Dr. Yair Kohn

Personal details

Date of birth: 16.6.1971

Citizenships: Israel, New Zealand

Highlights

– Experienced in consulting top researchers in the preparation of highly competitive grant proposals

– Experienced in writing grant proposals (including Horizon 2020) and scientific reports.

– Experienced in conducting applied scientific experiments.

– Experienced in managing small to large scale projects and managing staff.

– Experienced in design and operation of large-scale fish (both edible and ornamental), microalgae and aquaponic systems.

– Experienced in teaching and tutoring all levels of students (Including 5 years as an external lecturer for Tel-Aviv University).

– Excellent written and spoken English, intermediate level of spoken Spanish and Portuguese.

Main Grants and Projects

• 2016 – 2019, Horizon 2020, project Saltgae – Using algae to clean wastewater from the food industry – (~ 450,000 Euros)

• 2019 – 2020, Ministry of Agriculture Chief Scientist – Enhanced barramundi diet

• 2017- 2020, KKL – using stress factors to enhance production of phycocyanin in spirulina

• 2015 – 2017, ICA – Establishing a microalgae laboratory in the Arava

• 2015- 2016, ICA, Ministry of Agriculture – Production of all-male guppies (continued)

• 2015- 2020, Ministry of agriculture, KKL – Integrated aquaculture systems

• 2018 – 2020, KKL – Life feed alternatives for artemia

Education

2009- 2013 – PhD, The University of Otago, New Zealand

• Thesis subject: Reproductive Biology of Hapuku (Polyprion oxygeneios): a new aquaculture species

2005- 2007 – The University of Auckland, New Zealand – MSc in biological Sciences with First Class Honors

• Thesis subject: “Pelagic larval duration in New Zealand triplefin fishes”

2004-2005 – The University of Auckland – Graduate Diploma in Science

1997- 2003 – The University of Tel-Aviv, Israel – BSc

• Double major in Biology and Philosophy

Army

1989-1993 – Combat engineering officer (Captain)

Relevant Work Experience

2021-2022 – Ben Gurion University – Research Projects Adviser

• Worked with top university researchers on proposal preparation for competitive grants especially:

• ERC

• ISF

• NSF-BSF

2022 – Present – Southern Arava R&D, Aquaculture Researcher

2020 – Present – Self Employed farmer and Consultant

• Cultivation of 20 Dunam date plantation

• Cultivation of 10 Dunam mango plantation

• Pilot for growing ornamental fish

• Aquaculture and agriculture Consultant

2014- 2020 – Central and Northern Arava R&D, Head of Aquaculture Department

• Managed aquaculture projects in the fields of ornamental fish, aquaponics, edible fish and microalgae

• Managed a team of researchers and technicians

• Wrote proposals for project funding

• Conducted experiments in applicative aquaculture

• Tutored Phd, MSc and school students on various projects

2015-2020 – The Arava International Center for Agricultural Training (AICAT) and the University of Tel-Aviv joint MSc program, Lecturer

• Lectured to International MSc students in the subject of Scientific Writing and Marine Biology

• Supervised MSc students’ projects

2007-2009 – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand – Research Assistant

• Conducted fishery surveys

• Conducted biosecurity field work

• Worked as part of a team in various fishery related projects

Publications

• Groenveld, T., Lazarovitch, N., Kohn, Y.Y, Gelfand, I., 2020. Environmental Tradeoffs between Nutrient Recycling and Greenhouse Gases Emissions in an Integrated Aquaculture–Agriculture System. Environmental Science and Technology 54, 9584-9592.

• Dor, T., Shirak, A., Kohn Y.Y., Gur, T., Weller, J.I., Zilberg, D., Seroussi E., Ron M. 2019. Mapping of the Sex Determining Region on Linkage Group 12 of Guppy (Poecilia reticulata). G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 11, 3867-3875.

• Groenveld, T., Kohn, Y.Y., Gross, A., and Lazarovitch, N. 2019. Optimization of nitrogen use efficiency by means of fertigation management in an integrated aquaculture-agriculture system. Journal of Cleaner Production 212, 401–408.

• Kohn, Y.Y., Symonds, J.E., Kleffmann, T. et al., 2015. Proteomic analysis of early-stage embryos: implications for egg quality in hapuku (Polyprion oxygeneios) Fish Physiology and Biochemistry 41, 1403.

• Kohn, Y.Y., Symonds, J.E., Lokman, P.M., 2013. The effects of 11-ketotestosterone on ovarian physiology of previtellogenic captive hapuku (Polyprion oxygeneios). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A. 166, 496-502.

• Kohn, Y.Y., Lokman, P.M., Kilimnik, A., Symonds, J.E., 2013. Sex identification in captive hapuku (Polyprion oxygeneios) using ultrasound imagery and plasma levels of vitellogenin and sex steroids. Aquaculture 384-387, 87-93.

• Kohn, Y.Y., Symonds, J.E., 2012. Evaluation of egg quality parameters as predictors of hatching success and early larval survival in hapuku (Polyprion oxygeneios). Aquaculture 342-343, 42-47.

• Anderson, S.A., Salinas, I., Walker, S.P., Gublin, Y., Pether, S., Kohn, Y.Y., Symonds, J.E., 2012. Early development of New Zealand hapuku Polyprion oxygeneios eggs and larvae. Journal of Fish Biology 80, 555-571.

• Kohn, Y.Y., Clements, K.D., 2011. Pelagic larval duration and population connectivity in New Zealand triplefin fishes (Tripterygiidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 91, 275-286.

Reviews

• Aquatic Biology

• Australian Journal of Zoology