On November 14 and 15 2024, IGNITION held its annual meeting at CIIMAR headquarters in Porto, Portugal. Project partners gathered to present their latest results, discuss progress toward deliverables and milestones, and address some of the challenges faced along the way.
One of the key findings presented was the validation of cortisol as a reliable stress biomarker in aquaculture. Researchers observed a positive relationship between cortisol levels in fish plasma and skin mucus with those found in water and scales. This suggests that measuring cortisol in water and scales – rather than in plasma or mucus – could provide a less invasive method for monitoring stress in fish.
Experiments to study shrimp stress and behaviour also revealed interesting insights. In high-density environments, shrimp exhibited measurable changes in movement, with stress influencing both distances and angles between body parts. Additionally, experiments showed that shrimp demonstrate colour preferences, favouring orange environments over black environments, as well as temperature preferences, where smaller shrimp prefer warmer water, and larger individuals show no clear preference.
Progress was also made in the development of protein-enriched functional feeds using halophyte extracts. Fermentation trials compared the ability of yeast and lactic acid bacteria to enhance protein recovery, with yeast demonstrating superior performance. Further studies are now focusing on identifying the most effective yeast strains, analysing their impact on fish microbiota, and assessing whether they can improve immune responses to vaccination.
The meeting concluded with discussions on the next steps for a coordinated strategy to achieve IGNITION’s research goals.
