| 1. |
- Goddek, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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How greenhouse horticulture in arid regions can contribute to climate-resilient and sustainable food security
- 2023
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Ingår i: GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY-AGRICULTURE POLICY ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENT. - 2211-9124. ; 38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A potential change in climate and temperature could strongly affect weather-related crop losses. Using wastelands to grow crops in controlled greenhouse environments could improve global food security and preserve ecosystems. However, the impact of climate change on additional energy and water requirements of greenhousehorticulture food production is still unknown. Using a greenhouse simulator for four locations (The Netherlands, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Namibia), we show that a rise in outdoor temperatures can be counterbalanced with a more intensive water-based cooling. Between 6.9% and 17.9%, more water is required in the worst-case scenario in the year 2100, while the yield quantity decreases by 3%-6% due to slightly deteriorating growth conditions within the greenhouse. Since cooling systems consume up to 90% of the total water use in desert greenhouses, saltwater cooling could play an essential role in increasing the efficiency and sustainability of greenhouse horticulture systems in arid regions. In this study, we investigate the economic and technical feasibility of such greenhouse systems on a larger scale and show the massive potential of these systems. The developed scenarios demonstrate considerable climate resilience, enabling the cultivation of fresh vegetables in arid and infertile regions both presently and in the future.
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| 2. |
- Horn, Erin Kelly, et al.
(författare)
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Translating Environmental Potential to Economic Reality: Assessment of Commercial Aquaponics through Sustainability Transitions Theory
- 2024
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988. ; 4:1, s. 523-554
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite popular interest and recent industry growth, commercial-scale aquaponics still faces economic and regulatory barriers primarily resulting from political and economic systems which insufficiently address pressing environmental challenges. The sustainability potential of aquaponic food production can help address and overcome such challenges while contributing to the broader development of circular economy and sustainable development of food systems. In response to the current counterproductive gap between potential applications and industry development, the interdisciplinary team of authors identifies pathways to translate the environmental potential of commercial aquaponics into economic success through a sustainability transition theory lens. To evaluate the industry’s current state-of-the-art, drivers, barriers, and future potential, interview data from 25 North American producers collected in 2021, literature, and policy are analyzed through a Technological Innovation System (TIS) assessment within a Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) approach. This supports the consideration of pathways for industry development of aquaponics as an aspect of circular economy within a dynamic sustainable development context. These pathways for action include (1.) advancing clear standards and policies for aquaponics as part of a circular economy, increasing funding and incentives, and reducing support and subsidies for competing unsustainable food production; (2.) developing and promoting cost-effective technologies; and (3.) bolstering consumer preferences for sustainable and healthy food sources.
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| 3. |
- Lobanov, Victor P., et al.
(författare)
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Ecosystem-specific microbiota and microbiome databases in the era of big data
- 2022
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiome. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2524-6372. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rapid development of sequencing methods over the past decades has accelerated both the potential scope and depth of microbiota and microbiome studies. Recent developments in the field have been marked by an expansion away from purely categorical studies towards a greater investigation of community functionality. As in-depth genomic and environmental coverage is often distributed unequally across major taxa and ecosystems, it can be difficult to identify or substantiate relationships within microbial communities. Generic databases containing datasets from diverse ecosystems have opened a new era of data accessibility despite costs in terms of data quality and heterogeneity. This challenge is readily embodied in the integration of meta-omics data alongside habitat-specific standards which help contextualise datasets both in terms of sample processing and background within the ecosystem. A special case of large genomic repositories, ecosystem-specific databases (ES-DB's), have emerged to consolidate and better standardise sample processing and analysis protocols around individual ecosystems under study, allowing independent studies to produce comparable datasets. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of this emerging tool for microbial community analysis in relation to current trends in the field. We focus on the factors leading to the formation of ES-DB's, their comparison to traditional microbial databases, the potential for ES-DB integration with meta-omics platforms, as well as inherent limitations in the applicability of ES-DB's.
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| 4. |
- Lobanov, Victor P., et al.
(författare)
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Improving Plant Health Through Nutrient Remineralization in Aquaponic Systems
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-462X. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The exploitation of readily bioavailable fish excreta as a source of plant nutrients lies at the cornerstone of aquaponics farming. Research on nutrient cycling in aquaponic systems has devoted considerable attention to the plant uptake of dissolved nutrients in fish excreta, however, the integration of particulate-bound nutrients into downstream hydroponic farming has remained elusive. The high amount of organic carbon present in fish sludge may lead to biofouling if directly incorporated into hydroponic circulation systems, reducing the utility of incorporating fish solids on a large scale. In this study, we implemented a novel treatment system capable of reducing the carbon and nitrogen load of fish solids to produce a liquid fertilizer for a downstream hydroponics unit. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) fertilized with exclusively a commercial nutrient solution, the biofilter effluent (coupled aquaponic system), effluent from the solids treatment system, or the latter two combined were grown in nutrient flow technique gutters downstream of a recirculating aquaculture system stocked with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). While crop yields were lower for the aquaponic treatments compared to lettuce grown in a commercial nutrient solution, plant sap analysis demonstrated a contrasting picture with respect to internal nutrient concentrations. Lettuce grown in the commercial hydroponic solution were deficient in several mineral nutrients (Mg, Ca, Na, and Si) nor did they have higher iron concentrations despite the significantly higher EDTA-chelated aqueous iron (460 x greater than other treatments) in the nutrient solution. Nutrient uptake in the rhizosphere was not investigated on a molecular level, although stunted rhizosphere growth in the commercial nutrient solution control suggests a weakened capacity for nutrient uptake in comparison to other treatments. Alongside the remineralization of micronutrients, the solids treatment system addressed the common issue of excess carbon leading to biofouling via a total suspended solids reduction of 87.27% +/- 9.95 during the coupled aquaponics cultivation period. Ultimately, these data lead to two important conclusions. Firstly, optimizing nutrient bioavailability is not synonymous to increasing the presence of a nutrient in the water column. Secondly, estimating ideal nutrient solution concentrations involves both preventing nutrient blocking and improving bioavailability.
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| 5. |
- Lobanov, Victor P., et al.
(författare)
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Simultaneous biomethane production and nutrient remineralization from aquaculture solids
- 2023
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Ingår i: Aquacultural Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 0144-8609. ; 101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rapid expansion of the aquaculture industry has brought about a heightened focus on the waste produced by high intensity fish farming. In closed-containment, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), fish solids are mechanically separated and/or coagulated before being disposed as waste. Subsequent revalorization is typically limited to the direct dispersal of aquaculture solids onto agricultural fields. Here, we developed a novel, continuous flow, low-cost solids waste treatment system for freshwater and saline RAS. Rotating drum filter backwash was collected as the primary feedstock for anaerobic digestion. A laboratory scale set up was used to monitor the conversion of the solids into a methane-rich (60-80% purity) biogas stream. Iron supplementation (ferric iron at 100 mg/L and 1000 mg/L) improved salt tolerance of the methanogenic community, leading to higher methane yields in a supplemented (FeCl3 at 1000 mg/L) saline treatment than the saline control. The application of iron additionally improves pH stability and volatile fatty acid utilization. The methane yield ranged from 0.1 to 0.4 NL CH4/ g VS across the three freshwater treatments and the iron-supplemented saline treatment, however, it was significantly lower for the saltwater control: ranging between 0.08 and 0.25 NL CH4/ g VS. These values correspond to a percentage yield of 57-86% of the total biomethane potential. Overall, implementing anaerobic digestion for RAS waste valorization may generate significant amounts of biomethane to be used in electricity and heating for large-scale aquaculture facilities, while even for smaller facilities it may off-set costs and mitigate environmental impacts of the waste streams.
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| 6. |
- Lobanov, Victor P., et al.
(författare)
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Sturgeon and paddlefish: Review of research on broodstock and early life stage management
- 2023
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Ingår i: Aquaculture and Fisheries. - 2096-1758 .- 2468-550X.
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sturgeon aquaculture has taken a parallel yet unique path relative to other teleost rearing. One of the driving factors has been the fact that virtually all extant species are facing extinction; thus, laws concerning the transport and processing of sturgeon are stringent. As a result, most sturgeon companies vertically integrate the farming process from hatchery to harvest, in contrast to the production of other commercial fish species (e.g., trout, sea bass, salmon), where farmers tend to purchase fry from producers specialized only in the production of that life stage and sell product to unaffiliated fish processors. Sturgeon aquaculture is furthermore unique in the extremely high value of the main product (caviar). The secondary product (meat) also surpasses other finfish aquaculture products' average price per weight. These expensive outputs reveal the greatest challenge in production — an exceptionally long time to market from larvae to harvestable adults. For all their rigor and robustness as juveniles and adults, sturgeon species are highly fragile during larval stages. Due to the unique legal framework around sturgeon cultivation, aquaculturists often specialize in regional species, although some hybrids have achieved global popularity. This lends to a heterogenous swath of literature on best cultivation and management practices, especially at early growth stages. Nonetheless, the role of aquaculture as both a food source and restocking program to thwart further extinction of sturgeon species has hardly been fully tapped. In light of the many challenges, this review examines recent advances in sturgeon farming with an emphasis on broodstock and early life-stage management to summarize studies that can help researchers and farmers assess the industry's current state.
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| 7. |
- Lobanov, Victor, et al.
(författare)
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Plants Dictate Root Microbial Composition in Hydroponics and Aquaponics
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The role of the microbial community in mediating fish and plant co-culture is often considered the black box of aquaponics. Despite widespread recognition regarding the dependency of plants on their rhizosphere, the extent to which upstream aquaculture influences downstream hydroponic root communities has been poorly described in the literature. In this study we performed a taxonomic survey (16S rRNA metabarcoding) of microbial communities originating in the facility water source, hydroponic nutrient solution (HNS) sump, nutrient supplemented biofilter effluent (BF) sump, and recirculating aquaculture system tanks stocked with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was then grown using the HNS and BF effluent under sterilized or mature (prior aquaponics/hydroponics lettuce culture water) conditions, likewise, the influence of probiotic addition or inoculation with soil-grown lettuce rhizosphere was assessed. Compositional similarities across treatments suggest that under soil-less conditions, plants are able to exert a stronger discriminatory influence on their rhizosphere composition than is done by colonization from upstream sources. Furthermore, cluster dendrograms grouped the sterilized and unsterilized treatments more consistently together than hydroponics and aquaponics treatments. These findings contradict conventional beliefs that microbial communities in the water column colonize roots based on their presence alone, ignoring the role that plants play in rhizosphere community selection.
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| 8. |
- Mougin, Julia, 1994, et al.
(författare)
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Benzalkonium chloride disinfectant residues stimulate biofilm formation and increase survival of Vibrio bacterial pathogens
- 2024
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Ingår i: FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY. - 1664-302X. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vibrio spp. are opportunistic human and animal pathogens found ubiquitously in marine environments. Globally, there is a predicted rise in the prevalence of Vibrio spp. due to increasing ocean temperatures, which carries significant implications for public health and the seafood industry. Consequently, there is an urgent need for enhanced strategies to control Vibrio spp. and prevent contamination, particularly in aquaculture and seafood processing facilities. Presently, these industries employ various disinfectants, including benzalkonium chloride (BAC), as part of their management strategies. While higher concentrations of BAC may be effective against these pathogens, inadequate rinsing post-disinfection could result in residual concentrations of BAC in the surrounding environment. This study aimed to investigate the adaptation and survival of Vibrio spp. exposed to varying concentrations of BAC residues. Results revealed that Vibrio bacteria, when exposed, exhibited a phenotypic adaptation characterized by an increase in biofilm biomass. Importantly, this effect was found to be strain-specific rather than species-specific. Exposure to BAC residues induced physiological changes in Vibrio biofilms, leading to an increase in the number of injured and alive cells within the biofilm. The exact nature of the "injured" bacteria remains unclear, but it is postulated that BAC might heighten the risk of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) bacteria development. These VBNC bacteria pose a significant threat, especially since they cannot be detected using the standard culture-based methods commonly employed for microbiological risk assessment in aquaculture and seafood industries. The undetected presence of VBNC bacteria could result in recurrent contamination events and subsequent disease outbreaks. This study provides evidence regarding the role of c-di-GMP signaling pathways in Vibrio adaptation mechanisms and suggests that c-di-GMP mediated repression is a potential avenue for further research. The findings underscore that the misuse and overuse of BAC may increase the risk of biofilm development and bacterial survival within the seafood processing chain.
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| 9. |
- Mougin, Julia, 1994, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of dietary co-exposure to fungal and herbal functional feed additives on immune parameters and microbial intestinal diversity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- 2023
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Ingår i: Fish & Shellfish Immunology. - 1050-4648. ; 137
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Misuse and overuse of antibiotics in aquaculture has proven to be an unsustainable practice leading to increased bacterial resistance. An alternative strategy involves the inclusion of immunostimulants in fish diets, especially fungal and herbal compounds already authorized for human consumption, hence without environmental or public health concerns. In this study, we used a holistic and cross-disciplinary pipeline to assess the immunos-timulatory properties of two fungi: Trametes versicolor and Ganoderma lucidum; one herbal supplement, capsaicin in the form of Espelette pepper (Capsicum annuum), and a combination of these fungal and herbal additives on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We investigated the impact of diet supplementation for 7 weeks on sur-vival, growth performance, cellular, humoral, and molecular immune parameters, as well as the intestinal mi-crobial composition of the fish. Uptake of herbal and fungal compounds influenced the expression of immune related genes, without generating an inflammatory response. Significant differences were detected in the spleen-tlr2 gene expression. Supplementation with herbal additives correlated with structural changes in the fish in-testinal microbiota and enhanced overall intestinal microbial diversity. Results demonstrated that the different treatments had no adverse effect on growth performance and survival, suggesting the safety of the different feed additives at the tested concentrations. While the mechanisms and multifactorial interactions remain unclear, this study provides insights not only in regard to nutrition and safety of these compounds, but also how a combined immune and gut microbiota approach can shed light on efficacy of immunostimulant compounds for potential commercial inclusion as feed supplements.
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| 10. |
- Mougin, Julia, 1994, et al.
(författare)
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Fish disease prevention via microbial dysbiosis-associated biomarkers in aquaculture
- 2022
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Ingår i: Reviews in Aquaculture. - : Wiley. - 1753-5123 .- 1753-5131. ; 15:2, s. 579-94
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Infectious diseases are a major burden in aquaculture, and represent a significant yield-limiting factor in production that is costly to manage as well as a potential vector for zoonoses. Over the past decades, a range of new diseases have emerged, alongside increased levels of antibiotic resistance, thus heightening the need for improved disease management methods supportive of the One Health concept. Simultaneously, recent advances in Next-Generation Sequencing have increasingly elucidated the role of the microbiome in regulating metabolism, immune function and resilience. Such work has included a plethora of studies on the potential for the management of pathogens through manipulation of the microbiome, as well as related studies of the mechanisms behind host resilience. There is now an increasing robust body of evidence recognizing the importance of a holistic framework in disease aetiology between the host, its environment and colonizing microorganisms, with perturbation increasingly associated with specific dysbiotic states and disease outcomes. Elucidating disease aetiology is a preliminary step towards the development of new prevention methods, with the main goal being early identification of dysbiosis-associated biomarkers prior to any physical signs of the disease. While acknowledging the challenges associated with using key microbial taxa as biomarkers, we review recent advances in the characterization of dysbiosis and associated microbiome signatures in the context of disease development, with an emphasis on early biomarkers for aquaculture disease prevention. Several promising strategies are suggested, including the use of functional genes or metabolic pathways that are conserved between microbial taxa as a potential proxy for homeostasis.
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