KESS 2 Funded PhD in Biosciences: Control of fish pathogens - Assessing the impact of climate change on fish parasites

The project aims to assess the impact of climate change on fish parasites in order to generate a more accurate predictions and decisions regarding the future of aquaculture and sensitive wild fish population. This is a collaborative project between Eco-explore and the groups of Prof Joanne Cable from the School of Biosciences.

The project objectives are assessing how gyrodactylid parasites respond to multiple stressors (temperature and control treatment) and addressing fundamental questions about adaptation of fish pathogens to changing environment and identification of potential novel and effective parasite treatments in order to directly assist in the mitigation of losses in the wild, ornamental and food fish.

There are several technical and intellectual challenges associated with this project:
•In vitro and in vivo efficacy of botanical compounds against Gyrodactylus spp. at different temperatures following the methods developed in our laboratory by Schelkle et al. (2009).
•Genetic adaptation of Gyrodactylus turnbulli and G. sprostonae maintained under constant or variable temperature regimes (following predicted global warming rises for the UK). Using whole genomic data for G. turnbulli previously generated in our laboratory, gene expression of varying Gyrodactylus strains will be examined for predominant.
•Variation in virulence of G. turnbulli subjected to repeated low dose drug exposure (standard positive control of Levamisole tested against the most effective new compound identified in WP1 and a negative water control). After 3 months drug exposure, individual parasites will be used to infect isolated fish (n=30 per treatment) and their infection trajectories will be monitored over the next month (using non-invasive methods; see Cable et al. 2000) at three different temperatures to assess whether virulence has been altered by the combined effects of drug exposure and altered temperature conditions.