Shellfish Culture Research Articles

Una ampliación biotecnológica del cultivo de moluscos bivalvos podría eliminar permanentemente el dióxido de carbono de la atmósfera.

To combat climate change, proposals have been made to develop methods that would pull carbon dioxide out of Earth’s atmosphere. One recommended approach is to remove CO2 from the atmosphere with activities such as reforestation and changing forest management and agricultural practices to enhance soil carbon storage. However, it is also noted that such activities would limit land for food production and negatively affect biodiversity. Furthermore, decay of dead wood and fallen leaves in natural forests releases huge quantities of CO2 and other greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere. The only other carbon-sequestration technique that is widely considered is the application of CO2 capture processes to flue gases of power plants, which are responsible for about 80% of the worldwide CO2 emission from large stationary sources. Hydrate-based processing is a promising technology for CO2 capture as it results in high CO2 recovery, but its high cost prevents this technology having much impact. In this note I suggest that the ability of marine organisms (shellfish and coccolithophore algae) to remove permanently CO2 from the atmosphere into solid (crystalline) CaCO3 should be harnessed. I suggest that if the level of finance and effort that are readily anticipated for forest management and flue gas treatments were to be applied to expansion of shellfish cultivation around the world, significant amounts of carbon dioxide could be permanently removed from the atmosphere within the timescale that is currently envisaged for carbon capture by afforestation.

Potential bioremediation effects of seaweed Gracilaria lemaneiformis on heavy metals in coastal sediment from a typical mariculture zone.

Seaweeds are good bio-monitors of heavy metals pollution in coastal seawater. In the present study, the potential bioremediation effects of cultivated Gracilaria lemaneiformis on heavy metals in Nan'ao coastal sediment from a typical mariculture zone, South China were evaluated. Sediment samples were collected from five different zones (Gracilaria cultivation zone, G; Fish culture zone, F; Shellfish culture zone, S; Transition zone, T; Control zone, C) from December 2014 to July 2015. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in the sediments were significantly different among the various types of mariculture areas. The concentrations varied widely: Cd (0.04-1.02) μg g-1; Cu (1.19-37.70) μg g-1; Pb (8.45-74.45) μg g-1; Zn (36.80-201.24) μg g-1. The lowest heavy metal concentrations in the sediment were occurred at Gracilaria cultivation zone, while higher concentrations occurred at control zones and fish culture zones. The pollution load index, principal components and cluster analysis showed that heavy metal concentrations were the highest at fish culture zone, while the concentrations were the lowest at Gracilaria cultivation zone, and Gracilaria cultivation affects the heavy metals in the sediments. Gracilaria had strong adsorption capacities for heavy metals from seawater, showing the highest heavy metal Bioconcentration Factors in May (higher seaweed biomass period). Consequently, the results suggested that Gracilaria cultivation influences the heavy metal concentrations in sediments from the typical coastal mariculture zone. Gracilaria cultivation has the potential to bioremediate heavy metals in the coastal sediments. Therefore, Gracilaria cultivation can add environmental advantages and ecological values to coastal mariculture zones.

Potential Application of the New Sentinel Satellites for Monitoring of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Galician Aquaculture

Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) in the Rias Baixas area (Galicia) cause a strong ecological and economic impact, since they can even force the closure of the rafts production areas for mollusc culture. In this work, we introduce a method for detection and monitoring of HABs in Galicia based on the analysis of map products derived from optical satellite images, including chlorophyll a concentration or species indicators. The approach is developed in the framework of CoastObs project, which started in 2017 and explores the potential of new Sentinel satellites for coastal water monitoring, suggesting different applications such as seagrass, phytoplankton size class or HABs detection. Preliminary results obtained using a set of images acquired on July 2018 suggest the great potential of this approach, which could complement the existing monitoring program based on direct observations.

Evaluating the influences of integrated culture on pelagic ecosystem by a numerical approach: A case study of Sungo Bay, China

With increasing concern over the environment in mariculture, the integrated culture has received extensive attention in recent years. For management of aquaculture farms, a biophysical model was developed to quantify the potential influence of bivalves-seaweed integrated culture on pelagic ecosystem. We developed NEMURO.CULTURE model by coupling the cultivated species (kelp Laminaria japonica, oyster Crassostrea gigas, scallop Chlamys farreri) and phosphorus-related variables with NEMURO (North Pacific Ecosystem Model for Understanding Regional Oceanography). The entire culture area of Sungo Bay was divided into five boxes according to the culture layout (kelp monoculture areas (K-area), co-culture areas (K&O-area), scallop monoculture areas (S-area), oyster monoculture areas (O-area), fish culture areas (F-area), and no-culture areas (Boundary)). The application of the model to the integrated culture system in Sungo Bay has shown promising results as the simulations reasonably agreed with the observations. The model was then used for scenario simulations to analyse the impact of mariculture. The simulation results showed that: 1) the concentration of phytoplankton and nutrients was largely constrained by cultivated kelps during the late stage of kelp culture period, while the influence of cultivated bivalves was relatively small; 2) the influence of cultivated kelps and bivalves could be transported to neighbor areas and weakened in the K-area, while the influence of cultivated fishes was confined near F-area; 3) the integrated culture of shellfish and seaweed in Sungo Bay would reduce the risk of eutrophication in spring; 4) the addition of phosphorus-related variables enabled the model to depict more details and phosphorus could be the limiting factor for phytoplankton growth at some time in Sungo Bay. This modelling work provides a quantitative tool for helping planning and management of coastal aquaculture.

Economic valuation and conservation, restoration & management strategies of Saint Martin's coral island, Bangladesh

Tropical coral reefs render a large number of ecosystem services, although without sustainable use practices and conservation measures over the last couple of decades many tropical coral reef ecosystems have been damaged because of excessive use of reef resources. This study provides an estimation of economic benefits from both direct and indirect use of Saint Martin's Coral Island resources, one of the ecologically critical areas (ECAs) of Bangladesh. The coral reef and the associated habitats of St. Martin's Island contributes 33.6 million USD/year to the local economy from fishing, tourism, shoreline protection, seaweed culture, and gathering of intertidal shellfish. Tourism and fisheries are the major economic sectors, generating annual direct use values of 19.4 million USD and 13 million USD/year respectively. The indirect use value of shoreline protection is estimated to be about 180,000 USD/year. Economic benefits of around 1 million USD, could also be generated from an entrance fee collected from tourists visiting the island. The net present value (NPV) of benefits from all of the resources of Saint Martin's Island over a 25-year time frame, with a 6.5% discount rate, is about 545 million USD. A coupled socio-ecological-political, restoration and management framework is recommended. The government should come forward with a conservation, restoration and management plan so that the framework could be used for the management and restoration of a degraded coral reef ecosystem.

A critical review of cast-off crab shell recycling from the perspective of functional and versatile biomaterials.

Shellfish cultivation is an expanding economic activity worldwide. However, the rapid development of crab farming and processing result in a large number of crab shells (CS). Utilizing CS could not only benefit the environment and economy but also promote the sustainable development of aquaculture. In this work, it reviews and analyzes recent attempts in CS recycling, including extracting chitin and its derivatives, for use as adsorbent and flocculant and for preparing polymer composites and catalysts, as well as medical applications. The challenges in these utilizations are discussed, and future research directions are proposed as well. Extracting chitin and its derivates, for use as adsorbent and flocculant, are recent major recycling approaches. Preparing polymer composites and carbon materials has gained more and more attentions. Biotechnology is an alternative method for extracting chitin and its derivates from CS, and high-efficiency desalted and deproteinized bacteria need to be screened. Immobilizing the CS-based adsorbents is the key of treating wastewater in continuous systems. Using CS as a biofiller to prepare polymer composites is promising, and surface modification to improve the interfacial compatibility between CS-based fillers and matrix needs to be further studied.

Comparing physical and biological impacts on seston renewal in a tidal bay with extensive shellfish culture

Abstract Shellfish cultures worldwide are often located in sheltered marine bays. The Oosterschelde is such a bay in the southwestern delta of the Netherlands, harboring extensive shellfish cultures, whose yield is partly driven by seston renewal from the North Sea. Tracer experiments performed with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model were used to study the relative influences of benthic filtration and physical processes on seston replenishment. The model exhibited good skills in reproducing observed water level, temperature, salinity, and current velocity during 2009–2010. Turnover and residence times as indicators of water renewal showed substantial gradients from the mouth to head of the Oosterschelde. Surveyed bivalve biomass and empirical filtration rates were incorporated to estimate the effects of aquaculture on the seston concentration. The filtration created strong bio-deposition suppressing the eastward seston transport and causing

Association of the Toxigenic Dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii With Spirolide Accumulation in Cultured Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) From Northwest Mexico

Spirolides are polyether cyclic imines considered as “fast acting toxins”. Long term human health consequences of spirolide ingestion are uncertain, and hence regulatory limits for human consumption have not been established. Nevertheless, monitoring these toxins in shellfish is essential because they can interfere with detection by mouse bioassay of lipophilic regulated toxins. Todos Santos Bay (TSB), in the northeast of the Baja California Peninsula, is an important shellfish cultivation and fish-farming area in Mexico. The toxin analog 13-desmethyl spirolide C has been reported in cultivated mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from TSB, but the causative species associated with accumulation of this toxin has not been previously identified. We assessed the occurrence of Alexandrium ostenfeldii, the unique known producer of spirolides, by inverted light microscopy and by PCR with species-specific oligonucleotides designed for the ITS and 18S rDNA. We determined the presence and abundance of this species at the surface and at the thermocline from samples collected over two annual sampling periods (2013 - 2014 and 2016 – 2017). During the 2013-2014 period, A. ostenfeldii was found in 50% of the samples analyzed by light microscopy. The highest cell abundance (about 3.6 x 103 cells L-1) occurred in October 2013. During 2016 – 2017 the dinoflagellate was present in low cell abundances (<5 x 102 cells L-1) and was detected in only 20.9% of the samples. Cells of this species were usually found when sea surface temperature ranged from 17 to 20 °C. We also evaluated spirolide accumulated in cultivated mussels from TSB by tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The only spirolide detected was 13-desmethyl spirolide C, found mainly during the 2013-2014 sampling period, with the highest concentration (1.05 μg kg-1) in June 2014. During winter, toxin concentration was at or below the detection limit. During 2016-2017, spirolides were below the detection limit, coinciding with the absence of the causative species. Cell abundance of A. ostenfeldii and spirolide concentration in mussels did not present a clear correlation. This study represents the first record of A. ostenfeldii in TSB and provides evidence that this species is the primary origin of spirolides accumulated in mussels.

Shellfish culture: a complex driver of planktonic communities

AbstractThis review features recent updates on planktonic community alteration attributed to shellfish farming across three major drivers: predation, nutrient availability and the hydrodynamic environment. The grazing pressure generated by filter‐feeder communities (shellfish and epibionts) constitutes a ‘top‐down’ control of planktonic communities in aquaculture areas, inducing a significant depletion of planktonic organism concentration. By selecting larger cells during the filtration process, shellfish also favour smaller organisms in the water column, leading to the dominance of the latter. Direct excretion and the benthic alteration process tend to fertilise the water column and significantly stimulate primary production. The associated epibiont community particularly contributes to this regeneration process. The expected consequence of increasing nutrient availability is generally a planktonic shift in favour of small planktonic species. However, investigation on the relationship between planktonic structure and nutrient conditions has revealed a wide complexity and variability. Finally, all structures used in shellfish farming activities interact with water currents and tend to significantly increase the residence time of planktonic organisms inside shellfish farming areas. In grazing‐dominated systems, an increase in residence time tends to increase the exposure time of planktonic populations to detrimental conditions, reducing biomass and production. The general consequences of shellfish farming are a decrease in primary production in farming ecosystems, and a possible alteration of structure and functioning of planktonic communities. The implications of shellfish farming also appear to be quite different from other aquaculture activities such as fish farming, which tend to promote primary production leading to eutrophication process.

Impacts of maricultural activities on characteristics of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients in a typical raft-culture area of the Yellow Sea, North China

Ailian Bay is an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture bay with approximately 60 years maricultural activities in North China. The floating raft culture of kelp and shellfish is the unique mariculture mode. In this study, the impacts of intensive mariculture activities on seasonal carbon and nutrient dynamics in Ailian Bay were systematically analysed via seasonal surveys between 2015 and 2016. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen and silicon reached the maximum concentrations during summer, which were mainly attributed to the release of shellfish metabolic by-products and their filter-feeding effects on diatoms. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were significantly elevated when kelps were rotting in summer and kelp seeding were occurring in winter. Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity of humic-like chromophoric dissolved organic matter was relatively high in kelp mariculture zone. As most humic-like DOC are potentially refractory substances, we propose that kelp mariculture would contribute importantly to the increase of refractory DOC pool in oceans.

Omics approaches to investigate host–pathogen interactions in mass mortality outbreaks of Crassostrea gigas

AbstractMass mortality events are routinely reported in bivalve cultivation practices worldwide with significant economic consequences for the global aquaculture industry. Major contributors of these bivalve losses are infections caused by viruses and bacteria whose molecular action mechanisms are still not fully understood. This major bottleneck for shellfish cultivation presents an opportunity for fundamental research that can generate practical tools for reliable health assessments. To this end, newly developed omics approaches are likely to facilitate knowledge acquisition, especially if applied in conjunction with established and emergent immunological techniques. In recent years, various omics technologies (e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) have been used to study the Pacific oyster mortality events associated with detection of ostreid herpesvirus type 1 (OsHV‐1) and Vibrio bacteria. These new approaches, especially when used in combination have significantly improved our understanding of this syndrome and associated diseases. In this paper, we review the current omics technologies that have been employed to investigate the interactions between Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and pathogens (e.g. OsHV‐1 and Vibrio sp.), infection mechanisms, host susceptibility and resistance. Herein, we also highlight some of the current challenges and future directions of omics approaches in shellfish health research, including disease detection, diagnosis and treatment.

Ecological Carrying Capacity for Shellfish Aquaculture—Sustainability of Naturally Occurring Filter-Feeders and Cultivated Bivalves

Carrying capacity models for aquaculture have increased in complexity over the last decades, partly because aquaculture growth, sustainability, and licensing are themselves extremely complex. Moreover, there is an asymmetric pattern to all these components, when considered from an international perspective, because of very different regulation and governance of the aquaculture sector in Asia, Europe, and America. Two case studies were used, from Long Island Sound in the United States, and Belfast Lough, in Europe, to examine the interactions between cultivated shellfish and other autochthonous benthic filter-feeders. The objective is to illustrate how such interactions can be incorporated in system-scale ecological models and analyzed from the perspective of ecological carrying capacity. Two different models are described, one based on equations that relate the filtration rate of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria to physiological and population factors and one based on a habitat-specific analysis of multiple species of benthic filter-feeders. Both types of models have relative advantages and challenges, and both were integrated in ecosystem modeling frameworks with substantial numbers of state variables representing physical and biogeochemical processes. These models were applied to (1) examine the relative role of the two components (cultivated and wild) in the filtration of particulate organic matter (both phytoplankton and organic detritus), (2) quantify the effect of wild species on harvest of cultivated organisms (eastern oyster and blue mussel), and (3) assess the role of organically extractive aquaculture and other filter-feeders on top–down control of eutrophication.

Boom‐and‐bust production cycles in animal seafood aquaculture

AbstractAlthough aquaculture has grown nearly exponentially over the last six decades, providing 31.6 million metric tons of animal seafood in 2015, its rate of growth has slowed over the last 15 years. Here, we use case studies, drawn mostly from Asian shellfish culture, to suggest that ‘boom‐and‐bust’ production cycles – periods of rapid growth followed by collapse – cause significant losses of seafood production and to illustrate the duration and repetition of boom‐and‐bust cycles. Next, using the global FAO database for aquaculture production from 1950 to 2015, we investigate whether boom‐and‐bust cycles occur more broadly and whether they are playing a role in the declining rate of global aquaculture production. Focusing on FAO production records with maxima before 2011, allowing time for collapse, we categorize production in each record, relative to its maximum value, as sustained, depleted, collapsed or lost. We find 278 of 453 records (61.4%) show collapsed or lost production, although production in most of these records comprises only a tiny fraction of global output. The top 30 records in the collapsed or lost categories do account for 2.4% of cumulative production over the 66‐year record of animal seafood aquaculture. We identify a strong association between short boom phases (5 years or less) and the probability that production will be lost and use this, as well as maximum annual production and year of maximum production, to model the probability of loss. Ecological limits and market problems are the most often discussed causes of boom‐and‐bust production cycles, but we focus, here, on disease as a major proximal cause of collapse and raise the hypothesis that inbreeding depression may often be an ultimate cause by exacerbating disease susceptibility.

Characteristics and Phylogeny ofShewanella haliotisIsolated from Cultivated Shellfish in Taiwan

Shewanella haliotis is an emerging human pathogen. Many infectious cases were linked to shellfish ingestion or aquatic exposure. Therefore, it is important to study the phylogeny and distribution of S. haliotis in shellfish aquaculture. We investigated the distribution of S. haliotis in cultivated shellfish farming in Taiwan in which S. haliotis was found in the shellfish from all sampling sites. S. haliotis was identified in cultivated shellfish by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, such as abalone (Haliotis diversicolor), clam (Meretrix lusoria), and oyster (Crassostrea gigas). This study highlighted the contamination of S. haliotis in cultivated shellfish and importance of further study regarding the biodiversity and pathogenesis of S. haliotis.

Effects of salinity and transparent exopolymer particles on formation of aquatic aggregates and their association with norovirus

Human noroviruses (NoVs) are responsible for 50% of food-related disease outbreaks and are notably associated with shellfish consumption. Despite the detrimental health impacts of human NoV-contaminated seafood to public health, there is a lack of knowledge on the physicochemical conditions that govern NoV transmission in aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, we investigated the propensity for NoVs to associate with aquatic aggregates, which have been shown to efficiently deliver nano-sized particles to shellfish. Specific physicochemical conditions characteristic of shellfish cultivation waters, specifically salinity and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), were targeted in this study for investigating aggregate formation and NoV association dynamics. Murine norovirus (MNV) was used in aggregation experiments as a model surrogate for NoVs. Results demonstrate increased aggregate formation as a function of increasing salinity and TEP concentrations, as well as greater numbers of MNV genomes incorporated into aggregates under conditions that favor aggregation. As aggregate formation was enhanced in waters representing optimal conditions for shellfish production, specifically saline and high TEP waters, the implications to virus transport and shellfish food safety are profound: more aggregates implies increased scavenging of virus particles from surrounding waters and therefor greater risk for bivalve contamination with nano-sized pathogens. These novel data provide insight into where and when NoVs are most likely to be ingested by shellfish via contaminated aggregates, thereby informing best management and water quality monitoring practices aimed at providing safe seafood to consumers.

Population resequencing reveals candidate genes associated with salinity adaptation of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is an important cultivated shellfish. As a euryhaline species, it has evolved adaptive mechanisms responding to the complex and changeable intertidal environment that it inhabits. To investigate the genetic basis of this salinity adaptation mechanism, we conducted a genome-wide association study using phenotypically differentiated populations (hyposalinity and hypersalinity adaptation populations, and control population), and confirmed our results using an independent population, high-resolution melting, and mRNA expression analysis. For the hyposalinity adaptation, we determined 24 genes, including Cg_CLCN7 (chloride channel protein 7) and Cg_AP1 (apoptosis 1 inhibitor), involved in the ion/water channel and transporter mechanisms, free amino acid and reactive oxygen species metabolism, immune responses, and chemical defence. Three SNPs located on these two genes were significantly differentiated between groups, as was Cg_CLCN7. For the hypersalinity adaptation, the biological process for positive regulating the developmental process was enriched. Enriched gene functions were focused on transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, and cell growth and differentiation, including calmodulin (Cg_CaM) and ficolin-2 (Cg_FCN2). These genes and polymorphisms possibly play an important role in oyster hyposalinity and hypersalinity adaptation. They not only further our understanding of salinity adaptation mechanisms but also provide markers for highly adaptable oyster strains suitable for breeding.

Nitrite tolerance of larvae and juveniles of geoduck clam Panopea japonica

Aquaculture ResearchVolume 49, Issue 8 p. 2913-2917 SHORT COMMUNICATION Nitrite tolerance of larvae and juveniles of geoduck clam Panopea japonica Zhongming Huo, Zhongming Huo orcid.org/0000-0002-8005-4804 Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaThese two authors contributed equally to this work.Search for more papers by this authorMd. Golam Rbbani, Md. Golam Rbbani Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaThese two authors contributed equally to this work.Search for more papers by this authorYuan Tian, Yuan Tian Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorYe Wang, Ye Wang Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorFeng Yang, Feng Yang Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorLei Fang, Corresponding Author Lei Fang fanglei2014@dlou.edu.cn Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China Correspondence Xiwu Yan and Lei Fang, Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian City, China. Emails: yanxiwu@dlou.edu.cn; fanglei2014@dlou.edu.cnSearch for more papers by this authorXiwu Yan, Corresponding Author Xiwu Yan yanxiwu@dlou.edu.cn Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China Correspondence Xiwu Yan and Lei Fang, Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian City, China. Emails: yanxiwu@dlou.edu.cn; fanglei2014@dlou.edu.cnSearch for more papers by this author Zhongming Huo, Zhongming Huo orcid.org/0000-0002-8005-4804 Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaThese two authors contributed equally to this work.Search for more papers by this authorMd. Golam Rbbani, Md. Golam Rbbani Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaThese two authors contributed equally to this work.Search for more papers by this authorYuan Tian, Yuan Tian Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorYe Wang, Ye Wang Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorFeng Yang, Feng Yang Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorLei Fang, Corresponding Author Lei Fang fanglei2014@dlou.edu.cn Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China Correspondence Xiwu Yan and Lei Fang, Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian City, China. Emails: yanxiwu@dlou.edu.cn; fanglei2014@dlou.edu.cnSearch for more papers by this authorXiwu Yan, Corresponding Author Xiwu Yan yanxiwu@dlou.edu.cn Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China Correspondence Xiwu Yan and Lei Fang, Engineering Research Center of Shellfish Culture and Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian City, China. Emails: yanxiwu@dlou.edu.cn; fanglei2014@dlou.edu.cnSearch for more papers by this author First published: 31 May 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/are.13740Citations: 3 Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume49, Issue8August 2018Pages 2913-2917 RelatedInformation

Exploring the Effect of Phage Therapy in Preventing Vibrio anguillarum Infections in Cod and Turbot Larvae.

The aquaculture industry is suffering from losses associated with bacterial infections by opportunistic pathogens. Vibrio anguillarum is one of the most important pathogens, causing vibriosis in fish and shellfish cultures leading to high mortalities and economic losses. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and inefficient vaccination at the larval stage of fish emphasizes the need for novel approaches, and phage therapy for controlling Vibrio pathogens has gained interest in the past few years. In this study, we examined the potential of the broad-host-range phage KVP40 to control four different V. anguillarum strains in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.) larvae. We examined larval mortality and abundance of bacteria and phages. Phage KVP40 was able to reduce and/or delay the mortality of the cod and turbot larvae challenged with V. anguillarum. However, growth of other pathogenic bacteria naturally occurring on the fish eggs prior to our experiment caused mortality of the larvae in the unchallenged control groups. Interestingly, the broad-spectrum phage KVP40 was able to reduce mortality in these groups, compared to the nonchallenge control groups not treated with phage KVP40, demonstrating that the phage could also reduce mortality imposed by the background population of pathogens. Overall, phage-mediated reduction in mortality of cod and turbot larvae in experimental challenge assays with V. anguillarum pathogens suggested that application of broad-host-range phages can reduce Vibrio-induced mortality in turbot and cod larvae, emphasizing that phage therapy is a promising alternative to traditional treatment of vibriosis in marine aquaculture.

Dispersal of alien invasive species on anthropogenic litter from European mariculture areas

The importance of mariculture areas for the dispersal of alien invasive species (AIS) on artificial floating items has recently been highlighted as a priority research need. Here we present the results of surveys in two important European shellfish culture areas that release rafting AIS, the Venetian lagoon and the Portuguese Algarve region. We found eight aquaculture-related non-native, invasive species attached to anthropogenic litter items mostly related to aquaculture: Amphibalanus amphitrite, Austrominius modestus, Balanus trigonus, Hesperibalanus fallax, Hydroides elegans, Hydroides sanctaecrucis, and Magallana angulata. These species are well-adapted to rafting on artificial surfaces and have a high potential to disperse via this vector. This is the first record of the notorious nuisance species H. sanctaecrucis both in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, as well as on floating litter. We also present the first records of M. angulata, H. sanctaecrucis, Sabellaria alveolata, Mytilus edulis and Chthamalus montagui on stranded anthropogenic litter.

Evaluation of effects of shellfish aquaculture and capture fishery on a semi-closed bay ecosystem

Coastal waters in the world are suffering from multiple anthropogenic disturbances, including capture fisheries and aquaculture. Ignoring possible interactions between multiple disturbances may cause serious consequences in our understanding of ecosystem dynamics. This study simulates individual and combined effects of fishing activities and shellfish cultivation on a semi-closed bay ecosystem using Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE). The changes of biomass and ecosystem structure were examined for three scenarios of having fishing alone, shellfish cultivation alone and both fishing and aquaculture. We found considerable impacts of shellfish aquaculture but minor impacts from fishing, suggesting shellfish aquaculture had dominated impacts on the study ecosystem. In addition, the effects of fishing and shellfish aquaculture were not additive on species biomass, rather showing a combined effect with synergy. Given the same loss in fisheries yield, controlling fishing and shellfish aquaculture simultaneously was more efficient for increasing nekton biomass compared to the control of either activity. We highlight the necessity for integrating management of multiple human stressors for an ecosystem-based management.