Kana Banno

Kana Banno is a PhD Research Fellow at the Department of Biological Sciences Ålesund, Faculty of Natural Sciences at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her research focuses on salmon aquaculture, with particular emphasis on fish behavior and welfare in commercial sea cages. She utilizes advanced technologies including underwater cameras, ROVs, echosounders, and sonars for aquaculture monitoring. Banno earned her PhD in Biology from NTNU in 2025, following an MSc in Biology with a focus on aquaculture and genetics from UiT The Arctic University of Norway in 2019.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Biology, NTNU (2025)
• MSc in Biology (Aquaculture & Genetics), UiT The Arctic University of Norway (2019)

Banno's research interests center around understanding fish behavior as an indicator of welfare and health in aquaculture settings. She investigates how environmental factors affect the distribution and behavior of Atlantic salmon in commercial sea cages. Her work bridges biology and engineering through the integration of technology for monitoring purposes. She has particular expertise in using computer vision and artificial intelligence to identify growth-stunted salmon and monitor wild fish interactions around aquaculture sites. Her research contributes to developing more sustainable and welfare-conscious aquaculture practices.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a strong focus on technological applications in aquaculture monitoring, with particular emphasis on computer vision, sonar technology, and multi-sensor integration. Her work spans both practical applications for the aquaculture industry and fundamental research on fish behavior. The publications show a progression from molecular genetics (her master's work on salmon lice) to more applied technological solutions for monitoring fish welfare in commercial settings.

Her notable achievements include:

• Featured in 'Women in aquaculture' series by The Fish Site (2021)
• Research on AI for wild fish monitoring highlighted by Norwegian SciTech News (2021)

Banno teaches BIA3003 Introduction to scientific method (2024 Autumn) and has been actively involved in the InnoSEA project (Innovations for Sustainable sEabased Aquaculture). Her fieldwork involves regular visits to salmon farms approximately 1.5 hours from her base, where she monitors salmon behavior using underwater cameras and remotely operated vehicles. She collaborates extensively with researchers from multiple countries including Argentina, China, Germany, Japan, and Norway.

She maintains strong connections with the aquaculture industry, having previously worked at FRD Japan, a land-based RAS facility producing rainbow trout, where she gained practical experience in fish farming operations before transitioning to research.