Fulbrighter joins UAPB fisheries

At the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, visiting Fulbright Scholar Rudy Nugroho is researching the potential to supplement or completely replace fishmeal in the diets of tilapia with larvae of the black soldier fly. (Special to The Commercial/University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)
At the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, visiting Fulbright Scholar Rudy Nugroho is researching the potential to supplement or completely replace fishmeal in the diets of tilapia with larvae of the black soldier fly. (Special to The Commercial/University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries recently welcomed a visiting Fulbright scholar, department Chair Rebecca Lochmann said.

Rudy Agung Nugroho arrived from his home country of Indonesia in early June and will be conducting research at UAPB until November.

Nugroho is researching the potential to supplement or completely replace fishmeal in the diets of tilapia with larvae of the black soldier fly. According to his research proposal, fishmeal is added to fish feeds to enhance fish growth.

Despite its popularity, fishmeal has its limitations in the aquaculture industry -- its availability is increasingly scarce and prices are on the rise, which increases the overall cost of production.

"The use of protein-rich insect sources to replace fishmeal is an alternative that has been gaining momentum," Nugroho said. "Replacing fishmeal with cheaper ingredients such as larva of the black soldier fly is a priority for nutrition research. This particular protein source has been found to have considerable economic potential to enhance growth performance, health status and physiological indices of tilapia."

Since 2015, Nugroho has worked as the head of the animal physiology laboratory for the Department of Biology-Faculty of Sciences at Mulawarman University in Samarinda, East Borneo, Indonesia.

He has lectured and conducted research at the university since 2000. His research specialties include fish physiology, nutrition and immunology.

Previously, Nugroho worked as a nutritionist for Viva America, an organic nutrition company in Jakarta, Indonesia. There, his work focused on improving human health through organic nutrition and dietary supplementation.

He has a bachelor's degree in biology from Atma Jaya University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, a master's degree in biology from Gadjah Mada University, also located in Yogyakarta, and a doctoral degree in environment and agriculture (aquaculture) from Curtin University in Perth, Australia.

"Arkansas -- especially Pine Bluff -- is friendly and I already feel like it's a second home," he said. "All the people I've met are helpful and kind. Thanks to my host supervisor, Dr. Rebecca Lochmann, I felt very welcome, with great hospitality and warmth. She helped a lot and introduced me to many people at UAPB. The university has a unique campus with a natural environment, including scenery such as creeks, streams and bayous."

Nugroho said he hopes to apply knowledge and experience gained at the university to his research in Indonesia.

Because of the country's abundant fisheries, the Indonesian aquaculture industry requires constant scientific innovation, he said.

"Indonesian aquaculture has a number of leading commodities in the export market," he said. "Export products, such as shrimp, lobster and seaweed are the largest. Currently, Indonesia is the largest shrimp producer in the world after China. The Indonesian government is also encouraging the development of the aquaculture industries in new commodities including white snapper, grouper, lobster, sea cucumber, seaweed and pearl oysters."

According to the Institute of International Education, the Fulbright Program is an international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and people of other countries.

Hosting a Fulbright visiting scholar contributes to diversity and internationalization on a university campus and strengthens faculty and student connections with scholars and scholarly institutions abroad.

Nugroho was originally chosen for the program in 2020, but his start date at UAPB was pushed back due to the covid-19 pandemic.

"I am thankful to Fulbright and the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation for giving me this opportunity at UAPB," he said. "I am also grateful for the support of Mulawarman University. This is an amazing experience and I am proud to be a Fulbrighter."

Will Hehemann is a writer/editor at the UAPB School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences.

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