People

Aftab Alam

Senior Research Scientist

Research Interests

I work in Integrated Marine Aquaculture and Aquaponics with focus on introducing latest technologies, environmental sustainability and species diversification in aquaculture industry. My interests also include integration and intensification of food production systems through water recirculation and resource recycling. I have experience in marine and freshwater aquaculture, freshwater aquaponics, integrated marine aquaculture of seaweeds with shrimp/fish, nutrition, biodiversity and DNA barcoding.
I am now focusing to develop next-generation integrated food production research based on low input, water-efficient, intensive, sustainable systems of food and feed production suitable to a coastal desert environment.

Selected Publications

  • Al-Hafedh Y.S., Alam A., Buschmann, A.H. (2014.) Bioremediation potential, growth and biomass yield of the green seaweed, Ulva lactuca in an integrated marine aquaculture system at the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia at different stocking densities and effluent flow rates. Reviews in Aquaculture 6: 1–11., DOI: 10.1111/raq.12060


  • Yousef S. Al-Hafedh and Aftab Alam 2013. Replacement of fish meal by single cell protein derived from two species of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida utilis), grown over the date (Phoenix dactylifera) industry waste, in the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. Journal of Applied Aquaculture, 25:4, 346-358, DOI:10.1080/10454438.2013.852419.


  • Yousef S. Al-Hafedh, Aftab Alam, Alejandro H. Buschmann and Kevin M. Fitzsimmons 2012. Experiments on an integrated aquaculture system (seaweeds and marine fish) at the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia: efficiency comparison of two local seaweed species for nutrient biofiltration and production. Reviews in Aquaculture. 4: 21-31.


  •  Yousef S. Al-Hafedh, Aftab Alam and M. S. Beltagi 2008. Food production and water conservation in a recirculating aquaponic system in Saudi Arabia at different ratios of fish feed to plants. J. World Aquaculture Society. 39: 510-520.


  • Yousef S. Al-Hafedh and Aftab Alam 2007. Design and performance of an indigenous water recirculating aquaculture system for intensive production of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), in Saudi Arabia. International J. Recirculating Aquaculture. 8: 1-19.

Education

  • 1999   Ph.D.  in Zoology with Specialization in Aquaculture and Fisheries, from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (India)
  • 1995    M.Phil  in Zoology with Specialization in Aquaculture and Fisheries, from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (India)
  • 1993     M.Sc.   in Zoology with Specialization in Aquaculture and Fisheries, from MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (India)

Professional Profile

  • Currently Working as Senior Research Scientist from February 2013 till date at The Center for Desert Agriculture (CDA), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
  • Worked as Scientific Specialist from 2003 to December 2012 at Natural Resources & Environment Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Worked as Researcher in Joint Saudi-Japanese R&D program 1998-2003 at The Natural Resources & Environment Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  •  Worked on a Senior Research Fellowship of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of the Government of India in 1998 at Aligarh Muslim University, India.
  • Worked as Junior and Senior Research Fellow of the Department of zoology during 1995-1998 at Aligarh Muslim University, India.