August 16, 2024 — Scientists at the Institute of Aquaculture are central to a study that could hold the key to improving Atlantic salmon’s resistance to sea lice. The parasites—which feed on the fish’s skin and fins, causing open wounds that can lead to infection—reduce the market value of farmed fish and can have knock-on impacts on wild salmon populations.
Various treatments have been developed to tackle sea lice infestations in Atlantic salmon aquaculture—which costs the industry more than £700m a year—but these are often costly and ineffective. They can also be damaging to the environment and negatively affect animal welfare.
The new study reveals insights into how coho salmon—a cousin of Atlantic salmon—fight off the parasites, and it could pave the way for new genetic approaches. The findings are published in the journal BMC Biology.
Findings show a type of skin cell—known as keratinocyte—plays a key role in triggering localized swelling that helps coho salmon kill and remove sea lice.