Effekt av utvalgte fettsyrer på skinnhelse og smoltkvalitet

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Skin and mucous membranes are essential physical barriers in fish, playing a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis and protecting against environmental and pathogenic threats. Mechanically induced wounds and pathogen-induced lesions are significant economic and welfare issues in aquaculture. In Norway, bacterial diseases, particularly winter ulcers caused by Moritella viscosa and Tenacibaculum spp., have increased, posing major health and welfare challenges. Tenacibaculosis is a leading cause of mortality in farmed marine fish globally, especially in Atlantic salmon smolts post-transfer to seawater (SW). To reduce mortality and improve fish welfare a holistic prevention strategy focusing on optimal feeding to produce robust smolt before transfer from freshwater (FW) to SW is proposed. This project aims to define the optimal level and ratio of specific fatty acids in FW diets to improve smolt robustness after transfer to SW.