Dr. Lirong Yu Abit

Dr. Lirong Yu Abit is an accomplished academic, aquaculture researcher, higher-education professional, and research-business leader with extensive experience spanning fisheries science, aquaculture, aquatic biology, research management, teaching, scientific consultancy, and scholarly publishing. He currently serves as a Lecturer in Aquaculture at Curtin University Malaysia and is associated with the Curtin Aquaculture Research Laboratories (CARL) in Miri, Sarawak, where he contributes to teaching, research, laboratory activities, and the development of aquaculture-related knowledge and innovation. Alongside his academic career, Dr. Lirong serves as Business Director at Genesis Research Consultancy Limited (GRCL), where he contributes his scientific expertise and professional experience to research consultancy, academic development, business strategy, and institutional collaboration.

Dr. Lirong Yu Abit’s Academic and Professional Achievements

Dr. Lirong’s academic career represents a sustained progression from aquatic biology and fisheries science into advanced aquaculture research and university-level teaching. According to Curtin University’s academic profile, he holds a PhD in Science (Fisheries Science) from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Bintulu Campus, completed in 2024, following an MSc in Fisheries Science from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2020 and a BSc in Aquatic Biology from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2001. His academic qualifications provide a strong multidisciplinary foundation encompassing aquatic biology, fisheries, aquaculture, animal science, aquatic resource management, and applied research.

His current academic appointment at Curtin University Malaysia places him within a research-intensive environment focused on applied science, aquaculture, aquatic systems, and industry-relevant education. Curtin University’s official academic profile identifies him as a Lecturer in Aquaculture, Applied Sciences, as well as Technical Manager of the Curtin Aquaculture Research Laboratory. The university also lists his research identifiers, including his ORCID, Scopus author profile, Google Scholar profile, and ResearchGate profile, reflecting his engagement with the international scholarly community.

The Curtin Aquaculture Research Laboratory (CARL) provides an important research environment for Dr. Lirong’s academic and professional activities. Curtin describes CARL as a specialised facility supporting aquatic research through sophisticated aquaculture systems, including recirculating systems for seawater, freshwater, and inland saline water, as well as mesocosm facilities capable of replicating aquatic environmental conditions for ecosystem and behavioural studies. The facility also includes quarantine, live-feed and algae-culture rooms and a range of aquatic organism housing and experimental equipment. This research infrastructure provides opportunities for experimental aquaculture, aquatic animal production, nutrition, growth, health, breeding, environmental management, and sustainable aquatic-food research.

Dr. Lirong’s professional relationship with Curtin’s aquaculture research activities is also reflected in the university’s public communications. Curtin Malaysia has highlighted his participation in science outreach and aquaculture education, including activities in which he and other researchers introduced students to sustainable aquaculture practices and biofloc technology. His involvement demonstrates an ability to communicate technical aquatic-science concepts beyond conventional research settings and to contribute to science education and public engagement.

His research interests are closely connected with fish and crustacean reproductive biology, breeding, aquaculture production, aquatic animal biology, fisheries science, and sustainable aquatic-food systems. These areas reflect the practical and scientific dimensions of modern aquaculture, where improved breeding, nutrition, husbandry, environmental management, and biological understanding are increasingly important for responsible aquatic-food production.

His research activities have also extended into collaborative studies involving fish and crustaceans. For example, his academic record includes research on recreational fishing and fish welfare, including a study examining how hook types influence catch effectiveness, injuries, and survival rates of fish. The research was conducted at Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus and contributes to understanding responsible fishing and post-capture survival. Such work illustrates the breadth of his aquatic-science expertise, extending from aquaculture production to fisheries practices and aquatic animal welfare.

Dr. Lirong has also participated in contemporary research concerning freshwater prawn aquaculture. Recent publications involving him and researchers at Curtin Aquaculture Research Laboratories have examined Macrobrachium rosenbergii, the giant freshwater prawn, in relation to nutrition, gut microbiota, growth, moulting, and alternative aquaculture inputs. A 2025 Aquaculture Research paper, for example, included Dr. Lirong as a Curtin Aquaculture Research Laboratories researcher in a study evaluating chitosan extracted from black soldier fly larvae and its relationship with the gut microbiota of freshwater giant prawns.

His research involvement has continued into 2026. A recent Journal of the World Aquaculture Society study on growth and immunomodulation in individually reared giant freshwater prawns included Dr. Lirong among the researchers affiliated with Curtin Aquaculture Research Laboratories. The study investigated dietary chitosan derived from black soldier fly larvae and shrimp shell, demonstrating the growing importance of alternative and circular approaches to aquaculture nutrition and animal health. His involvement in this type of research reflects an emerging direction in sustainable aquaculture, where researchers seek to reduce dependence on conventional resources while improving animal performance and production efficiency.

Dr. Lirong has likewise contributed to research involving Artemia-based feeding strategies and larval fish production. A recent study published in Aquaculture Nutrition included him among researchers affiliated with Curtin University and examined the enrichment of Artemia with synbiotics and its effects on growth, nutrient utilisation, survival, and gut microbial communities of larval hybrid catfish. Research of this nature is particularly important because early-life nutrition is a critical component of successful aquaculture production, affecting larval development, survival, growth, and subsequent production performance.

His academic contributions are not limited to Curtin University. Earlier in his career, Dr. Lirong was associated with Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, where he served in teaching and research-related capacities within the Department of Animal Science and Fisheries. His academic work during this period included collaboration with researchers on fisheries and aquatic biology. His publication record includes research on freshwater fish biodiversity in the riverine system of Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus, as well as research on fish biodiversity and fisher livelihoods in an oxbow lake in southwestern Bangladesh.

Before establishing himself as a university academic and researcher, Dr. Lirong developed valuable practical experience within the fisheries and aquaculture sector. His professional background includes leadership as Head of the SALCRA Fisheries Department and experience as a Research Officer with the Inland Fisheries Department of the Department of Agriculture Sarawak in Sematan. These positions provided him with exposure to fisheries administration, aquatic-resource management, field-based research, and practical fisheries and aquaculture operations. His career therefore combines academic training with direct professional experience in aquatic-resource development.

This combination of academic and applied experience is one of the defining characteristics of Dr. Lirong’s professional profile. Rather than being limited to a single research discipline, his career has evolved across aquatic biology, fisheries, aquaculture, research, university teaching, laboratory management, scientific collaboration, and professional consultancy. His practical understanding of fisheries and aquaculture complements his postgraduate research training and current academic responsibilities.

At Curtin University Malaysia, Dr. Lirong contributes to the academic and research environment through teaching, laboratory activities, student engagement, and research collaboration. Curtin Malaysia has positioned its aquaculture programme and research facilities around practical learning and industry-relevant scientific training. The university’s aquaculture education initiatives include fish biology, water-quality monitoring, fish breeding, nutrition, feed, aquaculture farming, and practical industrial training. Dr. Lirong’s expertise in fisheries science and aquaculture therefore aligns closely with the institution’s educational and research priorities.

His professional development has also been recognised through academic achievement. Curtin University lists a Gold Medal from the Putra Inno-creative Competition in 2023 among his awards. Recognition of this kind reflects his engagement not only with conventional academic research but also with innovation and the translation of scientific knowledge into practical ideas.

In addition to his university responsibilities, Dr. Lirong serves as Business Director of Genesis Research Consultancy Limited (GRCL). In this role, he contributes an academic and scientific perspective to the organisation’s research consultancy and business-development activities. GRCL provides services related to academic research, scientific consultancy, research design, scholarly publication, manuscript development, data analysis, journal consultancy, research capacity building, and related professional support. Dr. Lirong’s experience in fisheries science, aquaculture, research management, higher education, and scientific collaboration provides an important technical foundation for engaging with researchers, universities, research organisations, and other stakeholders.

His role at GRCL also represents an important bridge between academia and professional research consultancy. Modern research environments increasingly require collaboration among universities, laboratories, industry, publishers, consultants, and research organisations. A professional who understands both the academic research process and organisational business requirements can contribute significantly to developing effective partnerships, identifying research opportunities, supporting scientific projects, and translating academic expertise into practical services.

As Business Director at GRCL, Dr. Lirong contributes to the organisation’s broader vision of supporting researchers and institutions through professional research and consultancy services. His international academic experience, Malaysian higher-education background, fisheries and aquaculture expertise, and research network position him to support collaboration across disciplines and geographic regions. His professional profile is particularly relevant to projects involving aquaculture, fisheries, aquatic biology, environmental sciences, food production, research development, and interdisciplinary scientific initiatives.

Dr. Lirong’s career ultimately reflects a strong commitment to the advancement of aquatic sciences and research-based innovation. From his early academic training in aquatic biology to postgraduate study in fisheries science, professional service within Sarawak’s fisheries sector, research and teaching at Universiti Putra Malaysia, doctoral completion in 2024, and his current academic appointment at Curtin University Malaysia, he has developed a career grounded in scientific knowledge and practical experience.

Today, his work brings together university teaching, aquaculture research, laboratory management, scientific publication, professional consultancy, and business development. His continued involvement in research on aquatic animal nutrition, freshwater prawns, larval fish production, fisheries, and sustainable aquaculture demonstrates his ongoing contribution to a field that is increasingly important for global food security, environmental sustainability, and the responsible use of aquatic resources.

With his PhD completed at Universiti Putra Malaysia and his current appointment as a Lecturer in Aquaculture at Curtin University Malaysia, Dr. Lirong Yu Abit represents a new generation of aquatic scientists whose careers integrate research, teaching, innovation, and professional leadership. Through his academic responsibilities at Curtin and his role as Business Director at Genesis Research Consultancy Limited, he continues to contribute to the development of scientific knowledge while supporting broader research and professional initiatives within the academic and consultancy sectors.