Sustainable fish feeds with insects and probiotics positively affect freshwater and marine fish gut microbiota.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing agricultural industry in the world. Fishmeal is an essential component of commercial fish diets, but its long-term sustainability is a concern. Therefore, it is important to find alternatives to fishmeal that have a similar nutritional value and, at the same time, are affordable and readily available. The search for high-quality alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil has interested researchers worldwide. Over the past 20 years, different insect meals have been studied as a potential alternate source of fishmeal in aquafeeds. On the other hand, probiotics—live microbial strains—are being used as dietary supplements and showing beneficial effects on fish growth and health status. Fish gut microbiota plays a significant role in nutrition metabolism, which affects a number of other physiological functions, including fish growth and development, immune regulation, and pathogen resistance. One of the key reasons for studying fish gut microbiota is the possibility to modify microbial communities that inhabit the intestine to benefit host growth and health. The development of DNA sequencing technologies and advanced bioinformatics tools has made metagenomic analysis a feasible method for researching gut microbes. In this review, we analyze and summarize the current knowledge provided by studies of our research group on using insect meal and probiotic supplements in aquafeed formulations and their effects on different fish gut microbiota. We also highlight future research directions to make insect meals a key source of proteins for sustainable aquaculture and explore the challenges associated with the use of probiotics. Insect meals and probiotics will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the long-term sustainability and profitability of aquaculture

A Meramod^® model approach for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the off-shore aquaculture improvement in the Alghero Bay (North western Sardinia, Italy)

Marine fish farming generates particulate wastes which are dispersed in the sea environment. To deal with this problem, particulate waste dispersion models have been developed to predict the effects of fish cage culture. In this study, we evaluated the seabed deposition of a fish farming facility located in the central western Mediterranean by using the Meramod® model. The objectives where first to assess the actual scenario, and second to forecast the possible impact due to the forthcoming enlargement of the farming area with the addition of new fish cages. By computing the hydrodynamic measurements and the daily amount of feed recorded between July and December 2006, the impact seabed surfaces forecasted by the model increased from 5.6ha in the actual scenario, up to 7.3ha in the future. The model estimated a maximum level of total solid flux deposition of 3,800g/m2bed/year and a maximum level of total carbon flux deposition of 1,350g/m2bed/year for both scenarios. Furthermore, the model predicted that the installation of 4 new fish cages (with an hypothetical mean daily amount of feed of 50kg/cage) will produce a total solid and carbon flux deposition levels ranging 0-400 and 0-150g/m2bed/year respectively, under the new fish cages location

A Meramod® model approach for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the off–shore aquaculture improvement in the Alghero Bay (North western Sardinia, Italy)

Marine fish farming generates particulate wastes which are dispersed in the sea environment. To deal with this problem, particulate waste dispersion models have been developed to predict the effects of fish cage culture. In this study, we evaluated the seabed deposition of a fish farming facility located in the central western Mediterranean by using the Meramod® model. The objectives where first to assess the actual scenario, and second to forecast the possible impact due to the forthcoming enlargement of the farming area with the addition of new fish cages. By computing the hydrodynamic measurements and the daily amount of feed recorded between July and December 2006, the impact seabed surfaces forecasted by the model increased from 5.6ha in the actual scenario, up to 7.3ha in the future. The model estimated a maximum level of total solid flux deposition of 3,800g/m2bed/year and a maximum level of total carbon flux deposition of 1,350g/m2bed/year for both scenarios. Furthermore, the model predicted that the installation of 4 new fish cages (with an hypothetical mean daily amount of feed of 50kg/cage) will produce a total solid and carbon flux deposition levels ranging 0-400 and 0-150g/m2bed/year respectively, under the new fish cages location

Inflow and outflow water quality control in coastal aquaculture systems: a case study

Coastal water bodies are a particularly heterogeneous resource, typified by high spatial and temporal variability that could influence the aquaculture in coastal zones. However, the development of coastal aquaculture may produce negative impacts on the coastal area by the potential release of nutrients and organic matter that can be a source of pollution in receiving waters. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the performance of constructed wetland in controlling the dynamics of deoxygenating matter (organic matter and ammonia) and eutrophicating matter [organic matter and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP)] in the waters entering (inflow) and flowing out (outflow) from a coastal aquaculture fish farm. We observed that constructed wetland systems are effective in removing fractions of total suspended solids, COD, total ammonia nitrogen and SRP contained in the inflow water with higher efficiency in the spring period (60.37%, 14.89%, 65.38% and 17.6% respectively) than in the summer period (45.10%, 8.06%, 32.43% and 8.00% respectively). Similar pattern was recorded for the treatment of the outflow waters, showing that the wetland system reduced most of the deoxygenating and eutrophicating matter produced as a consequence of feeding and fish metabolic activity. During the summer season, high algae mortality can reduce the performance of the wetland system in the outflow water control; this lower efficiency could be improved by controlling the biomass of algae by vegetation harvesting

Chitinase and insect meal in aquaculture nutrition: a comprehensive overview of the latest achievements.

The aquaculture industry is looking for sustainable alternatives to conventional fish meals in fish feed, and insect-based meals are proving to be a promising solution. These meals are nutritionally optimal as they have a high protein content and an ideal amino acid profile. However, the presence of chitin, a component of the insect exoskeleton in these meals presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Chitosan, a derivative of chitin, is known to improve the physiological functions of fish, including growth, immunity, and disease resistance. While chitin and its derivative chitosan offer several physiological benefits, their presence can affect the digestibility of feed in some fish species, making the inclusion of insect-based meals in aquafeeds complex. While studies suggest positive effects, some problems, such as reduced growth rates in certain species, emphasize the need for further research on chitin digestion in fish. Chitinase, an enzyme that breaks down chitin, is being investigated as a potential solution to improve the nutritional value of insect meals in aquafeed. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the applications, benefits, and challenges of using chitinase in aquaculture, highlighting the enzyme’s role in improving feed digestibility, disease control, and environmental sustainability. Extensive research is required to fully understand the potential of chitinase enzymes in aquaculture and to optimize their applications in this dynamic field. Overall, this review provides insight into the evolving landscape of insect-based meals and the applications of chitinase enzymes within sustainable aquaculture practices

PepT1 mRNA expression levels in sea bream (Sparus aurata) fed different plant protein sources

The expression and regulation of intestinal oligopeptide transporter (PepT)-1 when vegetable sources are used as a substitute for fish meal in the diet of marine fish has not yet been explored. In the present study, as part of our ongoing work on elucidating PepT1 gene expression in relation to different dietary treatments, we have now isolated and deposited in Genbank database (accession no. GU733710) a cDNA sequence representing the PepT1 in the sea bream (Sparus aurata). The \u201cde novo\u201d prediction of the three-dimensional structure of PepT1 protein is presented. We also analyzed diet-induced changes in the expression of PepT1 mRNA via real-time RTPCR using the standard curve method. Sea bream were fed for 140 days with one of the following four diet formulations (43% protein/21% lipid): a control fast growth-promoting diet (C), and three diets with the same formulation but in which 15% of the fish meal was substituted by protein concentrates either from lupine (LPC), chick pea (CPC), or green pea (PPC). Fish fed PPC had significantly (p < 0.05) lower levels of PepT1 transcripts in the proximal intestine than the controls, whereas PepT1 transcript levels in fish fed LPC or CPC were not significantly different from the controls. Although growth was similar between fish fed with different diets during the first 72 days of feeding, growth of the fish fed with PPC was reduced during the second part of the trial and was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than fish fed LPC and CPC diets by the end of the experiment. Correlation between these results and fish growth performances highlights that the intestinal PepT1 mRNA level may serve as a useful marker of the dietary protein quality and absorption efficiency