LITHUANIA
per cycle. In a test of meat quality, the Lithuanian shrimp did very well, besting imports. The scientists have also studied the issue of space as this could be a constraint in the commercial production of tonnes of shrimp per year. To address this, they developed a shrimp tower RAS that would produce high volumes using much less space. In the next production cycle this new RAS will be stocked to see if it lives up to expectations.
Research follows many different directions Shrimp production is however only one part of the research being carried by this wing of the Marine Research Institute. Other directions include developing the brackish RAS technology that is used to produce tilapia and
rainbow trout. The plan is to grow rainbow trout to 70-100 g and then transfer the fish to tanks with salt water to see if they can be grown to the large sizes seen when growing trout in the sea. The Lithuanian coastline is only 100 km in length, the water is brackish, and most of the coast is protected, so to prevent pressure on coastal waters, the researchers would like to breed fish in RAS systems that use salt water. This can either be from the geothermal source, where the water is naturally salty, or by adding marine formulated salt, which is very expensive. The geothermal water will also be tested for bioaccumulation of different trace elements to make sure that it is suitable for fish farming. The point is to experiment with different sources of salt to see which gives the best and most
cost-effective results, because this would potentially allow the development of an innovative saltwater aquaculture industry in Lithuania based on RAS. Dr Nika is convinced that this is where the future of the sector lies, as demand for high value species is likely to increase with rising prosperity. For potential investors too, the prospect of producing on land should be attractive as obtaining permission is much smoother than if the production were in the sea.
used to conduct experiments and to train students. Another area of research is probiotics, beneficial bacteria that help break down and digest feed and promote a healthy digestive tract. The researchers are testing feeds produced by a Lithuanian start-up to recommend feeding regimes and provide information on feed conversion rates. This research together with the other directions are all part of the Klaipeda 2030 strategy for blue growth in which aquaculture is one of the priorities.
Dr Nika’s team has also started experimenting with aquaponics. Two projects are being carried out, one to install aquaponics systems for small-scale crop and aquaculture farmers and the other at the institute’s laboratory on the Curonian spit, where a greenhouse is
For more information, contact: Dr Nerijus Nika Marine Research Institute Klaipeda University nerijus.nika@apc.ku.lt http://apc.ku.lt/en/
Multi-disciplinary team from Vilnius University wins prestigious international competition
Detecting, treating, and preventing flavobacterial diseases The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology, education, and the development of an open community and collaboration. The foundation runs the iGEM competition, an international contest for students to find solutions to everyday issues using synthetic biology. The competition started as a summer event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004 with five teams and has since expanded to over 350 teams from 40 countries.
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n 2020 a team from Vilnius University won the event’s undergraduate grand prize for work on detecting, treating, and preventing toxic bacteria from colonising fish farms using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Led by Ieva Lingytơ, a student at Vilnius University’s Life Sciences Centre, the team comprised 14 members, many of them from the Life Sciences Centre, but some also from the faculty 44
of Mathematics and Informatics, faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, and other departments. It was the discovery that two bacterial infections, columnariosis and cold water disease, were so toxic to fish growing in recirculating aquaculture systems that they could decimate a stock within a couple of weeks if left unchecked, that inspired the team to address the issue. The solution took the form of a test, like a pregnancy
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test, that could identify species of Flavobacterium. This genus is responsible for several serious diseases in farmed trout and tools currently used for detection are highly complex and not very cost effective.
Time is of the essence when treating disease Like many pathogens these bacteria normally coexist with the
fish, but if a change in environmental or other conditions raises the stress levels of the fish, their immune systems weaken, and they start displaying symptoms of the disease. Within 24-72 hours of changes in fish appearance or behaviour, mortality rates accelerate and can reach over 70% among the infected population. Being able to quickly identify the pathogen is therefore a vital step in preventing the disease from
