Search Results (404)

This study aims to investigate the perspectives of aquaculture producers in the Western Mediterranean Region (operating in Antalya, Burdur, and Isparta provinces) on climate change, examine the impacts of climate change on regional aquaculture, and develop solution proposals. Within the scope of this objective, the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the aquaculture producers in the Western Mediterranean Region, along with their knowledge levels regarding climate change, were obtained through a questionnaire technique. The results indicate that producers, who are predominantly engaged in rainbow trout aquaculture, are under severe economic pressure due to high-exchange-rate-driven input costs and the abolition of government subsidies. While all participants (100%) perceived that climate change has decreased production tonnage, the most prominent impact of the climate crisis is perceived as drought and the decline of water resources, with a response rate of 37.2%. Multivariable analysis further showed that aquaculture experience and satisfaction with aquaculture income were significantly associated with producers’ future outlook, highlighting the importance of socioeconomic factors in shaping perceived sectoral vulnerability. Due to both rising costs and environmental risks, 50% of the producers view the future of the sector pessimistically and do not recommend this profession to future generations. Consequently, these results emphasize the critical need for integrated land and water resource management policies, alongside targeted climate adaptation strategies, to ensure the long-term socio-ecological sustainability of forest inland aquaculture in the region. Full article

Fish farming can contribute to sustainable rural tourism when environmental performance and visitor expectations are considered jointly. This study aimed to evaluate fish farming as a strategy for sustainable tourism in Somondoco, Boyacá, Colombia, by integrating an environmental assessment of water quality with visitors’ perceptions of sustainable tourism. A case study was conducted at the “Los Lagos” fish farm, where physicochemical parameters were measured at the water supply and discharge points and the water quality index (WQI) was calculated. In parallel, a survey of 73 visitors was conducted to characterize perceptions of sustainable tourism and willingness to pay for more sustainable services. The WQI decreased from 0.75 (acceptable) at the water supply point to 0.60 (regular) at the discharge point, mainly associated with changes in electrical conductivity and chemical oxygen demand. From the tourism perspective, 93.1% of respondents considered sustainable tourism important, while 54.8% identified responsible management of natural resources as the main aspect to be addressed. In addition, 84.9% expressed willingness to pay an additional 10–20% for a more sustainable offering. The integration of environmental and tourism-perception results, complemented by a SWOT analysis, identified water management, environmental education, technological modernization, and community participation as priority areas for sustainable tourism development. These findings provide a case-based framework for linking aquaculture environmental performance with visitor expectations in the formulation of sustainable tourism strategies. Full article

Ecuadorian aquaculture plays an increasingly important role in food security, providing a sustainable complement to capture fisheries. Manabí constitutes a key economic sector that contributes to employment generation, income diversification, and supply of high-quality protein. However, the sector’s heterogeneity and limited legal registration of enterprises hinder the development of policies and targeted interventions. This study characterizes aquaculture enterprises in Manabí, integrating productive, technological, and socio-economic variables obtained from field surveys. Three distinct entrepreneurship patterns were identified: small-scale, informal farms cultivating native species with low technology but characteristics that may contribute to socio-ecological resilience; semi-formal producers operating with intermediate technology and mixed species; and freshwater shrimp farms operating at the largest relative scale within the sample, though still small-scale and family-based, with moderate technological development and market integration limited mainly to local and regional markets. The typology focused on a gradient in formalization, technological sophistication, and market orientation among enterprises. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of aquaculture diversity in Manabí and offer a practical framework for differentiated policy design using a Strategic Producer Positioning Map. Strengthening formalization, technological innovation, environmental management, and social inclusion is essential to enhance the sector’s sustainability and competitiveness, contributing to sustainable blue economy development in coastal Ecuador. Full article

The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858) is a highly valuable species in European aquaculture and capture fisheries. Efficient monitoring of its populations is essential for sustainable management, yet traditional survey methods are invasive and labor-intensive. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis offers a powerful non-invasive alternative by detecting DNA fragments shed by organisms into the environment. In this study, we developed a species-specific TaqMan quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to detect S. senegalensis eDNA. We evaluated assay performance, eDNA release, and persistence under controlled aquarium conditions. The assay demonstrated robust analytical sensitivity and specificity and showed an efficiency of 77.4%, an R² of 0.986, and an analytical limit of detection at the 10⁻⁵ dilution. Density had a statistically significant effect on the values observed (one-way ANOVA: F_3,16 = 3.903, p = 0.0287). To ensure accuracy, context-dependent operational quantification cycle (Cq) thresholds were defined: a stringent cutoff (Cq < 30) prevents false positives in complex marine environments, while a permissive cutoff (Cq < 36) maximizes detection in controlled settings. Aquarium trials confirmed that eDNA concentration correlates directly with fish density and accumulation time. Following fish removal, rapid eDNA degradation was observed, falling below strict quantifiable limits within 72 h, although trace signals persisted at late amplification cycles. This optimized qPCR protocol provides a foundational molecular tool that, pending further in situ validation, could support non-invasive S. senegalensis monitoring in ecological assessments and aquaculture management. Full article

Aquaculture requires continuous environmental monitoring, yet low-cost IoT sensing in marine conditions remains poorly characterised, and the data it produces is rarely accompanied by mechanisms establishing its provenance. This paper presents an IoT sensor system for marine and coastal aquaculture, comprising solar-powered 4G multiparameter nodes, a cloud-native back-end with a RESTful layer, and integration with a blockchain-based change-detection mechanism supplying a GS1-compliant digital product passport. Four nodes in adjacent cages were deployed at a marine site on the Montenegrin Adriatic for eight weeks, measuring temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, oxidation–reduction potential and conductivity at five-minute resolution. Lacking reference instrumentation, we use agreement between nodes for validation. Temperature showed the closest cross-node agreement, with nodes agreeing to within 0.28 °C, and resolved a coherent cold, low-salinity intrusion detected simultaneously by all four nodes. The electrochemical and optical channels proved precise but not accurate: they tracked relative change coherently while their absolute values diverged, with oxidation–reduction potential moving from 9 mV of agreement to 71 mV over the following weeks. Cross-node coherence in conductivity and dissolved oxygen degraded progressively over the deployment, with no electrochemical or optical channel remaining coherent beyond roughly six weeks. Such sensors suit anomaly detection without calibration but require periodic recalibration for absolute reporting. Tamper-evident provenance is therefore necessary but not sufficient: sensor-level quality assurance is its missing half. Full article

Aquaculture has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors of global food production, driven by population growth, consumer demand, and technological innovation. Despite this expansion, the industry continues to face persistent challenges, including disease management, optimizing growth and product quality, maintaining water quality, and mitigating environmental impacts. Nanotechnology has recently emerged as a promising tool to tackle these issues, offering both direct applications, such as antimicrobial agents, immunostimulants, and optimized drug delivery to enhance fish health, and indirect applications, including post-harvest processing, environmental monitoring, and contaminant removal. This review provides a comprehensive overview of nanoparticle applications in aquaculture from 2020 to early 2026, covering the various types of nanoparticles, their mechanisms of action, and the specific materials investigated during this period. The discussion also addresses potential benefits, limitations, and biosafety concerns, emphasizing the need for further in vivo and field studies to ensure the safe and sustainable integration of nanotechnologies into aquaculture practices. Full article

The 1st International Online Conference on Environments addresses issues of environmental understanding, management, and restoration. Sessions ranged from general frameworks to a broad area of specific investigations: heavy metal removal using inactive yeast, gadolinium’s aquatic toxicity, adsorptive removal of pollutants, energy recovery from waste and wastewater treatment, recycled carbon fibers, climate-resilient urban development, renewable biofuel production, green hydrogen, anthropogenic and volcanic CO₂ emissions, quantifying aging dignity in urban ecosystems and stray dogs as pollution health sentinels. Keynotes covered digital plant phenotyping for restoration, microplastic dynamics, agricultural residue management, carbon credits, air quality, atmospheric pollution, transitional waters, green chemistry, ecotoxicity, micropollutants, and coastal darkening effects on plankton, among others. Applied solutions included phytoremediation of eutrophication in urban streams, circular approaches in aquaculture, biochar for wastewater treatment, AI-assisted mangrove monitoring, and true-cost accounting for food systems. The conference demonstrated that effective environmental policy requires the integration of laboratory findings, field restoration, and shared resource responsibility across terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Full article

Oyster aquaculture plays a critical role in coastal social-ecological systems by providing ecosystem services such as economic benefits, food security, and environmental regulation; however, multiple biophysical and socio-economic stressors threaten its long-term sustainability. This study operationalizes the seven established resilience principles to identify strategies that enhance the resilience of oyster aquaculture globally. A scoping review following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, and JSTOR, yielding 345 peer-reviewed publications (2000–2026) from which 13 stressor categories and 15 mitigation strategy categories were identified. Diseases and pathogens constituted the most documented stressor (24.3%), followed by climate change and ocean acidification (9.9%). Among strategies, the governance, policy, and stakeholder engagement strategy was the most frequently used (12.8%). Classification by resilience principles revealed that managing slow variables and feedback (P3, 30.1%) and maintaining diversity and redundancy (P1, 22.6%) dominated the literature, while broadening participation (P6, 11.0%) and promoting polycentric governance (P7, 4.6%) were least represented, revealing a significant gap in the scientific literature between biophysical and socio-institutional research attention. Context-specific indicators were developed for each principle, providing a replicable framework linking stressors, strategies, and resilience principles applicable to diverse mariculture systems. Full article

This review analyzes how in situ environmental monitoring and satellite remote sensing (RS) can be integrated to assess the production performance of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). It provides a focused synthesis of the available evidence on the integration of these complementary monitoring approaches for assessing environmental conditions and mussel production performance. A systematic literature search was performed across major scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CAB Abstracts, ASFA, and IEEE Xplore, to identify studies published between 2014 and November 2025. Following the screening process, reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR, 28 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that most studies relied exclusively on in situ environmental data (n = 24), while only one study used RS alone and three studies combined both approaches. Temperature and salinity were the most frequently monitored variables and showed the clearest associations with growth-related indicators, such as shell length and soft tissue weight. Overall, the combination of in situ monitoring and RS remains limited, while spatial analytical methods, including GIS, are still underused in this research area. Combining local and depth-specific in situ measurements with the broader spatial coverage of RS may provide a more comprehensive assessment of environmental variability relevant to mussel production and aquaculture management. These findings highlight important methodological gaps and emphasize the need for standardized and integrated monitoring schemes to support the management of mussel farming systems. Full article

Climate change and increasing instability in coastal marine environments have intensified stressors such as elevated temperature, hypoxia, salinity variation, and pollutant exposure, posing major challenges to the survival, health, and culture performance of bivalves. As economically important aquaculture species and key components of coastal ecosystems, bivalves are highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations, making their metabolic responses highly relevant to both physiological adaptation and aquaculture sustainability. Increasing evidence indicates that metabolic remodeling is an important adaptive strategy supporting bivalve tolerance to environmental stress, with amino acid metabolic remodeling emerging as one of its most sensitive and functionally important components. This review summarizes the major response patterns, key pathways, and potential regulatory mechanisms of amino acid metabolism in bivalves under different stress conditions. Different environmental stressors induce distinct yet integrated shifts in amino acid metabolism, including enhanced catabolism, carbon–nitrogen redistribution, osmotic regulation, and antioxidant defense, thereby supporting energy homeostasis and physiological stress tolerance in bivalves. By highlighting amino acid metabolic remodeling as a central mechanism of bivalve adaptation to environmental stress, this review provides insights into adaptive responses, metabolite-based indicators for monitoring aquaculture environments and bivalve health, and management strategies for improving resilience in bivalve aquaculture. Full article

Fish processing generates substantial quantities of by-products, creating important management and valorization challenges, particularly in insular regions. This study provides a first-order quantification of fishery and aquaculture wastes in the Madeira archipelago. The methodology combined a feed-based mass-balance model, targeted data collection, stakeholder analysis, and valorization assessment. Organic matter (OM) released from marine cage aquaculture was estimated at approximately 851.6 t yr⁻¹ (dry weight), while fish by-products from processing activities in factories and retail stores generated approximately 938 t yr⁻¹ (wet weight). These waste streams differ substantially in their physical characteristics and management pathways, with aquaculture producing diffuse environmental discharges and processing activities generating concentrated and potentially recoverable residues. Structured stakeholder interviews identified limited scale and insufficient raw materials, logistics and labor as the main factors affecting valorization initiatives. A comparative multi-criteria assessment further evaluated potential valorization strategies based on environmental performance and economic viability. Despite the generation of organic residues, the results suggest that effective valorization is constrained less by total waste generation than by biomass fragmentation, logistical limitations, and restricted economies of scale, emphasizing the need for integrated circular management approaches. A combined approach, integrating farm usage of decaying OM from cage systems and locally supported valorization strategies is required to transition towards a more resource-efficient production system. Full article

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been widely recognized as emerging environmental contaminants due to their potential threats to public health and ecosystems. Owing to the extensive use of antibiotics in clinical, agricultural, and aquaculture settings, large quantities of ARGs are continuously introduced into the natural environment. As a result, aquatic environments—particularly surface waters—act as important reservoirs and transmission pathways for ARGs. However, despite the Yellow River being a major surface river in northern China, the occurrence and sources of ARGs in this river remain poorly understood. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing was applied to investigate the composition of ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and virulence factors (VFs) in three water sources in the Baotou section of the Yellow River. A total of 35 types of ARGs, 3 types of MGEs, and 14 categories of VFs were identified across all samples. Among them, multidrug resistance genes, peptide resistance genes and glycopeptide resistance genes exhibited relatively high abundances, indicating their widespread distribution in the study area. In terms of MGEs, recombinases and transposases were dominant, suggesting their important roles in gene mobilization. Meanwhile, VFs were mainly associated with metabolic functions, immune modulation, and adherence, reflecting the potential pathogenic risks in the aquatic environment. Co-occurrence networks revealed extensive associations between ARGs and MGEs, as well as ARGs and VFs. Many positive correlations were observed, suggesting possible ecological associations between ARGs and MGEs and potential co-selection between ARGs and VFs. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the distribution patterns and co-occurrence patterns of ARGs, MGEs, and VFs in the Yellow River and offers a scientific basis for the management and control of antibiotic resistance pollution in large river systems. Full article

Microbial communities associated with fish mucosal tissues play important roles in host health and environmental adaptation. However, the effects of contrasting aquaculture conditions on the microorganisms of the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea, L. crocea) remain poorly understood. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to compare the gut and gill microbiota of L. crocea cultured in a marine system and a saline–alkaline system, together with the corresponding surrounding water samples. The results showed that both host tissue type and rearing environment significantly influenced microbial community structure. Water samples generally exhibited higher alpha diversity than host-associated samples, whereas the gut and gill communities were clearly separated from the surrounding water microbial community. The intestine showed stronger culture system differentiation than the gill, suggesting greater niche selectivity, while the gill retained a closer association with the rearing water. Across multiple taxonomic levels, microbial composition differed markedly among water, gut, and gill samples, and the divergence between the marine culture and saline–alkaline culture system became more pronounced at finer taxonomic resolution. Differentially enriched taxa further revealed clear tissue- and habitat-associated microbial patterns. In addition, several dominant taxa were significantly correlated with environmental variables, especially salinity and nutrient-related factors, indicating that physicochemical heterogeneity contributed substantially to microbial community assembly. Overall, this study shows that host mucosal niche and rearing environment are associated with distinct gut and gill microbiota patterns in L. crocea and provides preliminary ecological information for future microbiome-informed aquaculture management, functional validation of candidate taxa, and the development of land-based culture systems for marine fish. Full article

Aquaculture has rapidly expanded, surpassing capture fisheries and playing a vital role in global food security. However, this growth raises environmental concerns, especially regarding nitrogen waste accumulation in recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs). Nitrogen compounds from uneaten feed and fish excreta, mainly ammonia (NH₃) and nitrite (NO₂⁻), lead to water pollution, eutrophication, and greenhouse gas emissions. This study describes the setup and the efficiency of a new photo-electrocatalytic (PEC) system in reducing nitrogen waste in a high-density RAS for rainbow trout (30 kg/m³). The PEC system, an evolution of a pure photocatalytic system, was integrated in the units of the RAS and tested for the first time in field conditions, combining photocatalysis and electrochemical oxidation to convert toxic nitrogen species (NH₃) into less harmful nitrogen forms (NO₃⁻ and N₂), aiming to mitigate both water and atmospheric pollution. Over a 4-week period, water nitrogen compounds, ammonia and greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane) emitted by water were continuously monitored in two groups of three tanks (PEC vs. control). Each tank was equipped as an independent RAS unit. PEC treatment led to significantly lower NH₃ concentrations (0.96 ± 0.2 mg/L vs. 1.78 ± 0.2 mg/L, p < 0.01), lower NO₂⁻ levels and higher NO₃⁻ levels (61.77 ± 2.14 mg/L vs. 53.10 ± 2.14 mg/L, p < 0.01) in water, indicating efficient nitrogen oxidation. Gaseous emissions were also reduced: NH₃ (1.49 vs. 2.64 mg/m²/day, p < 0.05) and N₂O (1.44 vs. 2.88 mg/m²/day, p < 0.05). These results support PEC technology as a promising solution for improving nitrogen management in intensive aquaculture. Although challenges remain in optimizing energy use and scalability, PEC offers a valuable strategy for reducing environmental impact while sustaining productivity in the aquaculture industry. Full article

The gut microbiome of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is increasingly recognized as a functional interface linking dietary inputs, epithelial barrier integrity, mucosal immunity, environmental stress, disease susceptibility, and antimicrobial-resistance risk in intensive aquaculture. Based on available salmonid studies and relevant evidence from broader fish and aquaculture systems, this review synthesizes current knowledge on salmonid gut microbial composition, nutritional modulation, microbiome–mucosal immune interactions, aquaculture stressors, antibiotic exposure, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), metagenomics, multi-omics, and emerging microbiome-informed decision-support tools. Current evidence does not support a universally stable single-core microbiota in these species. Instead, community structure is shaped by developmental stage, freshwater–seawater transition, intestinal segment, digesta versus mucosa sampling, diet, temperature, stress, health status, and methodological workflow. Feed substitution and functional additives can remodel the gut microbiota, but these shifts should be interpreted alongside histology, barrier function, metabolic profiles, immune indicators, and disease-resistance phenotypes. Antibiotic exposure may reduce acute bacterial disease pressure while disturbing community structure and potentially enriching ARGs or ARG–MGE associations. Risk assessment should therefore move beyond ARG abundance toward host–ARG–MGE linkage using shotgun metagenomics, metagenome-assembled genomes, long-read sequencing, Hi-C, and externally validated multi-omics models. Machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches may support feature screening, risk stratification, and decision support, but their application in salmonid gut-health management remains at an early stage and requires external validation across sites, production stages, diets, and seasons. Full article