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Host-gut microbiota interactions shape parasite infections in farmed Atlantic salmon
Get PDFAnimals and their associated microbiota share long evolutionary histories. However, it is not always clear how host genotype and microbiota interact to affect phenotype. We applied a hologenomic approach to explore how host–microbiota interactions shape lifetime growth and parasite infection in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Multi-omics data sets were generated from the guts of 460 salmon, 82% of which were naturally infected with an intestinal cestode. A single Mycoplasma bacterial strain, MAG01, dominated the gut metagenome of large, non-parasitized fish, consistent with previous studies showing high levels of Mycoplasma in the gut microbiota of healthy salmon. While small and/or parasitized salmon also had high abundance of MAG01, we observed increased alpha diversity in these individuals, driven by increased frequency of low-abundance Vibrionaceae and other Mycoplasma species that carried known virulence genes. Colonization by one of these cestode-associated Mycoplasma strains was associated with host individual genomic variation in long non-coding RNAs. Integrating the multi-omic data sets revealed coordinated changes in the salmon gut mRNA transcriptome and metabolome that correlated with shifts in the microbiota of smaller, parasitized fish. Our results suggest that the gut microbiota of small and/or parasitized fish is in a state of dysbiosis that partly depends on the host genotype, highlighting the value of using a hologenomic approach to incorporate the microbiota into the study of host–parasite dynamics.publishedVersio
Bycatch of northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in Norwegian longline fisheries: Assessing spatiotemporal variations in scale and risk to improve management
Get PDFSeabirds are vulnerable to bycatch in longline fisheries but for most species the impacts are largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, studies can estimate bycatch directly using observations or calculate the theoretical risk of bycatch using overlap indexes. Here we quantify the scale and risk of bycatch of northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in the Norwegian offshore longline fishery using a ten-year time series of bycatch observations from a reference fleet programme, and large-scale datasets of fishing activity and northern fulmar distribution. We estimated an average of 0.01 (95 % CI: 0.008–0.03) northern fulmars bycaught per 1000 hooks, which results in a highly varying estimated annual bycatch of between 51 and 16242 (95 % CI) northern fulmars per year, with the largest hotspot in the Norwegian Sea during June-August. We compared these estimates with overlap indexes calculated for northern fulmars and the same fishing activity. This pinpointed the highest risk of bycatch within the breeding season, where fishing activity increased in the waters around the largest cluster of breeding colonies in the northeast Atlantic. Strong correlations between estimated bycatch and calculated overlap indexes validate overlap indexes as an indirect evaluation of risk and strengthen evidence for management decisions based on the spatial and temporal trends identified in our analyses. Northern fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, Reference Fleet, Self-sampling, Bycatch, Longline, HotspotspublishedVersio
The emerging picture of a diverse deep Arctic Ocean seafloor: From habitats to ecosystems
Get PDFInterest in the deep Arctic Ocean is rapidly increasing from governments, policy makers, industry, researchers, and conservation groups, accentuated by the growing accessibility of this remote region by surface vessel traffic. In this review, our goal is to provide an updated taxonomic inventory of benthic taxa known to occur in the deep Arctic Ocean and relate this inventory to habitat diversity. To achieve this goal, we collected data for Arctic metazoan deep-sea taxa from open-access databases, information facilities, and non-digitised scientific literature, limiting the collection to the area north of 66°N and below 500 m depth (excluding all shelf seas). Although notable progress has been made in understanding the deep Arctic using novel technologies and infrastructure, this data gathering shows that knowledge of deep-sea benthic Arctic communities remains very limited. Yet, through our compilation of habitat maps, we show that the Arctic contains a high diversity of geomorphological features, including slopes, deep basins, submarine canyons, ridges, and seamounts, as well as chemosynthesis-based and biogenic (biologically engineered) ecosystems. To analyse taxon richness and density, using both morphological and molecular data, we compiled 75,404 faunal records with 2,637 taxa. Phyla with the most records were the Arthropoda (21,405), Annelida (13,763) and Porifera (12,591); phyla with the most documented taxa were the Arthropoda (956), Annelida (566) and Mollusca (351). An overview of the dominant groups inhabiting the different geomorphological features highlights regions in the deep Arctic where data are particularly scarce and increased research efforts are needed, particularly the deep basins of the central Arctic Ocean. This scarcity of deep benthic Arctic biodiversity data creates a bottleneck for developing robust management and conservation measures in a rapidly changing region, leading to a call for international collaboration and shared data to ensure understanding and preservation of these fragile Arctic ecosystems.publishedVersio
Genetic analyses verify sexually mature escaped farmed Atlantic cod and farmed cod eggs in the natural environment
Get PDFElucidating the effects of domesticated organisms escaping into the natural environment represents a topic of importance in both evolutionary and conservation biology. However, when excluding the abundant data on salmonids, there is a lack of knowledge on this topic for marine fish aquaculture, which continues to expand globally. In order to bridge this empirical gap, we investigated a suspected escape of sexually mature domesticated Atlantic cod from a commercial marine fish farm in northern Norway. This involved genotyping samples of fish from cages on the farm, putatively identified escapees and wild cod captured in the region and samples of recently spawned eggs collected in the sea. Genetic analyses confirmed a farmed ancestry of the suspected escapees, and significantly, 27% of the sampled cod eggs. Furthermore, statistical analyses revealed a strong reduction in genetic variation in all samples of the farmed cod, including low effective population size and high degree of siblingship. These results thus document the escape of sexually mature adult cod and the release of fertilized domesticated cod eggs into the natural environment. Although it is possible that some of the mature escapees spawned post-escape, the fact that only a single egg of potential hybrid farmed × wild origin was identified, together with the high number of mature cod in the farm, points to within cage spawning as the primary source of these eggs. This suggestion is supported by oceanic particle-drift modelling, verifying that transport of eggs between the farm and the egg sampling locations was plausible. This study represents a rare documentation of interaction between domesticated and wild populations for a marine fish, pointing towards potential impacts on the local wild population.publishedVersio
Pigghåtoktet 2023 — Et samarbeidstokt mellom Havforskningsinstituttet og Måløy Videregående Skole, med opplæringsfartøyet MS Skulebas
Get PDFPigghå er en datafattig og rødlistet art som historisk har gitt grunnlag for et stort fiskeri med årlige landinger på mer enn 40 000 tonn i mer enn 40 år. Etter langvarig overfiske og etterfølgende bestandssammenbrudd har det nå i en del år vært tegn til vekst i bestanden. I 2020, Måløy videregående skole, som eier en atuolinebåt, tok kontakt med Havforskningsinstituttet og presenterte et ønske om et samarbeid for å bidra til et ressurstokt på pigghå. Formålet med pigghåtoktserien på langt sikt er å etablere en bestandsindeks for pigghå basert på fangstrater i standardiserte årlige survey. Toktet samler også inn informasjon om sammensetning av bestanden for å ytterligere underbygge bestandsanalysen. Denne rapporten innholder foreløpig resultater fra 2023. Totalt ble det registrert 2030 pigghå samt andre arter gjennom 185 stasjoner, fra Foran i nord til Egersund i sør.Pigghåtoktet 2023 — Et samarbeidstokt mellom Havforskningsinstituttet og Måløy Videregående Skole, med opplæringsfartøyet MS SkulebaspublishedVersio
Effects of aquaculture effluents on the slender sea pen Virgularia mirabilis
Get PDFThis study aims to assess in situ the impact of effluents originating from an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farm on a nearby slender sea pen (Virgularia mirabilis) field. We evidenced (1) the presence and persistence of emamectin residues (i.e. a common chemotherapeutants used for treating ectoparasites in salmons) in V. mirabilis tissue 56 days after treatment and (2) lethal and sublethal responses of V. mirabilis to effluents discharged by the salmon farm. Particularly, sea pens near the fish farm exhibited significant overproduction of mucus, contraction of polyps’ tentacles, and disappearance of associated fauna. Furthermore, sea pens located directly underneath the farm showed substantial tissue necrosis and, in the most severe case, complete tissue loss and mortality. Our results suggest that lethal damages on sea pens occur directly below the farm, and that sublethal effects are visible up to 500 m from the farm. However, the presence of V. mirabilis below the studied farm, which has been active for more than twenty years, suggests that V. mirabilis population possesses the capacity to recover from the impacts of the farm, thereby preventing the complete disappearance from the area. In this context, it would be particularly interesting to run a temporal survey following the health state of V. mirabilis during an entire production cycle to have a more precise overview of fish farm impacts on this species, including during and after the post-production fallowing period.publishedVersio
The effects of freezing and thawing on Alaria esculenta
Get PDFSeaweeds must be stabilised shortly after harvesting to avoid rapid deterioration. To handle large amounts harvested during a short period, freezing and frozen storage until utilisation or further processing is one of the methods used industrially. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of different freezing and thawing procedures on Alaria esculenta by analysis of the chemical composition of the seaweed and the drip loss expelled during thawing. Thawing of industrially frozen A. esculenta resulted in a drip loss of 57% of wet weight. The drip loss had a dry matter content of 7% of wet weight, of which 71% was mineral content. Analysis showed that, of the dry matter excluding ash, alanine, aspartic acid, and mannitol were the main components lost to the drip loss. Experiments with a second batch of A. esculenta looking at quick and slow freezing and thawing showed that quick freezing resulted in a significantly lower drip loss than slow freezing; 20% compared to up to 42% of wet weight. Dry matter and mineral content of the drip loss of these samples were all around 6% of wet weight and 31% of dry weight. For some applications it might be of interest to reduce the concentration of potentially toxic elements such as iodine and heavy metals, but due to a high loss of other biomass this was not very effectively done by freezing and thawing. For preservation purposes, quick freezing is the best alternative to retain seaweed biomass.publishedVersio
Identifying priorities for the protection of deep-sea species and habitats in the Nordic Seas
Get PDFMarine Protected Areas (MPAs) are recognized as a key instrument to reverse global biodiversity loss and for Norway to meet its commitment to conserve 30% of its marine area by 2030, based on targets established within the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and the recently ratified COP15 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework1. Specifically, MPA network criteria advanced by the CBD1,2 entail protection of at least 30% of all habitats and marine landscapes occurring in a given study area, as well as 100% protection of all important habitats in the same area. In pursuit of these targets, we have conducted spatial analyses to elucidate, based on the current knowledge, the optimal MPA network design ensuring both maximal biodiversity protection and the continued provisioning of deep-sea benthic ecosystem services in the Nordic Seas. The scope of the analyses included geological and ecological data available for the study area (from the upper part of shelf beak down to the deepest abyssal plains) comprising information on 1) seabed topography, geomorphic characteristics and marine landscapes, 2) the distribution, abundance and diversity of species and 3) the distribution of vulnerable and important ecosystems. Due to the limited knowledge of species occurrences in the area, this analysis heavily relies on topography, geomorphology, and sea-scape classifications, which are known to be strongly correlated with species distributions. Three different MPA network scenarios were generated with a protection target of 30% of the study area. In addition, scenarios representing 40% and 50% protection were produced, based on empirical evidence that this is the minimum size needed to fully protect the range of different aspects of biodiversity components, as well as threatened species. Several scenarios of buffer zones were also proposed to shield the core MPA units from effluents from human activities in the surrounding areas that may drift into the units with water currents. From these scenarios, we described in more detail one of the 30% protection MPA network scenarios that meets the COP15 30x30 protection targets in the best possible way. This network covers 407 968 km², representing 33% of the study area in total, and is composed of 22 MPA units ranging from 85 to 77 242 km². It protects 100% of all known active and inactive hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, as well as 100% of the areas defined as coral and sponge hotspots. Spatially, it protects between 30-39% of all occurring marine landscape types (as defined by the Geological Survey of Norway). We expect that this knowledge review and the spatial analysis presented will serve as a meaningful contribution to the discussion on how Norway should approach meeting its COP15 30x30 conservation commitments. Timely discussion of the conservation and protection needs of deep-sea ecosystems of the Nordic Seas would significantly strengthen Norway’s reputation as a nation driving both the development and the implementation of knowledge-based management of marine resources and ecosystems.Identifying priorities for the protection of deep-sea species and habitats in the Nordic SeaspublishedVersio
Assessment of application EFSA-GMO-NL-2019-163 for authorisation of the genetically modified maize DP23211 under EU Regulation 1829/2003/EC on genetically modified food and feed
No full textThe Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) has assessed an application for approval of the genetically modified maize DP23211 for food and feed uses, import and processing in the EU. In accordance with an assignment specified by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) and the Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA), VKM assesses whether genetically modified organisms (GMOs) intended for the European market can pose risks to human or animal health, or the environment in Norway. VKM assesses the scientific documentation regarding GMO applications seeking approval for use of GMOs as food and feed, processing, or cultivation. The EU Regulation 1829/2003/EC (Regulation) covers living GMOs that fall under the Norwegian Gene Technology Act, as well as processed food and feed from GMOs (dead material) that fall under the Norwegian Food Act. The regulation is currently not part of the EEA agreement or implemented in Norwegian law. Norway conducts its own assessments of GMO applications in preparation for the possible implementation of the Regulation. In accordance with the assignment by NFSA and NEA, VKM assesses GMO applications during scientific hearings initiated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as well as after EFSA has published its own risk assessment of a GMO, up until EU member countries vote for or against approval in the EU Commission. The assignment is divided into three stages. (link) Maize DP23211 DP23211 is a genetically modified maize that expresses the double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) DvSSJ1, and the insecticidal protein IPD072Aa, both conferring resistance to corn rootworm pests. DP23211 maize also expresses the enzyme phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) for tolerance to glufosinate herbicide, and the enzyme phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) used as a selectable marker during development. The scientific documentation provided in the application for DP23211 maize is adequate for risk assessment, and in accordance with EFSA guidance on risk assessment of genetically modified plants for use in food or feed. The VKM GMO panel does not consider the introduced modifications in DP23211 maize to imply potential specific health or environmental risks in Norway, compared to EU-countries. The EFSA scientific Opinion is adequate also for Norwegian conditions. Therefore, a full risk assessment of DP23211 maize was not performed by the VKM GMO Panel. About the assignment: In stage 1, VKM shall assess the health and environmental risks of the genetically modified organism and derived products in connection with the EFSA scientific hearing of GMO applications. VKM shall review the scientific documentation that the applicant has submitted and possibly provide comments to EFSA. VKM must also consider: i) whether there are specific Norwegian conditions that could give other risks in Norway than those mentioned in the application, ii) whether the Norwegian diet presents a different health risk for the Norwegian population should the GMO be approved, compared to the European population, and iii) risks associated with co-existence with conventional and/or ecologic production of plants for GMOs seeking approval for cultivation. Relevant measures to ensure co-existence must also be considered. In stage 2, VKM shall assess whether comments from Norway have been satisfactorily answered by EFSA. In addition, VKM shall assess whether comments from other countries imply need for further follow-up. If EFSAs response to Norwegian comments is not satisfactory, or comments by other countries imply the need for further follow-up, VKM shall in stage 3 perform a risk assessment of these conditions, including conditions specific to Norway.Assessment of application EFSA-GMO-NL-2019-163 for authorisation of the genetically modified maize DP23211 under EU Regulation 1829/2003/EC on genetically modified food and feedpublishedVersio
