Probiotics in Aquaculture: Enhancing Health and Sustainability

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the food industry and plays a critical role in meeting the increasing global demand for aquatic foods. The intensive farming practices, however, required to maximize productivity often facilitate pathogen transmission and disease outbreaks, posing significant threats to fish and shellfish populations. Traditionally, antibiotics have been used to combat infectious diseases, but their overuse has contributed to antibiotic resistance, environmental pollution, and antibiotic residues in aquaculture products. As a result, there is a pressing need for sustainable alternatives that enhance animal health without the adverse effects associated with antibiotics. Probiotics, which are live microorganisms that confer health benefits to the host by maintaining a healthy gut microbial ecosystem, have emerged as a promising solution. They offer a natural and environment-friendly alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture by promoting growth performance, enhancing disease resistance, and improving the overall health of aquatic species.

This Research Topic aims to explore the role of probiotics in enhancing health in aquaculture, thereby serving as viable alternatives to antibiotics. By examining recent advancements in this field, we seek to address critical knowledge gaps and inspire innovative strategies for sustainable aquaculture practices. Probiotics have shown potential not only in modulating gut microbiota and improving feed utilization and growth but also in strengthening the immune system and stress resistance in aquatic organisms. This Research Topic encourages studies that highlight the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms through which probiotics exert their beneficial effects. We welcome contributions that provide insights into the development and application of novel probiotic strains, evaluate their efficacy in different aquaculture environments, and identify challenges and solutions for their implementation.

The scope of this Research Topic includes, but is not limited to, the following themes:

o Application of new indigenous probiotic organisms in aquatic animals.
o Mechanistic studies on how probiotics confer health benefits on the host, including enhanced immune response and disease resistance.
o Probiotic formulation and delivery in aquaculture systems based on mechanistic insights.
o Comparative mechanistic analysis of probiotics and antibiotics in aquaculture.
o Analysis of probiotics' impact on gut microbiota and overall health, including interactions between probiotics, gut microbiota, and host health.
o Multi-Omics (e.g., metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics) to unravel the specific mechanisms by which probiotics modulate host health and microbiome composition.
o Environmental and economic implications of using probiotics in aquaculture.

We invite a variety of manuscript types, including original research articles, reviews, case studies, and perspective pieces. Each contribution should provide valuable insights into the application of probiotics as a sustainable strategy for enhancing health in aquaculture.

Keywords: Probiotics, Aquaculture, Sustainable aquaculture, Antibiotic alternatives, Environmental impact, Gut microbiota, Pathogen inhibition, Immune response, Stress resistance.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.