VNIRO specialists checked the health of juvenile scallops

 

This stage is part of a large-scale, multi-year project entitled "Creating a Health Protection System for Aquaculture Facilities Based on Assessing the Risks of Disease Spread and Developing and Testing Diagnostic, Preventive, and Treatment Tools."

 

The goal of the research is to assess the risk of various diseases occurring during the artificial farming of shellfish, particularly the Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis). Then, taking into account the characteristics of potential diseases, recommendations will be developed to ensure the epizootic well-being of mariculture farms in the Far East.

 

The main objective of the second year of the research is to collect information on the health of young Japanese scallops in Aniva Bay at two sites: the mariculture farm and the natural settlement.

 

During the study, mollusks were collected, their morphometric parameters were determined, and their microflora, parasite fauna, and epibionts were examined.

 

To assess the risk of disease during artificial breeding, it is especially important to identify potentially pathogenic organisms for second-year scallops. According to the literature, it was during this period that mass mortality of mollusks was repeatedly recorded on farms in the Far East.

 

According to preliminary analysis of the collected material, the epibiont and parasite fauna of juveniles consisted of representatives of Turbellaria, Copepoda, and Decapoda. Analysis of the mollusks' microflora for pathogenic bacteria and protozoa of the genus Perkinsus using molecular genetics methods is ongoing.

 

 

VNIRO Press Service