PRR Project

Summary

The study of parasites in the marine environment is important for multiple reasons. They cause mass mortality of marine animals, particularly in fish farms, with very important economic losses in the order of billions of euros. In fish farming, they cause delays in the growth of fish, increasing the time needed to reach marketable weight, with obvious costs for producers. The effects they have on hosts harm the commercialization of fish and bivalves, making them unfit for human consumption and increasing costs in the processing chain. Many parasites have great zoonotic potential, with Anisakis species being the best known, but there are others that are still very poorly studied. Parasites represent a large part of the biodiversity that exists on the planet and the majority of which is still unknown, as well as their ecological importance and its interference in trophic chains which is still largely poorly studied. As biological indicators, parasites can serve many functions, such as indicators of environmental quality, indicators of ecosystem alterations caused by climate change and even serving as biological tags to identify the origin of fish stocks.The study and better knowledge of this group of organisms and their interactions is therefore important for the objectives of the CIIMAR institution: 1) empowering the future through knowledge, by contributing to unveiling the functioning of the ocean and the ecosystems of which parasites are part integral and inseparable; 2) promoting the sustainable exploitation of marine resources, through knowledge of the life cycles of parasites it is possible to contribute to the optimization of aquaculture, in addition to helping to monitor the health of ecosystems as biological indicators; 3) bridging knowledge and industry, as better knowledge of parasites is extremely useful for aquaculture producers and will facilitate CIIMAR´s collaboration with the industry.The researcher will perform parasite sampling tasks in aquatic organisms, particularly in fish and bivalves and other invertebrates, whether in the wild or in aquaculture. It will carry out periodic and seasonal samplings of fish of commercial value to assess the quality of products for human consumption and the danger of zoonotic parasites, thus collaborating with the head of the Laboratory of Parasitology and Animal Pathology at CIIMAR, which is an adviser for EFSA, the European food safety authority. The researcher will maintain close collaboration with aquaculture facilities and also with companies processing and commercialize fish products. It will carry out studies aimed at scientific knowledge of parasites in ecosystems, their relationships at different trophic levels and biodiversity. It will maintain collaboration with the remaining CIIMAR laboratories, helping the institution achieve its objectives and also guide postgraduate studies. Will search for funding sources to facilitate the success of the work to be carried out and will contribute to the dissemination of the knowledge produced.The investigator´s profile must include extensive experience in the study of parasites of aquatic organisms, evidenced by a significant number of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. The ability to collaborate on diverse scientific projects, proven by participation in funded scientific project teams. Have carried out work in international collaborations with foreign students.