Research in Iceland leads to diversification in aquaculture

Phd student Jennifer Covello, from AMC's National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability has just returned from Iceland where she presented a paper on striped trumpeter, the species at the centre of plans to expand Tasmanian aquaculture beyond salmon.

Ms Covello's paper, Cloning and expression analysis of striped trumpeter pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in response to the ectoparasite, Chondrachanthus goldsmidi helped get the September 6-9 Fish Disease and Immunology Conference underway.

The Iceland presentation comes on the back of an extended lab exchange that saw her work in Aberdeen, Scotland.

It is hoped the research will lead to a greater understanding of health factors in striped trumpeter. Trials are under way on the commercial production of striped trumpeter but research is needed to safeguard the species from the demands that come with the intensified activity of aquaculture.

"Right now the only finfish cultured in Tasmania are salmonids and industry is interested in diversifying. They've put some (striped trumpeter) trials cages out to sea and hopefully they will be successful and supplement the aquaculture industry in Tasmania," Ms Covello said.

"When you intensify any culture situation, it's likely that health issues will arise. Right now we're doing the background work so that when health issues appear, we have some information about the fish's ability to fight off disease. We want the fish to have a good response to these parasites. It is important that the fish are able to recognize that something is wrong and that they should be mounting a response to it."

"We're also looking at the antibody response and the stage of development at which it becomes functional. This will help to decide when the best time to vaccinate these fish would be - if we need to vaccinate against certain pathogens in the future."

A plan to diversify Tasmania’s commercial aquaculture interests has taken AMC research as far afield as Scotland and Iceland.

Phd student Jennifer Covello, from AMC’s National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability has just returned from Iceland where she presented a paper on striped trumpeter, the species at the centre of plans to expand Tasmanian aquaculture beyond salmon.

Ms Covello’s paper, Cloning and expression analysis of striped trumpeter pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in response to the ectoparasite, Chondrachanthus goldsmidi helped get the September 6-9 Fish Disease and Immunology Conference underway.

The Iceland presentation comes on the back of an extended lab exchange that saw her work in Aberdeen, Scotland.

It is hoped the research will lead to a greater understanding of health factors in striped trumpeter. Trials are under way on the commercial production of striped trumpeter but research is needed to safeguard the species from the demands that come with the intensified activity of aquaculture.

“Right now the only finfish cultured in Tasmania are salmonids and industry is interested in diversifying. They’ve put some (striped trumpeter) trials cages out to sea and hopefully they will be successful and supplement the aquaculture industry in Tasmania,” Ms Covello said.

“When you intensify any culture situation, it’s likely that health issues will arise. Right now we’re doing the background work so that when health issues appear, we have some information about the fish’s ability to fight off disease. We want the fish to have a good response to these parasites. It is important that the fish are able to recognize that something is wrong and that they should be mounting a response to it.”

“We’re also looking at the antibody response and the stage of development at which it becomes functional. This will help to decide when the best time to vaccinate these fish would be - if we need to vaccinate against certain pathogens in the future.”

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Email: p.cranny@amc.edu.au