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Nutrient composition of dried marine small fish in Bangladesh and their potential to address hidden hunger
Get PDFThis study investigates the nutrient composition of fish powder intended for direct consumption, sourced from seven small fish species indigenous to the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Locally known as chapila, chewa, faissa, ichre, loittya, mola, and olua, these fish were collected, dried to a moisture content consistent with local practices, pulverized, and subjected to analysis for proximate composition, mineral content, vitamin levels, heavy metal presence, and fatty acid profile. While the dried fish samples exhibited high nutritional quality, significant variations were observed among species for each nutrient analyzed. Consequently, no single species emerged as superior when considering all nutritional factors collectively. However, consuming 10 g of dried small fish powder sourced from the analyzed species could potentially fulfill 100% of the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for protein, calcium, selenium, and vitamin B12 among children aged 6–23 months. Moreover, its serves as a significant source of these nutrients for pregnant or lactating women. Importantly, this intake level does not pose any risk associated with mercury or cadmium content. These findings hold promise as a valuable addition to the national food composition table, offering insights into the utilization of dried small fish from marine sources as a potent tool in the fight against malnutrition.publishedVersio
Lakselusinfestasjon på vill laksefisk langs Norskekysten i 2024 — Sluttrapport til Mattilsynet
Get PDFSmittepresset av lakselus på vill laksefisk i fjordene og langs kysten overvåkes ved tråling av utvandrende postsmolt laks, fangst av sjøørret og sjørøye i ruser og garn samt ved bruk av smolt i vaktbur. Postsmolttråling gjennomføres i fem fjordsystemer i Sør-Norge mens undersøkelser med ruser og garn gjennomføres i alle 13 produksjonsområder. Vaktbur benyttes kun i Hardangerfjorden og Sognefjorden.Lakselusinfestasjon på vill laksefisk langs Norskekysten i 2024 — Sluttrapport til MattilsynetpublishedVersio
Loss of Fshr Prevents Testicular Maturation in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.)
Get PDFEarly puberty poses a significant challenge for male Atlantic salmon in aquaculture due to its negative impact on growth and welfare. The regulation of puberty in vertebrates involves 2 key reproductive hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and their gonadal receptors. In male mice lacking FSH receptor, testes size is reduced, but fertility is maintained, while medaka and zebrafish with a disrupted fshr gene exhibit near normal testis size and fertility. In these fishes both Fsh and Lh are present during puberty and Lh may rescue fertility, while in salmonid fish only Fsh is present in the circulation during puberty. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we produced crispants with a high prevalence of fshr mutations at the target site, which remained fertile, although more than half showed a testis development deviating from wild-type (wt) males. Crossing out these F0 crispants to each other produced a viable F1 generation showing frameshift (fshr−/−) or in-frame mutations (fshrif/if). Nearly all wt males matured while all fshr−/− males remained immature with small testes containing A spermatogonia as the furthest developed germ cell type and prepubertal plasma androgen levels. Also, the pituitary transcript levels of gnrhr2bba and lhb, but not for fshb, were reduced in the fshr−/− males compared with maturing males. More than half of the fshrif/if mutant males showed no or a delayed maturation. In conclusion, Atlantic salmon show the unique characteristic that loss of Fshr function alone results in male infertility, offering new opportunities to control precocious puberty or fertility in salmon.publishedVersio
Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Foundation Species
Get PDFMarine foundation species are the biotic basis for many of the world's coastal ecosystems, providing structural habitat, food, and protection for myriad plants and animals as well as many ecosystem services. However, climate change poses a significant threat to foundation species and the ecosystems they support. We review the impacts of climate change on common marine foundation species, including corals, kelps, seagrasses, salt marsh plants, mangroves, and bivalves. It is evident that marine foundation species have already been severely impacted by several climate change drivers, often through interactive effects with other human stressors, such as pollution, overfishing, and coastal development. Despite considerable variation in geographical, environmental, and ecological contexts, direct and indirect effects of gradual warming and subsequent heatwaves have emerged as the most pervasive drivers of observed impact and potent threat across all marine foundation species, but effects from sea level rise, ocean acidification, and increased storminess are expected to increase. Documented impacts include changes in the genetic structures, physiology, abundance, and distribution of the foundation species themselves and changes to their interactions with other species, with flow-on effects to associated communities, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. We discuss strategies to support marine foundation species into the Anthropocene, in order to increase their resilience and ensure the persistence of the ecosystem services they provide.publishedVersio
Primary Production and Respiration in the Norwegian Sea Estimated From Biogeochemical Argo Floats
Get PDFBiogeochemical (BGC) Argo floats were used in this study to investigate phytoplankton blooms. We assessed the seasonal and annual rates of net primary and community production, along with respiration in the Norwegian Sea. The years 2020 and 2021 were contrasted to illuminate similarities and differences. In both years the onset of the bloom occurred at the beginning of February, coinciding with a deep winter mixed layer. However, during spring and summer the biological production appeared to develop differently. In 2020 the mixed layer depth shoaled quickly in April due to surface heating, triggering a strong spring bloom event. In contrast, a significant surface cooling in April 2021 triggered a substantial vertical mixing, that delayed the mixed layer's shoaling. This delay initiated cascading effects impacting nitrate consumption and bloom development that resulted in increased respiration in 2021 compared to 2020. In both years, vertical nitrate mixing from deeper layers to the surface emerged as a pivotal factor determining primary production. Using a mixed layer model in combination with Argo observations, we found that the upward nutrient fluxes due to mixing doubled net community production. These findings underscore the capability of BGC-Argo floats, operating at a 5-day resolution, to unveil the intricate interplay between hydrography, physical drivers, and biogeochemical processes in shaping phytoplankton dynamics and overall ecosystem productivity in the Norwegian Sea.publishedVersio
A Modular Smart Ocean Observatory for Development of Sensors, Underwater Communication and Surveillance of Environmental Parameters
Get PDFThe rapid growth of marine industries has emphasized the focus on environmental impacts for all industries, as well as the influence of key environmental parameters on, for instance, offshore wind or aquaculture performance, animal welfare and structural integrity of different constructions. Development of automatized sensors together with efficient communication and information systems will enhance surveillance and monitoring of environmental processes and impact. We have developed a modular Smart Ocean observatory, in this case connected to a large-scale marine aquaculture research facility. The first sensor rigs have been operational since May 2022, transmitting environmental data in near real-time. Key components are Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) for measuring directional wave and current parameters, and CTDs for redundant measurement of depth, temperature, conductivity and oxygen. Communication is through 4G network or cable. However, a key purpose of the observatory is also to facilitate experiments with acoustic wireless underwater communication, which are ongoing. The aim is to expand the system(s) with demersal independent sensor nodes communicating through an “Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT)”, covering larger areas in the coastal zone, as well as open waters, of benefit to all ocean industries. The observatory also hosts experiments for sensor development, biofouling control and strategies for sensor self-validation and diagnostics. The close interactions between the experiments and the infrastructure development allow a holistic approach towards environmental monitoring across sectors and industries, plus to reduce the carbon footprint of ocean observation. This work is intended to lay a basis for sophisticated use of smart sensors with communication systems in long-term autonomous operation in remote as well as nearshore locations.A Modular Smart Ocean Observatory for Development of Sensors, Underwater Communication and Surveillance of Environmental ParameterspublishedVersio
Effects of biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) and poly(lactic acid) plastic degradation on soil ecosystems
Get PDFDespite that biodegradable plastics are perceived as environmentally friendly, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of their fate in soil. Current Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, along with new UNEP regulations on plastic pollution, necessitate scientific information on plastic degradation in soils for developing sustainable biodegradable plastics. In this study, we examined the degradation rates of two biodegradable plastics, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA), in a laboratory microcosm experiment using uncontaminated soil, with PBAT or PLA added at 8.3% (w/w). Our aim was to further understand the impact of these plastic types on soil properties and microbial communities under different incubation temperatures. Both PBAT and PLA treatments elevated cumulative CO2 efflux compared with the control soil incubated at 25 and 58°C. After 33 weeks, 9.2% and 6.1% of the added PBAT and PLA degraded, respectively, at 58°C, while only 2.3% of PBAT and 1.7% of PLA degraded at 25°C, implying slower degradation rates of PBAT and PLA under the lower temperature. Degradation at 58°C increased total soil carbon by 0.6%, 1.9%, and 4.3% for Control, PBAT, and PLA, respectively, and soil electrical conductivity by 0.17, 0.33, and 2.38 dS m−1, respectively, but decreased soil pH. Microbial diversity and richness decreased under thermophilic conditions at 58°C compared with that at 25°C. We conclude that the degradation of PBAT and PLA varies with environmental condition, and influences soil properties.publishedVersio
Trophic interactions between common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and their prey during summer in the northern Barents Sea
Get PDFGlobal warming is causing rapid change in marine food webs, particularly at northern latitudes where temperatures are increasing most rapidly. In this study, the diet of common minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata was assessed both in terms of short-term (morphological analyses of digestive tract contents) and longer-term (tissue chemical markers: fatty acids and stable isotopes) prey use in the northern Barents Sea to see if they are prey shifting. Samples (blubber cores, muscle, and stomach contents) were obtained from 158 common minke whales taken during Norwegian commercial whaling operations during summer over the period 2016–2020. Two prey items, capelin Mallotus villosus and krill (primarily Thysanoessa sp.), dominated the stomach contents in the entire period of investigation, which included sampling both in June and in August, similar to findings from earlier studies. A few gadoids were also observed in the whale stomachs. Lower blubber fatty acid (FA) contents in 2016/2017 as compared with 2018/2019 were observed. This is most likely explained by differences in sampling time (June in 2016/2017 vs August in 2018/2019, i.e., after a longer feeding period during the summer in the latter case). This explanation also fits with the fact that FA profiles of the 2018/2019 whales were more similar to the FA profiles of the potential prey, presumably reflecting the two months longer assimilation time for these whales. Multidimensional mixing models based on carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of the most likely prey groups suggested that the whales ate mostly krill in four of the five sampling years. In 2018 there were indications of a higher proportion of gadoid fish, showing some dietary flexibility. The trophic level of the whales’ feeding, as interpreted from the nitrogen isotope values, was positively correlated with blubber thickness suggesting that fish-eaters tended to assimilate more energy than whales that focused more exclusively on lower trophic prey. The variation suggested by different dietary analyses methods − stomach contents, fatty acids, and stable isotopes – most likely reflects different turnover times, with muscle stable isotopes likely representing several months of dietary integration, while lipid stores are more dynamic and may represent weeks, and stomach contents represent feeding events during the last few hours. The change in diet of minke whales from small pelagic fishes (in the past) to a greater quantity of krill and demersal fish (seen in this study) suggests that the whales are responding to the ongoing borealization of the Barents Sea ecosystem.publishedVersio
Proteomics for food and feed authentication in the circular food chain
Get PDFBackground Ensuring consumer trust is critical in the circular economy and the reintroduction of animal proteins into the food chain. Authentication of the tissue and species-specific origin of food and feed samples is crucial for maintaining food and food supply chain safety. Along with analytical methods such as DNA-based methods, microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), proteomic methods can also be implemented for food authentication and safety. Scopes and approaches This review focuses on applications of state-of-the-art proteomics methods to safeguard food and feed chains in circular food production systems. Specifically, the utilization of targeted and untargeted proteomics approaches in the safe reintroducing processed animal proteins (PAPs) into the feed supply chain is discussed in a regulatory context. Furthermore, the implementation of proteomics along with DNA-based methods in the authentication of fish and insect species in food and feed products will benefit detection of fraudulent practices. Proteomic techniques such as targeted and untargeted approaches are discussed to tackle authentication challenges and safeguard food safety. Key findings We discuss the implementation of proteomic methods in detecting and quantifying prohibited protein material, addressing authentication challenges, and ensuring the integrity of food and feed products. For PAP product species and tissue, origins can be accurately determined through targeted proteomic approaches. Moreover, untargeted proteomics offers the capability of detecting allergens from novel foods such as insects and avoiding potential food fraud. Integrating proteomic methods into routine food and feed analysis workflows shows promise for enhancing regulatory compliance, consumer confidence, and overall food safety in circular food production systems.publishedVersio
The Pathobiome of Salmo trutta From the North Sea to the Barents Sea
Get PDFSalmonids are some of the best studied species with respect to their pathobiome, and at the northern range limit, there is potential for pathogens to expand with both climate change and increased fish farming in the north.publishedVersio