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The pleasure oyster, Crassostrea corteziensis, is an endemic species with high demand in northwestern México. Its incipient fishery with reduced captures makes it a good candidate for implementing management strategies to improve natural stocks and aquaculture practices. In this study, genetic diversity and population structure of C. corteziensis from four locations on the east coast of the Gulf of California (Bahía Lobos at Sonora, Las Glorias and Bahía de Ceuta at Sinaloa, and Boca de Camichín at Nayarit) were examined. Analysis with six microsatellites showed a high genetic diversity; however, null alleles were detected in almost all locations. After excluding null alleles and the locus Ccor21, a non-panmictic population of C. corteziensis was found along the coastline of the study area. Several factors could be contributing to restricted genetic connectivity among locations in the region without clear isolation by distance pattern, like random genetic drift maintained by larval retention, variance in reproductive success, asymmetric and restricted gene flow, and probably departures in the sex ratio from 1:1 and differences in the habitat and local adaptations to environmental conditions within each location.

The presence of multiple eco-certification standards for sustainable aquaculture is thought to create confusion and add cost for producers and consumers alike. To ensure their quality and consistency, a range of so-called metagovernance arrangements have emerged that seek to provide harmonized quality assurance over these standards. This article aims to answer the question of how these metagovernance arrangements differ and whether they actually reduce confusion, with a focus on aquaculture in Southeast Asia. We compare three metagovernance arrangements, the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative, the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Good Aquaculture Practices, with respect to differences in their goals, their levels of inclusiveness, and their internal governance arrangement. The findings indicate that these metagovernance arrangements differ with respect to their goals and approaches and do not seem to directly reduce confusion. More critically, they represent a new arena for competition among market, state, and civil society actors in controlling the means of regulation when aiming for more sustainable aquaculture production.

With the seafood food market endowed with various attributes, consumers may prefer certain certifications over others. By surveying a diverse sample of respondents, this study examines consumer preference for farm-raised shrimp in Kentucky and South Carolina. Respondents’ assessment of certain seafood labels is evaluated using a stated preference survey. Willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates and various product profiles are generated. Consistent with previous studies, a strong preference for fresh and “local” was found. Furthermore, Homegrown by Heroes was highly valued among participants, as well as Best Aquaculture Practices. Based on WTP estimates for these attributes, marketing and policy recommendations are discussed.

Tilapia is a widely cultured species native to Africa; these fish are prolific breeders and constitute an economically important fish species supplying higher-quality protein. To meet the global food demand and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG), the aquaculture industry has conceived of productive solutions with the potential for adaptability, palatability, and profitability. Tilapia may play a vital role with respect to the possibility for sustainability in the nutrition and aquaculture sectors. India contributes to the promotion of aquacultural practices through a structural framework focused on agricultural, environmental, geographical, and socio-economic factors that provide opportunities for tilapia farming. Globally, the Indian aquaculture sector is currently the second largest in terms of aquacultural production but is moving toward different species that meet SDG and facilitate international marketing opportunities. The farming of aquacultural species with innovative technology constitutes an efficient use of resources. Productive research on feeding, disease management, construction, and layout helps overcome the challenges faced in aquaculture. These focused and sustained factors of the aquaculture industry offer a latent contribution to global food security. This review reports on the state of the art, the challenges regarding tilapia aquaculture in India, and the Indian government’s schemes, missions, subsidies, projects and funding related to tilapia production.

Using synthetic antibiotics/chemicals for infectious bacterial pathogens and parasitic disease control causes beneficial microbial killing, produces multi-drug resistant pathogens, and residual antibiotic impacts in humans are the major threats to aquaculture sustainability. Applications of herbal products to combat microbial and parasitic diseases are considered as alternative approaches for sustainable aquaculture. Essential oils (EOs) are the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants that possess bioactive compounds like terpens, terpenoids, phenylpropenes, and isothiocyanates with synergistic relationship among these compounds. The hydrophobic compounds of EOs can penetrate the bacterial and parasitic cells and cause cell deformities and organelles dysfunctions. Dietary supplementation of EOs also modulate growth, immunity, and infectious disease resistance in aquatic organisms. Published research reports also demonstrated EOs effectiveness against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Gyrodactylus sp., Euclinostomum heterostomum, and other parasites both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, different infectious fish pathogenic bacteria like Aeromonas salmonicida, Vibrio harveyi, and Streptococcus agalactiae destruction was confirmed by plant originated EOs. However, no research was conducted to confirm the mechanism of action or pathway identification of EOs to combat aquatic parasites and disease-causing microbes. This review aims to explore the effectiveness of EOs against fish parasites and pathogenic bacteria as an environment-friendly phytotherapeutic in the aquaculture industry. Moreover, research gaps and future approaches to use EOs for sustainable aquaculture practice are also postulated.

The growing global interest in sustainable aquaculture has led to an increased search for alternatives to synthetic antibiotics and chemical feed additives. Medicinal plants have surfaced as promising ecological solutions, with research showing their potential to improve fish growth, boost immunity, and enhance disease resistance while decreasing the need for antibiotics. Recent studies suggest that supplementing fish diets with medicinal plants may improve survival rates. This supplementation upregulates key immune‐related gene responses, including cytokines such as interleukin (IL)‐1 β and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐ α ), as well as lysozyme (LYZ and LZM genes) and immunoglobulins (IgM, IgT, and IgD). As a result, innate and adaptive immune responses can be enhanced depending on the species and dosage. Furthermore, certain plant‐derived compounds have shown antimicrobial properties similar to traditional antibiotics, reducing pathogen loads by more than 50%. This review examines the role of medicinal plants in aquaculture, highlighting their effects on immunity, antimicrobial activity, and growth promotion. It delves into the mechanisms involved, such as the modulation of cytokine expression, enhancement of antioxidant defenses, and regulation of gut microbiota. However, challenges like variable phytochemical composition, the need for optimal dosages, and regulatory issues limit their broader use. While previous reviews have addressed the use of medicinal plants in aquaculture, few have thoroughly examined their dual role in both enhancing fish health and contributing to ecological functions such as improving water quality and promoting climate resilience. This review aims to fill that critical knowledge gap by integrating these dimensions highlighting how medicinal plants serve not only as bioactive growth promoters and immune enhancers but also as ecological tools for fostering environmental sustainability in aquaculture systems. Incorporating medicinal plants into aquaculture could potentially reduce antibiotic use by up to 50% by 2050, aligning with global efforts toward sustainable and eco‐friendly fish production. Innovations in phytochemical profiling, nanotechnology‐based delivery systems, and next‐generation sequencing are anticipated to further enhance the effectiveness and standardization of plant‐based aquafeeds. This comprehensive framework offers new insights into the development of resilient and environmentally responsible aquaculture practices, particularly in the face of climate change.

Gilthead seabream is among the most important farmed fish species in the Mediterranean Sea. Several approaches are currently applied to assure a lower impact of diseases and higher productivity, including the exploration of the fish microbiome and its manipulation as a sustainable alternative to improve aquaculture practices. Here, using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing, we explored the microbiome of farmed seabream to assess similarities and differences among microbial assemblages associated to different tissues and compare them with those in the surrounding environment. Seabream had distinct associated microbiomes according to the tissue and compared to the marine environment. The gut hosted the most diverse microbiome; different sets of dominant ASVs characterized the environmental and fish samples. The similarity between fish and environmental microbiomes was higher in seawater than sediment (up to 7.8 times), and the highest similarity (3.9%) was observed between gill and seawater, suggesting that gills are more closely interacting with the environment. We finally analyzed the potential connections occurring among microbiomes. These connections were relatively low among the host’s tissues and, in particular, between the gut and the others fish-related microbiomes; other tissues, including skin and gills, were found to be the most connected microbiomes. Our results suggest that, in mariculture, seabream microbiomes reflect only partially those in their surrounding environment and that the host is the primary driver shaping the seabream microbiome. These data provide a step forward to understand the role of the microbiome in farmed fish and farming environments, useful to enhance disease control, fish health, and environmental sustainability.

The aquaculture industry is looking for sustainable alternatives to conventional fish meals in fish feed, and insect-based meals are proving to be a promising solution. These meals are nutritionally optimal as they have a high protein content and an ideal amino acid profile. However, the presence of chitin, a component of the insect exoskeleton in these meals presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Chitosan, a derivative of chitin, is known to improve the physiological functions of fish, including growth, immunity, and disease resistance. While chitin and its derivative chitosan offer several physiological benefits, their presence can affect the digestibility of feed in some fish species, making the inclusion of insect-based meals in aquafeeds complex. While studies suggest positive effects, some problems, such as reduced growth rates in certain species, emphasize the need for further research on chitin digestion in fish. Chitinase, an enzyme that breaks down chitin, is being investigated as a potential solution to improve the nutritional value of insect meals in aquafeed. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the applications, benefits, and challenges of using chitinase in aquaculture, highlighting the enzyme’s role in improving feed digestibility, disease control, and environmental sustainability. Extensive research is required to fully understand the potential of chitinase enzymes in aquaculture and to optimize their applications in this dynamic field. Overall, this review provides insight into the evolving landscape of insect-based meals and the applications of chitinase enzymes within sustainable aquaculture practices.

Common aquaculture practices involve measuring fish biometrics at different growth stages, which is crucial for feeding regime management and for improving farmed fish welfare. Fish measurements are usually carried out manually on individual fish. However, this process is laborious, time-consuming, and stressful to the fish. Therefore, the development of fast, precise, low cost and indirect measurement would be of great interest to the aquaculture sector. In this study, we explore a promising way to take fish measurements in a non-invasive approach through computer vision. Images captured by a stereoscopic camera are used by Artificial Intelligence algorithms in conjunction with computer vision to automatically obtain an accurate estimation of the characteristics of fish, such as body length and weight. We describe the development of a computer vision system for automated recognition of body traits through image processing and linear models for the measurement of fish length and prediction of body weight. The measurements are obtained through a relatively low-cost prototype consisting of a smart buoy equipped with stereo cameras, tested in a commercial mariculture cage in the Mediterranean Sea. Our findings suggest that this method can successfully estimate fish biometric parameters, with a mean error of ± 1.15 cm.

As aquaculture increasingly seeks sustainable alternatives to traditional feed ingredients such as fishmeal and fish oil, Moringa oleifera , an eco‐friendly and widely available plant, has emerged as a promising plant‐based feed ingredient. This review synthesizes research from 1988 to 2024, sourced from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research Gate, to evaluate the nutritional and medicinal potentials of M. oleifera in aquaculture feeds. Rich in protein, essential amino acids, vitamins (A, C, and E), minerals (calcium, iron, and potassium), and polyunsaturated fatty acids, M. oleifera offers significant benefits. Its leaves, flowers, and rhizomes utilized as crude extracts or bioactive compounds promote growth, enhance immunity, and provide antimicrobial defense against parasites, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Studies demonstrate its effectiveness in improving growth, nutrition, and hematology in aquaculture species while lowering production costs. Furthermore, its antioxidant properties attributed to phenolic and bioactive compounds, bolster fish health, and resilience. This review underscores the potential of M. oleifera to advance sustainable aquaculture practices through its dual nutritional and medicinal benefits.