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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 27915

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Natalija Topić Popović

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Guest Editor

Ruđer Bošković Institute, Laboratory for Aquaculture Biotechnology, Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: aquaculture biotechnology; aquatic bacterial pathogens; development of rapid diagnostic methods for bacterial diseases of fish and invertebrates; biological markers for assessment of ecosystem disbalance; fish and shellfish tissue biochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue on “Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments” in the Applied Sciences journal. Aquatic animals, whether marine or freshwater, whether farmed or wild, face a number of threats related to their water environment. The technological pressures, occurrence of contaminants, and climate changes are ubiquitous in the environment and cause undesirable ecological effects reflecting on aquatic organisms. Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to present the latest advances in identifying and resolving challenges related to aquatic animal health in aquacultured and free-living species.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: aquatic animal health, aquaculture, fishery management, fish community composition, genetics, environmental interactions, effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms, statistical approaches for predicting biological responses, and fish welfare.

Although the deadline for submission of manuscripts to this Special Issue is 10 March 2022, I would appreciate hearing from you in the next few weeks as to whether you would like to contribute.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Natalija Topić Popović
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

aquatic animal health
environmental interactions
aquaculture

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 162 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments

by Natalija Topić Popović

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 6612; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116612 - 29 May 2023

Viewed by 1129

Abstract

Aquatic animals, whether marine or freshwater animals, and whether farmed or wild, face a number of threats related to their water environment [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

9 pages, 247 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Ten Commandments of Successful Fishery Management of Wild Brown Trout Salmo trutta Populations in Salmonid Streams in the Bohemian Region (Czech Republic)

by Roman Lyach

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4602; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094602 - 3 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1848

Abstract

The brown trout Salmo trutta is a fish species that is vulnerable to climate change and anthropogenic activities in its native range. The case studies of successful restoration of brown trout populations are rare. In this study, fishery managers who successfully restored brown trout populations are sharing their know-how and advice about their conservation strategy. Overall, twenty fishery managers were interviewed to give advice about their successful conservation practices of local brown trout populations. Using a qualitative analysis method, ten main recommendations were extracted: (1) assess the status of local brown trout populations, (2) form a union of fisheries managers and work together, (3) support the ability of the streams to retain water, (4) prevent artificial removal of water from the salmonid streams, (5) adjust the brown trout stocking strategy to individual streams, (6) set strict protection of native wild brown trout populations, (7) enforce angling bans and regulations, (8) support the rearing of brown trout in the aquaculture sector, (9) limit brown trout stocking to genetically native fish, and (10) stock smaller 0 + brown trout instead of large adult ones. In conclusion, the fishery managers agreed on the basic management steps that need to be made to conserve brown trout populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

12 pages, 2610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study of Physiological Changes in Turbot Scophthalmus maximus in Different Living Conditions

by Silvia Križanac, Natalija Topić Popović, Josip Barišić, Blanka Beer-Ljubić, Maro Bujak, Sanja Babić, Krunoslav Bojanić, Rozelindra Čož-Rakovac, Daniel Matulić and Ivančica Strunjak-Perović

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4201; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094201 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2297

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the organismal responses of farmed and wild-caught turbot, Scophthalmus maximus, based on analyses of biochemical plasma parameters, leukocyte profile, and histological tissue profile of gills, kidney, liver, intestine, and spleen, as well as gene expression of stress proteins in kidney and liver tissue. The results revealed significant differences in plasma triglycerides (TRIG), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLOB), bilirubin (TBIL), creatinine (CRE) levels, creatine kinase (CK), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities that were higher, and A/G ratio, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, which were lower in farmed population. The neutrophil-leukocyte (N:L) ratio and gene expression of HSP70, HSP90, and WAP65-2 were increased in the wild-caught turbot. The wild-caught turbot were infested with the gill digenean parasite Dactylogyrus sp. and tapeworm Bothriocephalus scorpii. The obtained results provide valuable data for the assessment of the physiological responses of turbot for future comparative studies of the effects of various endogenous and exogenous factors on homeostasis of this species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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10 pages, 626 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Fish Health: Seasonal Variations in Blood Parameters of the Widely Spread Mediterranean Scorpaenid Species, Scorpaena porcus

by Josipa Ferri, Sanja Matić-Skoko, Rozelindra Čož-Rakovac, Ivančica Strunjak-Perović, Blanka Beer Ljubić and Natalija Topić Popović

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4106; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094106 - 19 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2829

Abstract

The measurement of haematological and biochemical parameters is essential for monitoring the health status of wild fish. More specifically, blood parameters provide crucial information on the physiological changes that occur in fish in response to various fluctuations in their environment. This study presents reference ranges and seasonal variations for 15 blood parameters of the black scorpionfish, Scorpaena porcus, as a species of high value for ecosystem monitoring in the Mediterranean. The mean haematocrit (HCT) values differed significantly between seasons, with the highest value recorded in winter. In addition, six plasma parameters varied significantly during the year. Cholesterol (CHOL), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations were notably higher during the spring/summer period and at their lowest levels in autumn/winter. On the contrary, levels of glucose (GLU) were highest during autumn and lowest during the spring season. The post hoc Tukey test revealed that there were significant differences in HCT values for winter vs. spring, in CHOL for spring vs. all other seasons, in NEFA for summer vs. autumn and summer vs. spring, in GLU for spring vs. summer, in AST for autumn vs. spring, in ALP for winter vs. all other seasons and in SOD for summer vs. all other seasons (p < 0.05 in all cases). A total of nine blood parameters showed a significant relationship with fish size throughout different seasons. Our results suggest that monitoring blood parameters may serve as a useful biomarker, and we provide a reliable basis for the future monitoring of the health status of the investigated S. porcus. Considering significant seasonal variations, the use of season-specific reference ranges is recommended for this scorpaenid species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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12 pages, 1090 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Spatial Heterogeneity of the Black Scorpionfish, Scorpaena porcus (Scorpaenidae): Differences in Length, Dietary and Age Compositions

by Josipa Ferri and Sanja Matić-Skoko

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11919; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411919 - 15 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2136

Abstract

The present study assessed spatial variations in several biological characteristics of Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 and estimated length structure, dietary composition and growth parameters for the species. Sampling was carried out in two areas, about 200 km apart, in the coastal Adriatic Sea, which is the northernmost region of the Mediterranean. A total of 388 specimens of S. porcus were caught, 233 from the Split area and 155 from the Pag Island area, and a higher proportion of individuals in the ≤15 cm length classes were found in the Split area. The results of the age, growth and diet analyses demonstrated that the black scorpionfish is a slow-growing and long-lived species that feeds on a wide variety of plant and animal taxa and shows a high selectivity for crustacean decapods. Detailed comparisons and multivariate analyses showed significant fine-scale spatial structuring of the investigated species, as observed length, dietary and age compositions were heterogeneous among the two areas. Fish from the Pag Island area ingested a greater diversity of the prey types, fed to a greater extent on fishes, reached the highest total length and showed a higher growth rate. Such intraspecific variations could reflect adaptations to different environmental conditions and support the geographical scale at which local black scorpionfish populations should be managed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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7 pages, 4919 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Stocking Activities on the Native Brown Trout Populations from Nestos River (Southern Balkans) Inferred by mtDNA RFLP and Sequencing Analyses

by Ioannis A. Giantsis, Argyrios Sapounidis, Emmanouil Koutrakis and Apostolos P. Apostolidis

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 9034; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199034 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1650

Abstract

Alien fish introductions, conducted towards the ichthyofauna enhancement in local drainages, have been occasionally proved harmful for the indigenous freshwater fish populations. The present study was designed to assess the impact of stocking activities, carried out in the past decades with fingerlings originating from Acheloos river hatcheries, on the native trout (Salmo sp.) populations of Nestos River, Greece. Trout specimens collected from several tributaries of Nestos River and were analyzed by means of PCR-RFLP and sequencing targeting the mitochondrial ND5-ND6 genes and the entire control region, respectively. It should be mentioned that trouts from Acheloos mainly belong to the marmoratus mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineage, while the autochthonous trouts from Nestos belong to the Adriatic lineage. Both methodologies demonstrated that most samples from the three tributaries located at the lower part of Nestos constitute offspring of the fingerlings transferred from Acheloos hatcheries. Therefore, these tributaries have been strongly affected by stocking activities with a potential complete loss of their autochthonous trout. On the other hand, it seems that trout populations from higher altitude tributaries have not been affected by stockings. Hence, efforts should be undertaken in order to prevent the prevalence of the non-indigenous translocated Salmo in higher altitude tributaries, in conjunction with a management plan designed for the total trout populations from the area, speaking of which it has been recently included to the National Park of Rodopi Mountains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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7 pages, 1255 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Keeping for Octopuses by Testing Different Escape-Proof Designs on Tanks for “Big Blue Octopus” (Octopus cyanea)

by Keishu Asada, Ryuta Nakajima, Takahiro Nishibayashi, Fabienne Ziadi-Künzli, Zdeněk Lajbner, Jonathan Miller, Tamar Gutnick and Michael J. Kuba

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(18), 8547; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188547 - 14 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4366

Abstract

Octopus cyanea has a wide range of natural distribution and is interesting for scientific research. However, unlike Octopus vulgaris, the species is poorly studied, and few data exist on best practices for keeping them. One of the most common reasons for losing octopuses in human care is their ability to escape from holding tanks. Adult Octopus cyanea (n = 33) were locally collected in Okinawa throughout the year. All animals were housed at the laboratory facilities at the Marine Station of the Okinawa institute of Science and Technology. Animals were kept in a flow-through saltwater system in three different types of holding tanks ranging from 550 L to 600 L tanks or in 2000 L tanks, all with an environment enriched with clay pots or natural rocks as dens. They were fed a daily diet of dead fish or live or dead crustaceans ad libitum. To characterize the effectiveness of different keeping conditions, we compared escape attempts and non-natural deaths during the animals’ time under human care. We found that two types of tanks, the 600 L transparent acrylic glass tanks with weighted lids and the 2000 L tanks with synthetic grass lined walls, had significantly fewer escapes than the 550 L tanks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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6 pages, 12806 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Praziquantel Efficacy against Zeuxapta seriolae Infections in Greater Amberjack, Seriola dumerili

by George Rigos, Dimitra Kogiannou, Antigoni Vasilaki and Mado Kotsiri

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 4656; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104656 - 19 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2493

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dietary praziquantel (PZQ), a promising fish anthelminthic, against Zeuxapta seriolae, a lethal ectoparasite of greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili Risso) farmed in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. The trial was carried out in small cages (3 m³) in situ, harbouring fish (125 ± 14 g) naturally infected with Z. seriolae, at 25 ± 1 °C water temperature. Praziquantel-medicated diet (150 mg PZQ/kg fish) was delivered for three days against a control group. Measurement of both adults and oncomiracidia of Z. seriolae in sampled gill arches revealed significant differences between the tested groups (PZQ: 19.3 ± 9.8 vs. Control: 3.8 ± 6.3). Considering an estimated efficacy of 80.4% in the medicated fish, the present study indicates that oral PZQ treatments can confront Z. seriolae infections considerably in farmed greater amberjack and, perhaps, replace the commonly used hydrogen peroxidase baths. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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12 pages, 3736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Tissue Responses of Marine Mollusks on Seasonal Changes in the Northern Adriatic Sea

by Natalija Topić Popović, Martina Krbavčić, Josip Barišić, Blanka Beer Ljubić, Ivančica Strunjak-Perović, Sanja Babić, Vanesa Lorencin, Daniel Matulić, Tea Tomljanović and Rozelindra Čož-Rakovac

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(6), 2874; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062874 - 23 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3013

Abstract

In the shallow Northern Adriatic, marine mollusks are affected by bottom trawling and seafood disturbance. Seasonal oscillations of oceanographic factors additionally influence their physiology, stress responses and survival. Tissue responses to seasonal variations in green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata L.) and Mediterranean scallop (Pecten jacobaeus L.) in the Northern Adriatic have not been reported. Hence, their biochemical and antioxidant defense properties over seasons were studied and the microanatomical structure of their tissue was correlated with function. Histological analysis of gonads revealed two peaks of gonadal maturation and spawning during the spring/summer period and winter season for scallops, and one peak during the fall for ormers. The gonadal maturation of both species was correlated with their seasonal variations of metabolic demands and antioxidant capacity. The lipid vacuoles of tubuloacinar terminations in the digestive gland differed between the two species; in scallop they are several-fold larger in size and number. Low temperatures in winter contributed to a decline in enzymatic antioxidant defense in scallop tissues, having lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and higher concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant status (TAS). In ormers, winter induced lower TAS, TBARS, SOD and GPx concentrations. The significant difference of winter TAS and TBARS levels between ormers and scallops was correlated with variations in their reproductive cycles, as well as in antioxidant defense systems. The most important factor for stress-related parameters for both species in this work was found to be the season-induced temperature change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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Review

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25 pages, 9040 KiB

Open AccessReview

Potential Risks of Microplastic Fomites to Aquatic Organisms with Special Emphasis on Polyethylene-Microplastic-Glyphosate Exposure Case in Aquacultured Shrimp

by Worrayanee Thammatorn and Dušan Palić

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(10), 5135; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12105135 - 19 May 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4111

Abstract

Plastic litter is increasingly becoming pervasive in aquatic environments, characterized by circulatory patterns between different compartments and continual loading with new debris. Microplastic pollution can cause a variety of effects on aquatic organisms. This review presents the current knowledge of microplastics distribution and sorption capacity, reflecting on possible bioaccumulation and health effects in aquatic organisms. A model case study reveals the fate and toxic effects of glyphosate, focusing on the simultaneous exposure of aquacultured shrimp to polyethylene and glyphosate and their contact route and on the potential effects on their health and the risk for transmission of the contaminants. The toxicity and bioaccumulation of glyphosate-sorbed polyethylene microplastics in shrimp are not well understood, although individual effects have been studied extensively in various organisms. We aim to delineate this knowledge gap by compiling current information regarding the co-exposure to polyethylene microplastic adsorbed with glyphosate to assist in the assessment of the possible health risks to aquacultured shrimp and their consumers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Animal Health in Vulnerable Environments)

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