mexico, IxoyeYucatan/Mexico, Reed Mariculture-Campbell/CA, Rokaviar-Homestead/FL, Snapperfarm-Culebra/Puerto Rico, TWB-Sao Paulo/Brazil and Aqualider,  Recife/Brazil and Mainstream, Puerto Montt/Chile.

 

02/2002 - 08/2002    Finance Statistician, Johnson & Johnson, Pharmaceuticals, South America

09/1998 – 09/2003   Research Assistant and Post-Doctoral Fellow, Fisheries Ecosystem Modeling and

                              Assessment Research (FEMAR) Group MBF - Rosenstiel School, UM

09/1992 - 08/1998    Research Assistant, Marine Fish Hatchery, MBF - Rosenstiel School, UM

06/1984 - 05/1992    Hatchery Manager, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, San Diego, CA.

                              Produced hundreds of thousands of white seabass fingerlings for the Ocean Resource Enhancement Project (stock enhancement project sponsored by the Calif. Dept. Fish & Game. Developed experience in capture, maturation, spawning, larval rearing, fingerling production and grow out of the marine fish species (only primary seafood species mentioned): California halibut, Corvina, dolphin (mahi-mahi), giant seabass, striped bass, yellowtail jack, Yellowfin tuna, and white seabass.

06/1982 - 05/1984    Research Assistant, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Dept of Commerce (USDC), La Jolla, CA. Conducted experiments of the physiology of marine fish larvae, specifically white seabass, California halibut and northern anchovy. Reared of over 25 cohorts of white seabass and 2 cohorts of California halibut over a two year period as part of a San Diego State's Master thesis research that directly resulted in the implementation of a stock enhancement project for white seabass and California halibut by the State ofCalifornia at the completion of the project and presentation of the results to the California Coastal Commission.

 

Marine Aquaculture Technology Transfer Projects

2007/8            Cobia aquaculture technology transfer contract with Aqualider, Recife, Brazil

2006/7            Cobia aquaculture technology transfer contract with FincaMarina, Campeche, Mexico

2006/7            Cobia aquaculture technology transfer contract with Ixoye Tropicales Yucatan, Mexico

2006/7            Cobia aquaculture technology transfer contract with TWB, Ilha Comprida-SP, Brazil

2006               Cobia aquaculture technology transfer contract with Cobia Bahia, Salvador do Bahia,  

                      Brazil

2004/6            Cobia aquaculture technology transfer contract with Aquasense, Bahamas

2002/7            Cobia and Snapper aquaculture technology transfer contract with Snapperfarms,

                      Puerto Rico.

 

Funded Government and NGO Projects

2007/8   Demonstrating technological and economic feasibility of cobia (Rachycentron canadum)   aquaculture from hatchery to market. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Aquaculture Program, U.S. Dept. of Commerce (USDC)

2007       Evaluation of cobia production in a fully contained, environmentally, sustainable recirculating = marine aquaculture system. NOAA - Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) Program, USDC

2007      Reduction of fishmeal in cobia diets. Elizabeth Dunn Foundation

2006/7   Cobia aquaculture technology transfer contracts with FincaMarina, Campeche, Mexico, IxoyeTropicales Yucatan, Mexico, and TWB, Ilha Comprida-SP, Brazil.

2006/7   Molecular evaluation of adaptation to stress conditions in cobia larvae and juveniles cultured with and without the use of probiotics. NOAA, LMRCSC Program, USDC

2004/6  Improved hatchery technology of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) using proactive microbial management and a simplified live food regime. FL Sea Grant Program, NOAA, USDC

2004/6   Demonstrating hatchery and offshore growout technology for production of cobia (R. canadum) from egg to market. NOAA National Marine Aquaculture Program, USDC

2004      Intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive fingerling production of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) in Florida using tanks, mesocosms and ponds. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Aquaculture Division

 

Affiliations and Award

2005 – Present    Member of the Animal Care & Use Committee, UM

2003 – Present    Environmental Health and Safety Officer, Marine Fish Hatchery, UM

1992 – Present    Member of the American Fisheries Society (incl. Early Life History Section)

1987 – Present    Member of the World Aquaculture Society

1992    Best student paper in Fisheries Biology, awarded by the American Institute of Fishery Research

                              Biologists at the Southern California Academy of Sciences meeting, L.A., California

 

Other related Skills

Computer:  Operating systems: Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX

Programming:  FORTRAN, UNIX scripts, html

Software:         SAS, SQL, IDL, Matlab, MS EXCEL, MS WORD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Canvas

Field work:       Research Diver and Boat Operator

Languages      German:         No Accent or native

                      Turkish:          No Accent or native

                      Spanish:         Advanced

                      Portuguese:    Intermediate to Advanced

                      French:           Intermediate

 

Related Certificates and Licenses

2002 - HACCP certification, Seafood Inspection Section, NMFS-USDC

2002 -  Participant, First World Congress on Sustainable Fisheries held at Rosenstiel School, UM

2001 -  Participant, National Fisheries Institute (NFI) meeting, West Coast Seafood, Los Angeles, CA

1999 -  Laboratory Safety Training certification, UM

1999 -  Advanced Nitrox Diver certification, Diving Safety Office, Rosenstiel School, UM

1995 -  Boating and Seamanship certification, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

1994 -  Research Diver, Diving Safety Office UM

1992 -  2004  CPR and First Aid certifications, Diving Safety Office - UM                  

1986 -  Fish diseases (2 week workshop), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego CA.

1982 -  Scientific Diver and Small Boat certification, Diving Safety Office, San Diego State Univ., CA

 

Relevant Presentations and Publications (Book Chapters, Abstracts) 

2008      Benetti, D.D., Sardenberg, B., Welch, A., Hoenig, R., Orhun, M.R., and Zink, I. Intensive Larval Husbandry and Fingerling Production of Cobia, Rachycentron canadum. Aquaculture 281(1-4), 22-27. link to publication preview

2008      Benetti, D., O’Hanlon, B., Sardenberg, B., Orhun, R., Brand, L., Rivera, J., Welch, A., Hoenig, R., Zink, I., Denlinger, B., Bacoat, D., Palmer, K. Advances in hatchery and growout technology of Cobia Rachycentron canadum. World Aquaculture Society (WAS) 2008, Orlando, Florida, CD of Abstracts, 29. link to abstract

2007      Orhun. M.R. and Benetti, D.D. Advances in hatchery and growout technlogy of Cobia Rachycentron canadum in the Americas. Aquaculture Europe 2007, Oct.24-27, 2007, Istanbul, Turkey. CD of Abstracts, 401-402.

2007      Sardenberg, B., Benetti, D., Orhun,R., Welsh, A., Hoenig, R., Zink, I., Nunes, M., Bacoat, D., Cavalin, F., Palmer, K. Maturation, spawning, intensive larval rearing and mass fingerlings production of Cobia Rachycentron canadum. The 3rd international sustainable marine fish culture Conference 2007 at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI). link to abstract

2007      Benetti, D., Orhun, R., Zink, I., Cavalin, F., Sardenberg, B., Palmer, K., Denlinger, B., Bacoat, D., and B. O’Hanlon. Aquaculture of Cobia Rachycentron canadum in the Americas and the Caribbean. In “Cobia Aquaculture: Research Development and Commercial Production” (I Chiu Liao and Eduardo M. Leano (eds.), 57-77. link to publication

2007       Benetti, D., O’Hanlon, B., Orhun, R., Rivera, J., Sardenberg, B., Zink, I., Cavalin, F., Palmer, K., Bacoat, D., Denlinger, B. An Update on Open Ocean Aquaculture of Cobia Rachycentron canadum in the Americas. World Aquaculture Society (WAS) 2007, San Antonio, Texas, Book of Abstracts, 74. link to abstract

2007      Orhun, R., Benetti, D., Zink, P., Cavalin, F.,Sardenberg, B. Palmer, K, Denlinger, B., Bacoat, D., and P.A. Douillet. Simplified Food Regime for Larval Rearing of Cobia Rachycentron canadum. World Aquaculture Society 2007, San Antonio, Texas, Book of Abstracts, pg: 688.

2006 Orhun, R., Benetti, D., Zink I., Collins, J. Rice, P., Cavalin, F., Sardenberg, B., Douillet. P. Progress in hatchery technology of Cobia Rachycentron canadum at the University of Miami Experimental hatchery (UMEH). WAS 2006, Firenza, Italy, Book of Abstracts, 684.link to abstract

2006       Zink, I., Cavalin, F., Bacoat, D., Denlinger, B., Palmer, K., Sardenburg, Kirkpatrick, R., Orhun, R. Benetti, D. A. U.S. Trials compare commercial diets fed to juvenile Cobia. GAA Advocate Vol. 9 (2): 53-54. link to publication

2006     Benetti, D., O’Hanlon, B., Orhun, R., Brand, L., Rivera, J., Zink, I. Douillet, P., Collins, J., Maxey, C., Danylchuk, A., Alston, D., Cabarcas, A. Hatchery, on technology and environmental monitoring of open ocean aquaculture of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) in the Caribbean. WAS 2006, Firenza, Italy, Book of abstracts, pg: 76.

2005    Benetti, D.D., M. Nakada and M.R. Orhun.Aquaculture of Yellowtail Hamachi, Seriola quinqueradiata. Aquaculture Compendium, CABI Ed. Available at the internet at http://www.cabicompendium.org/ac/datasheet.asp?CCODE=SEROQU and as CD.

2005      Orhun, R., Benetti, D., Zink, I, Collins, J, Rice, P., Cavalin, F., Sardenberg, B, Douillet, P. Progress in hatchery development of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) at the University of Miami Experimental Hatchery (UMEH). The 2nd international sustainable marine fish culture conference, 2005 at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI).

2005     Rotman, F.J. Benetti, D.D., DeMicco, E. and, and M.R. Orhun. Larval rearing of spotted seatrout,Cynoscion nebulosus (Sciaenidae) using probiotics as microbial control agent. J. Aquacult. Tropics. Indian Inst. of Technology, May 2005: 175-184.          

2004      Benetti, D.D., O’Hanlon, B., Ayvazian, J., Orhun, M.R., Rivera, J.A., Rice, P.H., and Douillet, P.A. From Egg to Market: The development of a new, sustainable offshore aquaculture industry in Florida (US) and the Caribbean. WAS 2004, Honolulu, HI. Book of abstracts, pg.: 53.

2003     Orhun, M.R., Benetti, D.D. Potential of sciaenid fishes for offshore aquaculture. WAS annual conference 2003. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Book of abstracts, Vol. 2, 543.

2002      Benetti, D.D. and Orhun, M.R. Aquaculture of pelagic fish: IV. Cobia (Rachycentron canadum). GAA Advocate Vol. 5(1), 61-62. link to publication

2001      Benetti, D.D., Alarcon J.F., Stevens, O., Rotman, F., Banner-Stevens, G., Zimmermann, S., Feeley, M.W., Matzie, W., Orhun, M.R., O'Hanlon, B., Eldridge, L. Marine fish culture in Latin American and Caribbean countries. GAA Advocate Vol. 4 (4): 71-74. link to publication

2001      Orhun, M.R., Benetti, D.D.  Rotifer management in marine fish culture. GAA Adv. 4 (3): 49-50. link to publication

2001     Orhun, M.R. Marine fish larvae dynamics.  An empirical and quantitative analysis.  Ph.D. dissertation. University of Miami, 201pg.

1997      Haktenir, A.T., Beken, M.D., and Orhun, M.R.  Design and application of a 16-port feeder control unit. In "Mediterranean Fisheries Congress". Proceeding of the Mediterranean Fisheries Congress 1997, Istanbul, Turkey. (B. Hossu ed.), 119-122. 

1993      Orhun, M.R. Growth and energetics of larval white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis (Sciaenidae). Ann. Conf. Amer. Fish. Soc, in Austin, Texas, 1993. Book of Abstracts, 351.

1991      Orhun, M.R., Johnson, S.R., Kent, D.B., and R.F. Ford.  Practical approach to high-density rotifer production. In "Rotifer and Micro algae Culture Systems", Fulks and Main (eds.), pg.: 73-78.  Proceedings of an U.S.-Asia Workshop, Honolulu, HI, 1991. The Oceanic Institute

1989      Orhun, M.R. Early Life history of white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis.  M.S. thesis. San Diego State University, 162pg.




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