Skin Health

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Mucosal surfaces such as gills, intestine and skin are the first barrier of protection of the fish against the environment, participating actively in preventing the entrance of different pathogens into the fish's organism if they remain unaffected. Important bacterial and parasitic diseases affect primarily the skin barrier of fish, such as winter ulcers and sea lice, which have become very important issues in different salmon aquaculture regions. Antibiotic, anti parasitic drugs and mechanical treatments can be used for such conditions, however their use may be restricted due to concerns around antibiotic resistance, consumer perception and fish welfare. Development of new functional feeds aiming at controlling these conditions would represent a major advance for the global salmonid aquaculture industry.