Hólar University, Iceland

About Hólar University

Hólar University is a highly specialised public university offering programs rooted in a former agriculture college, which aimed to offer education of support for rural communities. 

The university has evolved as a centre for education and research in three specialised and quite different fields:

  • Aquaculture, fish biology and aquatic ecology.
  • Equine science, riding and riding teaching.
  • Tourism studies, events and hospitality management.

Website: www.holar.is

Logo of Hólar University

People

David Benhaïm is a Professor at Hólar University, Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology.

His main objective is to test the behavioral responses of organisms, specifically swimming activity, feeding behavior, personality traits, and cognitive traits, to various biotic and abiotic factors. This approach has been applied in different contexts through collaborations with experts from other research fields. Working alongside evolutionary ecologists, he explores how ecological and evolutionary factors influence fish behavior and how behavioral mechanisms may contribute to biodiversity patterns both within and between populations. In the field of aquaculture resources, his goal is to gain a deeper understanding of how fish adapt to farming conditions and the welfare implications involved. This includes conducting feed trials, studying farming procedures, and utilizing behavior as a non-invasive tool.

See David Benhaïm's profile on ResearchGate 

Recent publications

Leeper, A., Sauphar, C., Berlizot, B., Ladurée, G., Koppe, W., Knobloch, S., Skírnisdóttir, S., Björnsdóttir, R., Øverland, M., Benhaïm, D., 2023. Enhancement of Soybean Meal Alters Gut Microbiome and Influences Behavior of Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). Animal 13(16), 1–24. doi.org/DOI: 10.3390/ani13162591

Kleiber, A., Stomp, M., Rouby, M., Ferreira, V.H.B.,Bégout, M-L., Benhaïm, D., Labbé, L., Tocqueville, A., Levadoux, M., Calandreau, L., Guesdon, V., Colson, V., 2023. Cognitive enrichment to increase fish welfare in aquaculture : A review. Aquaculture, doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.739654

Beukeboom, R., Phillips, J. S., Ólafsdóttir, G. Á., & Benhaïm, D. (2023). Personality in juvenile Atlantic cod ecotypes and implications for fisheries management. Ecology and Evolution, (December 2022), 1–20. doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9952

Benhaïm, D., Vernier, L., & Leblanc, C. A. (2023). Personality and temporal plasticity in fish populations along a gradient of evolutionary divergence. Animal Behaviour, 199, 23–33. doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.010