The 1^st international symposium on mucosal health in aquaculture – MHA2019

Abstract

The 1 st International Symposium on Mucosal Health and Aquaculture (MHA2019) was held on 11-13 September 2019 in Oslo, Norway. This was the first platform of its kind that gathered people from academia, R&D institutes, and industry to discuss the state-of-the-art and future directions of mucosal health research in aquaculture. The symposium was divided into four scientific sessions: Session 1, Mucosal structures and functions; Session 2, Mucosal health and nutrition; Session 3, Mucosal health and microbiome; and Session 4, Mucosal health and the changing environment. A plenary talk from a prominent authority in the field opened each session. The papers presented at MHA2019 exemplified the dynamic evolution of the field of mucosal health in aquaculturefrom an area solely explored from an immunological aspect about 20 years ago, to the multidisciplinary field it is today. Moreover, papers presented highlighted the complementary application of both classical (e.g., histology) and modern platforms (e.g., omics, artificial intelligence) to characterize mucosal health. The interactive discussion during the meeting underscored the importance of mucosal health research in modern aquaculture and collectively emphasized the role of both fundamental and applied approaches in advancing this timely and highly relevant field.

Applying genetic technologies to combat infectious diseases in aquaculture

“…Volatile organic compounds including 1‐octenol‐3‐ol, 1‐penten‐3‐ol and sulcatone in the mucus of Atlantic salmon have been found to be associated with increased sessile lice count. 147 These compounds are secondary lipid oxidation products which have been linked to host identification in biting insects such as mosquitoes and midges. 148 , 149 , 150 The concentration of these compounds in mucus differs between different families of Atlantic salmon (37%–58%) fed the same diet and is associated with higher lice counts in individuals.…”

Defining piscine endpoints: Towards score sheets for assessment of clinical signs in fish research

“…51 The sampling of mucus from skin and gills is a promising minimally or non-invasive method for biochemical analyses. 39,52,53 Changes in the mucus metabolite composition may provide information about the fishes’ health and welfare, in addition to data about environmental influences, as correlations between metabolites present in plasma and mucus from individual fish have been demonstrated. 53 Non-invasive endpoint indicators, for example biomarkers from water samples (e.g.…”