http://hdl.handle.net/1893/217 Electronic copies of Aquaculture journal articles. 2026-10-08T10:23:56Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/38366 Title: Producing Affordable Tilapia in Sub-Saharan Africa by Replacing Feed with Farm-Produced Black Soldier Fly Larvae Author(s): Newton, Richard W; Bostock, John; Messeder, Tim; Immink, Anton; Little, David C Abstract: Fish remains unaffordable for communities in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa where malnutrition is common. High aquaculture production costs due to feed and labour prevent the production of affordable fish. Substitution of commercial with farm-made feed can lower production costs. In this study, on a small-scale Ugandan tilapia farm, commercial feed was substituted with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), grown using fruit and vegetable waste. Data on the cost of establishing larvae production facilities, operating costs and fish production were used to test the economic feasibility of substituting feed with BSFL to produce affordable tilapia. We found that feed could successfully be substituted with up to 66% BSFL with no effect on fish production. Economic analysis revealed that 55% substitution was needed to produce tilapia at US$2.00/kg with a Feed Conversion Ratio of 2.4. Profitability improves if fish sales are supplemented with sales of frass (used substrate) and any leftover BSFL. Substitution of feed with BSFL grown on local low-cost waste materials provides a sustainable and circular approach to tackling food security in some of the world's poorest communities. 2026-09-23T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/38363 Title: Diatom–lipid–copepod nexus under threat by global change Author(s): Jonasdottir, Sigrun; Broughton, Richard; Visser, André Abstract: The central role of lipids in the ecology of high-latitude and temperate seas is under threat by global change. This hinges on the tight ecological links between diatoms and copepods of the genus Calanus and similar (e.g. Neocalanus, Calanoides) that produce and accumulate energy-rich lipids. Strongly coupled through seasonal water-column stability, nutrient supply, spring-bloom succession, and overwintering life strategies, this nexus is foundational to the highly productive food webs of these regions. We experimentally tested how a change in phytoplankton type from diatoms to flagellates, along with 2°C warming, affects lipid accumulation of the subarctic copepod Calanus finmarchicus. We report that the ability of C. finmarchicus to accumulate lipids is seriously impaired by a changing diet, being threefold higher on diatoms than flagellate-based diets, whereas within diet types, up to a sevenfold reduction in lipids is associated with a 2°C temperature rise. This, together with higher specific respiration rates, smaller size, and reduced diatom productivity, suggests the ability of Calanus to overwinter may be compromised, threatening their contribution to regional productivity and to sequestered carbon via the lipid pump. Similar lipid-mediated couplings are prevalent throughout seasonal environments, casting uncertainty on their future provision of ecosystem services. 2026-09-30T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/38362 Title: Projected declines in zooplankton energy supporting Northwest European Shelf ecosystems Author(s): Tyldesley, Emma; Banas, Neil S; Wakelin, Sarah; Johns, David G; Jardine, Jennifer E; Searle, Kate; Daunt, Francis; Bull, Colin; Krivtsov, Vladimir; Heath, Michael R; Speirs, Douglas C Abstract: The abundances of zooplankton species supporting Northeast Atlantic food webs have declined over the past 60 years, and their future is uncertain given continuing climate change. Here, we develop a new high-resolution machine-learning model of key taxa, driven by past ocean conditions and trained on Continuous Plankton Recorder observations. We apply it to an ensemble of regional climate projections for the Northwest European Shelf under the high emissions scenario RCP8.5 to enhance the detectability of a clear signal of climate-driven change in zooplankton abundance. The results project large declines in abundance: ensemble mean of 58%-72% by 2050 and 84%-93% by 2100 for small copepods and large Calanus. The projections are not geographically uniform, with evidence of regional refugia. The future declines are primarily driven by increasing temperature and decreasing salinity and nutrient concentrations, which shift conditions away from the species’ environmental niches and water mass associations. Impacts on food webs would be severe unless alternative zooplankton assemblages emerged to support existing planktivorous fish and their predators. 2026-07-23T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/38324 Title: First Report of Snakehead Rhabdovirus-Like Novirhabdovirus Associated With Acute Mortality in Multiple Outbreaks in Farmed Giant Snakehead (Channa micropeltes) in Thailand Author(s): Yamkasem, Jidapa; Youngnoi, Natthakul; Setthawong, Piyathip; Pulpipat, Theeraporn; Surachetpong, Win; Lertwanakarn, Tuchakorn Editor(s): Ren, Linzhu Abstract: Snakehead rhabdovirus (SHRV) is a viral pathogen previously associated with mortality in snakehead fish (Channa spp.) and other closely related species. In this study, we report the detection of SHRV-like virus in giant snakehead (C. micropeltes) from multiple fish farms in Thailand, where acute disease outbreaks resulted in cumulative mortalities ranging from 7% to 90%. The affected fish showed clinical signs, including swimming near the water surface, anorexia, and skin discoloration. Histopathological examination revealed numerous eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (ICIBs) in the spleen, anterior kidney, and posterior kidney. The virus was successfully isolated in E-11 cells, where it induced marked cytopathic effects (CPEs), including cell rounding, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and progressive monolayer destruction within 1–2 days post-inoculation (dpi). Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of enveloped, bullet-shaped viral particles characteristic of the family Rhabdoviridae. Experimental challenge of naïve giant snakehead with the isolated virus reproduced the clinical signs observed in the field, resulted in 70% cumulative mortality within 4 days, and led to successful re-isolation of the virus from experimentally infected fish, which supports the pathogenic role of the virus in giant snakehead. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequence analysis demonstrated that the virus shared 79.70%–85.37% nucleotide identity with previously reported SHRV strains and placed the virus within the genus Novirhabdovirus, forming a cluster with SHRV and Carpione rhabdovirus (CAPRV). These findings provide evidence for the presence of a SHRV-like Novirhabdovirus associated with disease outbreaks in farmed giant snakehead in Thailand and highlight the need for further investigation into its epidemiology, pathogenesis, and transmission dynamics to support the development of effective disease prevention and control strategies. 2026-08-06T00:00:00Z