SHELTERFISH New tools to improve fish health and environment in organic aquaculture

Rainbow trout farming and in particular organic rainbow trout farms are critically challenged by the relatively high prevalence of skin/gill infections caused by various pathogens, especially the parasite Costia (Ichthyobodo necator) and amoebae, which are ultimately lethal for fry/smaller fish. In addition, a Midichloria-like bacterium causes the non-lethal skin disease Red Mark Syndrome (RMS), which results in downgrading/rejection of up to 30% of the fish when placed on the market. Treatment by use of antibiotics/parasitics/ auxiliary compounds is only possible to a limited extent in organic trout production. Hence, solutions to prevent and/or treat costia, amoebae and RMS are urgently needed, not only to secure production of organic rainbow trout in Denmark, but also enable a larger and more cost efficient production with high animal welfare and minimal environmental impact. ShelterFish will focus on solutions addressing the interactions between fish - pathogens – farming environment and water quality; including 1) Test of artificial shelters (shade) to enrich environmental conditions and lower stress; 2) Test of biological herb extracts and a new bacterial surfactant to minimize gill/skin parasite infections; 3) Test of induced immunity to Red Mark Syndrome (RMS) by early exposure; and 4) Test of tools to reduce organic matter load in organic trout farms and hereby improve water quality, fish health/welfare

Integrating movement ecology with biodiversity research - exploring new avenues to address spatiotemporal biodiversity dynamics

Movement of organisms is one of the key mechanisms shaping biodiversity, e.g. the distribution of genes, individuals and species in space and time. Recent technological and conceptual advances have improved our ability to assess the causes and consequences of individual movement, and led to the emergence of the new field of ‘movement ecology’. Here, we outline how movement ecology can contribute to the broad field of biodiversity research, i.e. the study of processes and patterns of life among and across different scales, from genes to ecosystems, and we propose a conceptual framework linking these hitherto largely separated fields of research. Our framework builds on the concept of movement ecology for individuals, and demonstrates its importance for linking individual organismal movement with biodiversity. First, organismal movements can provide ‘mobile links’ between habitats or ecosystems, thereby connecting resources, genes, and processes among otherwise separate locations. Understanding these mobile links and their impact on biodiversity will be facilitated by movement ecology, because mobile links can be created by different modes of movement (i.e., foraging, dispersal, migration) that relate to different spatiotemporal scales and have differential effects on biodiversity. Second, organismal movements can also mediate coexistence in communities, through ‘equalizing’ and ‘stabilizing’ mechanisms. This novel integrated framework provides a conceptual starting point for a better understanding of biodiversity dynamics in light of individual movement and space-use behavior across spatiotemporal scales. By illustrating this framework with examples, we argue that the integration of movement ecology and biodiversity research will also enhance our ability to conserve diversity at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels