As sea creatures go, juvenile lumpfish are pretty cute. Their adult counterparts? Not so much.

Regardless, the dull, lumpy bottom feeders with warty heads are not only an integral part of the provincial economy — their roe is prized in Asia as an alternative to caviar — they are also the subject of innovative research being done at Memorial University of Newfoundland that will assist both the aquaculture industry and provide insight into dietary effects on human vision.

Dr. Robert Gendron, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, has teamed up with Dr. William Driedzic, Department of Ocean Sciences, Faculty of Science, to study dietary vitamins in the vision health of lumpfish. Their project recently received funding through Memorial University’s Vitamin Research Fund, which links to the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI). Learn more ...