ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Please note that abstract submission is only available via this website. 
Deadline 8 April 2025.

If you are interested in submitting an abstract for consideration, please click on the “Submit an Abstract” button in the upper menu and follow the instructions.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
- All submissions must be made online through this page
- Submitted texts and presentation exclusively in English
- Abstracts must not exceed 400 words
- Confirmation email will be sent at the end of the submission
- All communications with authors about the abstract will be made by e-mail, for the email address of the main presenting author
- Please keep in mind that your poster or oral communication will have to be approved by the panel. You will receive confirmation of your submission as soon as possible.
- The presenting author must be registered until May 02, 2025.


PRESENTATION TYPES
- Oral Presentation
- Poster

SESSION THEMES
The general themes are:

S1. New Tools for Animal Welfare
The welfare of farmed animals has become a top priority towards sustainable aquaculture production. Hence, over the years, new tools and methodologies, ranging from behavioral and physiological assessments to technological innovations that enable real-time monitoring, have been developed in the recent years to monitor and improve animal welfare in aquaculture. The use of molecular “omics” (including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) is revolutionizing welfare assessment in aquaculture by providing deep insights into the genetic, molecular, and metabolic processes that underpin animal health. The use (alone or coupled with analytical tools) of artificial intelligence (AI) in aquaculture is also transforming the way we monitor and manage animal welfare, allowing a fast and thorough analysis of vast amounts of data that not only help improve animal welfare, but also enhance farm productivity, sustainability and efficiency. All in all, the combination of molecular and behavioural with computer sciences can offer more precise, non-invasive, and early indicators of stress, disease, and poor welfare than traditional methods, enabling an in-depth understanding of the physiological and biological responses of farmed animals to various environmental factors, as well as the early detection of threats and implementation of sustainable management practices to address them.
For this theme, we welcome studies that explore innovative welfare biomarkers, like proteomics and other omics technologies, novel physiological indicators, remote sensing technologies, biosensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

S2. Emerging Hazards
Globalization of seafood supply and the increasing global population growth have promoted favourable conditions for outbreaks of emerging contaminants (ECs), which may pose several human health risks. Most seafood risks cause three types of illnesses: i) acute infections caused by bacterial, viral and parasitic sources; ii) acute intoxications caused by toxins produced by microorganisms and algae (the latter are known as marine biotoxins); and iii) diseases related with chronic exposure to chemical contaminants. These ECs may include pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), emerging pathogens, cyanotoxins and other natural toxins, pesticides, industrial chemicals, micro/nanoplastics, nanomaterials, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and other exogenous substances that are found in the environment but are not yet well understood in terms of their impacts on humans and natural ecosystems.
To confront this challenge effectively, comprehensive research is imperative to understand the sources and potential repercussions of these pollutants on human health, ecosystems and animals, emphasizing the importance of adopting a One Health approach. Furthermore, evaluating how these contaminants interact with various environmental factors, both living and nonliving, is crucial within our ever-changing environments. This requires permanent monitoring and implementation of mitigation solutions by food safety authorities and policy makers for anticipating hazard outbreaks that can be effective in protecting public health and ensuring safe, nutritious, high quality and affordable seafood to consumers. For this theme, we welcome studies tackling all types of ECs detected in farmed seafood and aquafeeds (organic, inorganic, biological and other ECs), from diverse angles, namely: sources and toxicokinetics, ecotoxicology, animal health hazards; seafood safety and human health risks; in vivo and in vitro toxicity assays; data modeling.

S3. Climate Smart Strategies
Climate change constitutes a major bottleneck to the expansion of the aquaculture sector, threatening the quantity, quality and safety of farmed seafood. Water scarcity, destruction of habitats and infrastructures, acute or long-term variations of abiotic parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, UV-radiation), inputs of pollutants and zoonotic pathogens from wastewaters, diminished growth performance and survival of farmed animals are some of the main impacts that are already affecting aquaculture production worldwide, and for which effective adaptation strategies are utmost needed. On the other hand, the sector itself also has its share on the overall emission of greenhouse gases, depletion of natural resources (e.g. energy, water, plant and animal-based ingredients used in aquafeeds), and introduction of contaminants in the environment (e.g. commensal or pathogenic microorganisms, and the pharmaceuticals to control/prevent them), therefore, urging for innovative solutions and technology to mitigate them.
In alignment with the “One Health” vision, this session will cover empirical and modeling/computational studies aiming to strengthen the understanding of the challenges posed by climate change in aquaculture, from the ecological, animal welfare and seafood safety standpoints, as well as on climate-smart approaches to build resilience, maximize animal production and improve the sustainability of the sector. Studies on aquaculture governance and policy alignment with national and international climate actions towards the achievement of United Nations’ food security and development goals are also welcome.






Funded by
MycoFish Funding from FCT I.P. PTDC/CVT-CVT/2660/2021(https://doi.org/10.54499/PTDC/CVT-CVT/2660/2021)
AquaClimAdapt FCT Aqua-CLIMADAT: PTDC/CTA-AMB/0592/2021(https://doi.org/10.54499/PTDC/CTA-AMB/0592/2021)