Aquaculture

Cluster

Aquaculture and Wildlife Resources

Description

The research group deals with research topics developed in dedicated laboratories and at its own experimental station equipped with open and closed circuit tank systems for the conduct of studies on fish and crustaceans. Particular attention is paid to research in the sectors of nutrition and food of marine fish species (sea bass, sea bream, sole) and freshwater fish (salmonids, grayling) and their implications on the growth, well-being and health performance of bred aquatic animals, the sustainability of productions and quality of fish products. Studies in these fields are dealt with by research methodologies that integrate biological, zootechnical and genomic approaches. The group has a long experience in the study of the nutritional needs of Mediterranean fish species, and the nutritional evaluation of new sources of proteins and lipids to be used in the feed of bred fish species and able to ensure sustainability of intensive fish productions. Flours from micro algae, insect larvae, and transformed animal proteins are among the potential new food sources studied. Feeding studies also concern the implementation of innovative feeding plans in intensive fish farming, such as cyclic feeding, fish wellness and health, nutritional quality and sensory properties of farmed, fresh, preserved and processed fish products. The group is part of a network of scientific collaborations including other sections of the department and various national research groups belonging to the Universities of Florence, Insubria, Palermo, Padua, Bologna, Ancona, Camerino, Naples “Fed.II”, the E. Mach Foundation of San Michele all'Adige, and foreign researchers belonging to the Unité de Recherche Nutrition, Métabolisme, Aquaculture of INRA, Saint Pee sur Nivelle, France, the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Bet Dagan, Israel, and the Universities of Cukurova, Turkey and Ghent, Belgium. Scientific collaborations also extend to the private sector of the aquaculture industry.

Research subjects

Effetto della composizione delle diete su attività ed espressione genica di enzimi digestivi e sul microbiota intestinale in pesci teleostei.
Effetto dei piani alimentari sulle prestazioni zootecniche e sulla risposta fisiologica di pesci teleostei.
Studio dei polimorfismi di enzimi chiave del metabolismo degli acidi grassi a catena lunga in pesci teleostei