New research out of British Columbia is uncovering the genetic secrets of the Pacific sea louse, a marine parasite, detrimental to wild and farmed salmon.
The parasite feeds on the skin, mucous and flesh of the host fish, weakening and, in some cases, killing them.
Sea lice cost the Canadian aquaculture industry millions of dollars in economic losses every year.
Genomics in Lice and Salmon (GiLS) is a three year project, which is using advanced tools to understand the interactions between the lice and their salmonid host.
The study looks at the species of fish that are most susceptible to lice, the significance of fish size, the systems that are affected in the fish, and how temperature and salinity influence infection.
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Tags: aquaculture research, Fish Parasites, Genetics
Posted in Genetics. Permalink for this post: permalink.
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