We work with Oecophylla smaragdina , the asian weaver ant, in Thailand and Vietnam. We investigate the possibility of a dual utilization of the weaver ant in orchards. Weaver ants are a dominant and aggressive ant, and can be used for biocontrol of plant pests. Furthermore, the larvae from the weaver ants can be sold as a delicacy. In combination it gives sustainable management of tropic orchards and an extra income for the farmers.

(Photo: Rasmus Lundegaard, cenTER)

The Oecophylla ants are capable of coorperation, and are not afraid of attacking big animals – here a local millipede is being dragged to the nest by the ants.

(Photo: Rasmus Lundegaard, cenTER)

Associate Professor Mogens Gissel Nielsen and Post Doctoral Fellow Joachim Offenberg are the senior scientists working on the Oecophylla ants.

(Photo: Line M. Madsen, cenTER)

The nests of the Oecophylla ants are not always easy to get to. Here M.Sc. students Kristian Krag and Rasmus Lundegaard Nielsen are collaborating to get to an ants nest.

(Photo: Nathalie Laplante, a Canadian MSc student)

M.sc student Rasmus Lundegaard works in the laboratory at Camp Wanasat, Kasetsart University, Thailand. The artificial nest arenas all contain small samples from the Oecophylla colonies living in the area around the field station. The test showed us that Oecophylla ants have a period of cuticular chemical insignificance. This can be important in the management of ants in orchards, since it might make it possible to increase early colony groth by transplanting brood between colonies.

(Photo: Line Dandanell)

MSc Student Kim is working hard to get to an Oecophylla nest to get larvae.

(Photo: Joachim Offenberg, cenTER)

Intensive aquaculture in Vietnam is being investigated. We look at physiological constraints to optimized growth of a selected number of species used extensively in aquaculture in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

Here is a photo of a climbing perch (Anabas) pond. The fish are airbreating in the surface of the water.

(Photo: T. Nielsen, cenTER)

Students do field research on different aspects of aquaculture in the Mekong Delta. Here MSc students Sofie Meilvang and Rikke Buckholtz are looking at the trade of selected aquaculture species.

(Photo: T. Nielsen, cenTER)

Pollution from aquaculture is becoming an increasing problem in the Mekong Delta. We have two Vietnamese PhD students working on “aquaponics”. (A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. Nutrient rich fish water is pumped from the fish tank into gravel beds, where plants growing in the gravel extract the nutrients from the water. The water then drains back into the fish tank cleaned of excess nutrients and freshly oxygenated).

(Photo: H. Brix, Department of Biological Sciences)

In our research on physiological constraints to aquaculture, we look at very basic parameters, like:

How does salinity affect growth in the chosen species

How the chosen animals are adapted to varying dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels and how do these variations in DO affect growth.

Here Prof T Wang is instrumenting a rice-eel (Monopterus alba) to monitor the heart rate, when the eel aestivates.

(Photo: T. Nielsen, cenTER)

Horseshoe Crab Research and visit to Ha Long Bay

Thomas Nielsen visiting the Unesco World Heritage Site in Ha Long Bay in Northern Vietnam in connection with collecting DNA samples for a horseshoe crab research project.

(Photo: Tuan Le Lam, Ha Long Bay Management Department, Vietnam)

During the visit to Ha Long Bay we discovered a small patch of Xylocarpus mangrove. This mangrove has almost been whipped out in Vietnam, as the wood is highly valued as furniture woods.

(Photo: Tuan Le Lam, Ha Long Bay Management Department, Vietnam)

Thomas and Mr Tuan Le Lam inspects the horseshoe crabs selected by Mr Tuan’s staff in Ha Long Bay.

(Photo: Tuan Le Lam, Ha Long Bay Management Department, Vietnam)

Thomas takes a blood sample from a horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas). Sample was taken back for DNA analysis in Denmark.

(Photo: Tuan Le Lam, Ha Long Bay Management Department, Vietnam)

Much of cenTER’s research in Southe East Asia focuses on different aspects of mangrove ecology, plant-animal interactions and resource management.

This photo shows degraded mangrove forest on the tip of the Mekong Delta (The Ca Mau Peninsular).

(Photo: T. Nielsen, cenTER)

Here two Danish MSc students (Anja and Rikke) are studying the interaction between the roots of mangrove trees and isopods in the Ranong UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in Thailand.

(Photo: D.J. Macintosh, cenTER)

Peter Jensen – a Danish BSc student – studied the interaction between snails and crabs and mangrove plants. Here is checking a mangrove tree for snail and attacks by crabs in the Ranong UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in Thailand.

(Photo: D.J. Macintosh, cenTER)

Sean Moser conducted the field work for his PhD in the Ranong UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in Thailand. He was studying the recruitment of mud crabs (Scylla sp) and the relation the juvenile crabs have using the mangrove area.

(Photo: D.J. Macintosh, cenTER)

Karen Touborg did her MSc thesis in the Ranong UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in Thailand. Karen worked on growth of mangrove plants in shrimp pond waste.

(Photo: D.J. Macintosh, cenTER)

Thai students dig out the entire root system of a mangrove tree as part of a training course conducted by cenTER in the Ranong UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in Thailand.

(Photo: D.J. Macintosh, cenTER)

Most of our field work is done in collaboration with local communities.

(Photo: S.M. Christensen, cenTER)

Field work in Vietnam. Interviewing local aquaculture farmers for his PhD – Stig M Christensen – did his PhD funded by Danida in the Mekong Delta.

(Photo: D.J. Macintosh, cenTER)