AQUACULTURE STUDENT
LINCOLN SIMMONS
What They Did Back Then
* Master of Science in Aquaculture completed 1997, University of Guelph
Advisor: Professor Richard D. Moccia
Dietary methionine requirement of juvenile Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus).
The study involved growth trials with diets containing varying concentrations of methionine, a limiting amino acid of many plant proteins. The work had been done previously for rainbow trout, however, this investigation was the first of it’s kind for Charr. The project was completed in partnership with the School of Optometry at the University of Waterloo to assess cataract formation and found that the methionine requirement for growth may in fact be different from that which prevents cataract formation.
ABSTRACT
The dietary methionine requirement of juvenile Arctic Charr was determined by feeding a basal diet supplemented with six graded levels of DL-methionine for 16 weeks at 12 C. All diets contained 40% protein, 17% lipid , 6.6% ash and 17.5 MJ DE/kg of diet. As evaluated by live weights, the methionine requirement for optimal growth is 1.76% of dietary protein, estimated by the quadratic regression model. This is the same value predicted by a dynamic computer model developed for Arctic Charr. Requirements estimated on the basis of carcass protein and energy gains are 1.88% and 1.79% respectively. Plasma methionine concentration and focal length variability measurements did not provide a sensitive measure of requirement as each responded in a linear fashion to increasing dietary methionine levels. Based on the prevalence of visually detectable cataracts, it is estimated that a dietary methionine level of 2.67% is required to prevent lens pathology in farmed Arctic Charr.
Where They Are Now
Following graduation Lincoln accepted a position with RBC Royal Bank and received his 10-year pin last summer. RBC is routinely recognized as one of the best employer's in Canada and Lincoln certainly understands why. Initially he was working at a data processing centre, located in Guelph at the time, but after 6 months he moved on to a commercial financial services training program. The bulk of his 10 years with RBC has been in the commercial banking business until recently when he accepted a position as the sales manager for a team of small business account managers covering a large part of Southwestern Ontario. Lincoln’s family has supported his career with RBC through two moves and they are happily settled now.
In 2002, Lincoln enrolled part time in the MBA (Financial Services) program at Dalhousie University; a program administered jointly by Dalhousie and the Institute of Canadian Bankers. He graduated in October 2007.