Microbes are ubiquitous in the environment, playing an important role in nutrient cycling and energy metabolism. Fish harbor a high diversity of microorganisms on the skin, in the gill and along the gastrointestinal tract. Fish-related microbes contribute to nutrient digestion and assimilation, development of the immune system and host resistance to pathogenic infections and disease. Therefore, the establishment of a healthy balance between the commensal and opportunistic bacteria in fish microbiota is important for improving the production efficiency and sustainability of the aquaculture industry.
The colonization process of fish microbiota is dynamic and somehow stochastic. Many studies highlight the role of trophic level, habitat environment, host phylogeny and life stages in shaping fish microbiota. Furthermore, modulation of gut microbiota was practiced by culturing the fish in different microbial rearing environments or feeding the fish with the different microbial communities in feed. A microbial mature system, such as recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), or dietary supplementation of pre/probiotics can improve fish microbiota, showing enhancement in fish growth, immune response and overall health status.
After the rapid growth, aquaculture already provides over half of the global fish production and must take a more prominent role in human food security than in earlier times, owing to the growing world population and the decline in fisheries’ natural resources. However, over-intensification and increased use of plant-based diets also cause challenges, such as the decrease in feed digestibility, the discharge of nutrient-rich wastes, the use of antibiotics and pesticides, and the outbreak of disease. Under this context, a better understanding of microbial diversity and its functionality in aquaculture production systems would reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture and benefit the sustainable development of the industry.
With the development of molecular techniques, amplicon-based approaches provide high-resolution insights into the microbial diversity and functionality of aquaculture ecosystems. The aim of this research topic is to gather recent studies that use microbial and molecular techniques to explore the interactions between environment, microbe and host in aquaculture ecosystems. The knowledge of microbes in nutrient transformation, waste treatment and aquatic animal performance would help minimize the environmental impact of climate change, improve the production efficiency of aquaculture as well as protect fish welfare.
In this research topic, we would like to call for original and novel papers related to the microbial ecology in the aquaculture ecosystem in any of the following research topics:
• Microbially-mediated system engineering on wastes treatment and nutrients valorization, such as RAS and biofloc system
• Isolation and phylogenetic studies of functional bacterial strains for contaminants treatment or probiotic development
• The colonization process and development pattern of microbiota from cultured species, including the skin, gill and gut
• Impact of microbes on the performance and gene expression of aquatic animals
• Strategies for pathogen/disease control and prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in aquaculture
Microbes are ubiquitous in the environment, playing an important role in nutrient cycling and energy metabolism. Fish harbor a high diversity of microorganisms on the skin, in the gill and along the gastrointestinal tract. Fish-related microbes contribute to nutrient digestion and assimilation, development of the immune system and host resistance to pathogenic infections and disease. Therefore, the establishment of a healthy balance between the commensal and opportunistic bacteria in fish microbiota is important for improving the production efficiency and sustainability of the aquaculture industry.
The colonization process of fish microbiota is dynamic and somehow stochastic. Many studies highlight the role of trophic level, habitat environment, host phylogeny and life stages in shaping fish microbiota. Furthermore, modulation of gut microbiota was practiced by culturing the fish in different microbial rearing environments or feeding the fish with the different microbial communities in feed. A microbial mature system, such as recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), or dietary supplementation of pre/probiotics can improve fish microbiota, showing enhancement in fish growth, immune response and overall health status.
After the rapid growth, aquaculture already provides over half of the global fish production and must take a more prominent role in human food security than in earlier times, owing to the growing world population and the decline in fisheries’ natural resources. However, over-intensification and increased use of plant-based diets also cause challenges, such as the decrease in feed digestibility, the discharge of nutrient-rich wastes, the use of antibiotics and pesticides, and the outbreak of disease. Under this context, a better understanding of microbial diversity and its functionality in aquaculture production systems would reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture and benefit the sustainable development of the industry.
With the development of molecular techniques, amplicon-based approaches provide high-resolution insights into the microbial diversity and functionality of aquaculture ecosystems. The aim of this research topic is to gather recent studies that use microbial and molecular techniques to explore the interactions between environment, microbe and host in aquaculture ecosystems. The knowledge of microbes in nutrient transformation, waste treatment and aquatic animal performance would help minimize the environmental impact of climate change, improve the production efficiency of aquaculture as well as protect fish welfare.
In this research topic, we would like to call for original and novel papers related to the microbial ecology in the aquaculture ecosystem in any of the following research topics:
• Microbially-mediated system engineering on wastes treatment and nutrients valorization, such as RAS and biofloc system
• Isolation and phylogenetic studies of functional bacterial strains for contaminants treatment or probiotic development
• The colonization process and development pattern of microbiota from cultured species, including the skin, gill and gut
• Impact of microbes on the performance and gene expression of aquatic animals
• Strategies for pathogen/disease control and prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in aquaculture
