Dynamics of major and trace elements during leaf litter decomposition in semi-arid mangrove subject to urban runoff.

This study examined the dynamics of major elements and trace metals (TM) during litterfall decomposition in two mangrove forests-control and urban-along New Caledonia's coast. A litterbag experiment was carried out for 72 days for the two main species (Rhizophora stylosa, and Avicennia marina) of the island. Results showed that the urban runoff enhances the leaching of some major elements (K, Mg, Na) during litter decomposition.

Interactive effects of elevated temperature and Photobacterium swingsii infection on the survival and immune response of marine mussels (Perna canaliculus): A summer mortality scenario.

The New Zealand Greenshell™ mussel (Perna canaliculus) is an economically important aquaculture species. Prolonged increases in seawater temperature above mussel thermotolerance ranges pose a significant threat to mussel survival and health, potentially increasing susceptibility to bacterial infections. Using challenge experiments, this study examined the combined effects of increased seawater temperature and bacterial (Photobacterium swingsii) infection on animal survival, haemocyte and biochemical responses of adult mussels.

Quantification of Photobacterium swingsii and characterisation of disease progression in the New Zealand Greenshell™ mussel, Perna canaliculus.

Greenshell™ mussels (Perna canaliculus) are endemic to New Zealand and support the largest aquaculture industry in the country. Photobacterium swingsii was isolated and identified from moribund P. canaliculus mussels following a mass mortality event.

Histopathological investigation of four populations of abalone (Haliotis iris) exhibiting divergent growth performance.

The black-foot abalone (pāua), Haliotis iris, is a unique and valuable species to New Zealand with cultural importance for Māori. Abalone are marine gastropods that can display a high level of phenotypic variation, including slow-growing or 'stunted' variants. This investigation focused on identifying factors that are associated with growth performance, with particular interest in the slow-growing variants.

Sustainable Aquafeed Formulations Containing Insect Larval Meal and Grape Marc for the New Zealand Farmed Abalone.

The aquaculture industry has been criticised for the excessive use of fish meal (FM) in feeds due to the utilisation of wild fish in the formulation and the exacerbation of overfishing marine resources. Land-based abalone aquaculture mainly uses commercial feeds (CFs) to promote faster growth, which include FM as a primary protein component. Alternative ingredients, such as insect meal (IM) and grape marc (GM) are potential candidates for FM replacement due to their suitable nutritional profile and sustainable production.

The effect of simulated marine heatwaves on green-lipped mussels, Perna canaliculus: A near-natural experimental approach.

Marine heatwaves (MHW) are projected for the foreseeable future, affecting aquaculture species, such as the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus). Thermal stress alters mussel physiology highlighting the adaptive capacity that allows survival in the face of heatwaves. Within this study, adult mussels were subjected to three different seawater temperature regimes: 1) low (sustained 18 °C), 2) medium MHW (18-24 °C, using a +1 °C per week ramp) and 3) high MHW (18-24 °C, using a +2 °C per week ramp).

Histopathological changes in the greenshell mussel, Perna canaliculus, in response to chronic thermal stress.

Climate change associated temperature challenges pose a serious threat to the marine environment. Elevations in average sea surface temperatures are occurring and increasing frequency of marine heatwaves resulting in mortalities of organisms are being reported. In recent years, marine farmers have reported summer mass mortality events of the New Zealand Greenshell mussel, Perna canaliculus, during the summer months; however, the etiological agents have yet to be determined.

Prediction of Feed Efficiency and Performance-Based Traits in Fish via Integration of Multiple Omics and Clinical Covariates.

Fish aquaculture is a rapidly expanding global industry, set to support growing demands for sources of marine protein. Enhancing feed efficiency (FE) in farmed fish is required to reduce production costs and improve sector sustainability. Recognising that organisms are complex systems whose emerging phenotypes are the product of multiple interacting molecular processes, systems-based approaches are expected to deliver new biological insights into FE and growth performance.

Gut microbiome resilience of green-lipped mussels, Perna canaliculus, to starvation.

Host gut microbiomes play an important role in animal health and resilience to conditions, such as malnutrition and starvation. These host-microbiome relationships are poorly understood in the marine mussel Perna canaliculus, which experiences significant variations in food quantity and quality in coastal areas. Prolonged starvation may be a contributory factor towards incidences of mass mortalities in farmed mussel populations, resulting in highly variable production costs and unreliable market supplies.

Metabolic Regulation of Copper Toxicity during Marine Mussel Embryogenesis.

The development of new tools for assessing the health of cultured shellfish larvae is crucial for aquaculture industries to develop and refine hatchery methodologies. We established a large-volume ecotoxicology/health stressor trial, exposing mussel () embryos to copper in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). GC/MS-based metabolomics was applied to identify potential biomarkers for monitoring embryonic/larval health and to characterise mechanisms of metal toxicity.

Metabolite Changes of Following a Laboratory Marine Heatwave Exposure: Insights from Metabolomic Analyses.

Temperature is considered to be a major abiotic factor influencing aquatic life. Marine heatwaves are emerging as threats to sustainable shellfish aquaculture, affecting the farming of New Zealand's green-lipped mussel [ (Gmelin, 1791)]. In this study, were gradually exposed to high-temperature stress, mimicking a five-day marine heatwave event, to better understand the effects of heat stress on the metabolome of mussels.

Effect of Dietary Insect Meal and Grape Marc Inclusion on Flavor Volatile Compounds and Shell Color of Juvenile Abalone .

Almost 60% of the fish meal produced globally is used in aquaculture feeds. Fish meal production relies on finite wild-marine resources and is considered as an unsustainable ingredient. Insect meal (IM) is considered a sustainable source with high levels of protein suitable for growth promotion.

Acute thermal stress and endotoxin exposure modulate metabolism and immunity in marine mussels (Perna canaliculus).

Mass mortalities of New Zealand Green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) are thought to be associated with increased water temperatures and immune challenges from opportunistic pathogens. However, the combined effects of acute thermal stress and immune stimulation on mussels are poorly understood. To investigate these responses, adult mussels were exposed to different temperatures (26 °C [thermal stress] vs 15 °C [ambient]) and a bacterial-derived endotoxin injection (with vs without) to mimic a pathogen infection.

Pathogenicity and virulence of bacterial strains associated with summer mortality in marine mussels (Perna canaliculus).

The occurrence of pathogenic bacteria has emerged as a plausible key component of summer mortalities in mussels. In the current research, four bacterial isolates retrieved from moribund Greenshell࣪ mussels, Perna canaliculus, from a previous summer mortality event, were tentatively identified as Vibrio and Photobacterium species using morpho-biochemical characterization and MALDI-TOF MS and confirmed as V. celticus, P.

Effects of seawater temperature and acute Vibriosp. challenge on the haemolymph immune and metabolic responses of adult mussels (Perna canaliculus).

The New Zealand Greenshell™ mussel (Perna canaliculus) is an endemic bivalve species with cultural importance, that is harvested recreationally and commercially. However, production is currently hampered by increasing incidences of summer mortality in farmed and wild populations. While the causative factors for these mortality events are still unknown, it is believed that increasing seawater temperatures and pathogen loads are potentially at play.

Metabolite profiling of abalone (Haliotis iris) energy metabolism: a Chatham Islands case study.

Introduction: The Chatham Islands has some of the most prized black-footed abalone (Haliotis iris) beds in New Zealand. This well-managed fishery includes restrictions on catch and size limits, selective fishing methods, and shellfish management. However, recent declines in biomass and growth parameters have prompted omics research to characterise the biological responses of abalone, potentially contributing towards animal management strategies.

Applicability of a Novel Attunement Instrument and Its Relationship to Parental Sensitivity in Infants With and Without Visual Impairments.

This study investigated the applicability of a novel instrument to assess parent-child attunement in free play interactions, in dyads with an infant with and without visual impairments (VI). We here report the findings on the reliability and applicability of the newly developed in two separate samples: one with infants with VI ( = 20) and one with typically sighted infants ( = 24). In addition, we assessed the contribution of parental sensitivity to attunement in dyadic interactions.

Mapping the Green-Lipped Mussel (Perna canaliculus) Microbiome: A Multi-Tissue Analysis of Bacterial and Fungal Diversity.

Poor health and mortality events of the commercially important and endemic New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) pose a threat to its industry. Despite the known importance of microbiomes to animal health and environmental resilience, the host-associated microbiome is unexplored in this species. We conducted the first baseline characterization of bacteria and fungi within key host tissues (gills, haemolymph, digestive gland, and stomach) using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and ITS1 region for bacteria and fungi, respectively.

Investigating the biochemical effects of heat stress and sample quenching approach on the metabolic profiling of abalone (Haliotis iris).

Introduction: Ocean temperatures have been consistently increasing due to climate change, and the frequency of heatwave events on shellfish quality is a growing concern worldwide. Typically, shellfish growing areas are in remote or difficult to access locations which makes in-field sampling and sample preservation of shellfish heat stress difficult. As such, there is a need to investigate in-field sampling approaches that facilitate the study of heat stress in shellfish.

Evaluation of immune stimulatory products for whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) by a metabolomics approach.

The use of probiotics, prebiotics and dietary fiber has become a common practice in shrimp aquaculture as alternatives to antibiotic treatment. However, not much is known about the metabolic mechanisms underlying the effects of probiotics and immunostimulant used in shrimp aquaculture. In this study, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based metabolomics approach was used to characterize metabolite profiles of haemolymph and gills of whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) exposed to four treatments (cellulose fiber, probiotics with Vibrio alginolyticus, a combination of cellulose fiber and V.

The Effects of Live Transport on Metabolism and Stress Responses of Abalone ().

The New Zealand abalone industry relies mostly on the export of processed products to distant Asian markets, notably China. Over the past five years, live export of high quality abalone from New Zealand has proven successful. However, transport of live animals is associated with multiple stressors that affect survival and meat quality at the end of the transport phase.

Physiological responses of juvenile New Zealand geoduck (Panopea zelandica) following emersion and recovery.

The New Zealand geoduck clam is a unique seafood delicacy, with animals selling for up to $US 220-330/kg. Stress accumulated during transport of juveniles to grow-out sites represent a bottleneck in the aquaculture process. In this study, the physiological responses of juvenile geoducks following emersion (3- and 8-h), and recovery (1- and 5-days) were investigated.