Enrichable consortia of microbial symbionts degrade macroalgal polysaccharides in fish.

Coastal herbivorous fishes consume macroalgae, which is then degraded by microbes along their digestive tract. However, there is scarce genomic information about the microbiota that perform this degradation. This study explores the potential of gastrointestinal microbial symbionts to collaboratively degrade and ferment polysaccharides from red, green, and brown macroalgae through study of carbohydrate-active enzyme and sulfatase sequences.

Enrichable consortia of microbial symbionts degrade macroalgal polysaccharides in fish.

Coastal herbivorous fishes consume macroalgae, which is then degraded by microbes along their digestive tract. However, there is scarce foundational genomic work on the microbiota that perform this degradation. This study explores the potential of gastrointestinal microbial symbionts to collaboratively degrade and ferment polysaccharides from red, green, and brown macroalgae through study of carbohydrate-active enzyme and sulfatase sequences.

Tropical Red Macroalgae Cultivation with a Focus on Compositional Analysis.

To create carbon efficient sources of bioenergy feedstocks and feedstuff for aquaculture and terrestrial livestock, it is critical to develop and commercialize the most efficient seaweed cultivation approach with a sustainable nutrient input supply. Here, we present data for a novel, onshore tropical macroalgae cultivation system, based on influent deep seawater as the nutrient and carbon sources. Two red algal species were selected, and as the basis for growth optimization.

Herbivorous Fish Microbiome Adaptations to Sulfated Dietary Polysaccharides.

Marine herbivorous fish that feed primarily on macroalgae, such as those from the genus are essential for maintaining coral health and abundance on tropical reefs. Here, deep metagenomic sequencing and assembly of gut compartment-specific samples from three sympatric, macroalgivorous Hawaiian kyphosid species have been used to connect host gut microbial taxa with predicted protein functional capacities likely to contribute to efficient macroalgal digestion. Bacterial community compositions, algal dietary sources, and predicted enzyme functionalities were analyzed in parallel for 16 metagenomes spanning the mid- and hindgut digestive regions of wild-caught fishes.

Fine scale transitions of the microbiota and metabolome along the gastrointestinal tract of herbivorous fishes.

Background: Gut microorganisms aid in the digestion of food by providing exogenous metabolic pathways to break down organic compounds. An integration of longitudinal microbial and chemical data is necessary to illuminate how gut microorganisms supplement the energetic and nutritional requirements of animals. Although mammalian gut systems are well-studied in this capacity, the role of microbes in the breakdown and utilization of recalcitrant marine macroalgae in herbivorous fish is relatively understudied and an emerging priority for bioproduct extraction.

Nutritional Attributes, Substitutability, Scalability, and Environmental Intensity of an Illustrative Subset of Current and Future Protein Sources for Aquaculture Feeds: Joint Consideration of Potential Synergies and Trade-offs.

Aquaculture is anticipated to play an increasingly important role in global food security because it may represent one of the best opportunities to increase the availability of healthy animal protein in the context of resource and environmental constraints. However, the growth and sustainability of the aquaculture industry faces important bottlenecks with respect to feed resources, which may be derived from diverse sources. Here, using a small but representative subset of potential aquafeed inputs (which we selected to highlight a range of relevant attributes), we review a core suite of considerations that need to be accommodated in concert in order to overcome key bottlenecks to the continued development and expansion of the aquaculture industry.

Towards the development of a sustainable soya bean-based feedstock for aquaculture.

Soya bean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is sought after for both its oil and protein components.