Fish Microbiome, a Novel Tool to Improve Sustainable Production and Welfare in Aquaculture

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, researchers have attempted to improve the sustainability of aquaculture production by proposing multiple solutions that are relevant in the context of climate change. Due to the high sensitivity of the fish microbiome to changes, it is essential to evaluate these strategies and to predict their short, medium, and long-term effects. Microbial populations are closely associated with aquaculture systems and farmed animals, with which they establish communities and strong functional links. The pivotal role that it plays in numerous metabolic and immune processes makes the microbiota perfect for use as a diagnostic and prognostic tool. However, our understanding of these molecular processes and the identification of bacterial biomarkers remains limited.

This Special Issue of Animals aims to enhance our understanding of the inner mechanisms that regulate the relationships between farming variables and the physiological response of animals, using the fish microbiome as the integrative foundation. The objective of this Special Issue is to reveal the full potential of the microbiota, shed light on its variability, establish robust indicators, and define their functional role within the host–microbiota system through experimental and computational approaches. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of review articles and original research papers that use the microbiome as a tool for the sustainable development of aquaculture production and the implementation of new tailored strategies for assessing fish health and welfare.

Dr. Federico Moroni
Prof. Dr. Jaume Pérez-Sánchez
Guest Editors

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