The Aquaculture Europe 2014 Conference dedicated a special session to AQUAGAMETE COST Action that was entitled “Biology of Aquatic Species Gametes – AQUAGAMETE”. This special session lasted one full day, October 15th (chaired by Drs. Juan F. Asturiano and Ákos Horváth), and the morning of October 16th (chaired by Drs. Paz Herráez and Constantinos C. Mylonas) with a total of 24 speakers.
The first day’s session was opened by the Chair of the Action with a resume of activities carried out during the first grant period (March 2013-May 2014) of the AQUAGAMETE COST Action www.aquagamete.webs.upv.es including meetings, workshops, training schools and short-term scientific missions.
The rest of presentations delivered during the session covered a range of topics englobed by this Action. The first 3 presentations were dedicated to proteomics and protein identification in the seminal plasma of different cultured fish species, evidencing the high number of specific techniques available. The next 4 presentations were dedicated to new and comparative methods for the cryopreservation of sperm of aquacultured species and zebrafish, including some standardization objectives, one of the major targets of the Action. Sperm motility and sperm quality evaluation were the subject of 6 further presentations, including studies in fish species and oysters. The last 3 presentations of the first day’s session were dedicated to studies on germ cells during embryogenesis in tench, interspecific transplantation of spermatogonia and oogonia in sturgeons, and genotoxic damages in rainbow trout.
The second day started with 5 presentations highlighting aspects related to eggs (sampling, development, quality) and fertilization. The final 3 presentations addressed endocrine disruption in different fish species as well as to development of hormonal treatments to induce spawning induction in carp.
A total of 21 posters related to AQUAGAMETE were presented during the poster sessions, including miscellaneous studies with different subjects: endocrine disruption, hormonal treatments, sperm-testis, ovary-egg-fertilization, and sperm cryopreservation and vitrification.
A total of 19 speakers (15 early-stage researchers and 4 senior) were selected as eligible for reimbursement by AQUAGAMETE COST Action.
AE2014 Summary report can be downloaded here.