Improvement of mariculture sustainability in the context of scallop mortality outbreaks in Ilha Grande Bay

• Grant number: 22/11903-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Program to Stimulate Scientific Vocations
• Start date: January 23, 2023
• End date: March 10, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Fabiano Lopes Thompson
• Grantee: Beatriz Silva Fernandes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Ministério da Educação (Brasil)

Abstract

Mariculture is fundamental to guaranteeing food sovereignty and security in the world. Only 5% of aquaculture production in Brazil comes from mariculture (<50 thousand tons). Therefore, Brazil, with its wide coastal region and favorable environment, is far from reaching its potential in the development of mariculture and foreign exchange generation. The State of Rio de Janeiro (ERJ) has very low marine aquaculture production, although there are favorable conditions for the development of sustainable mariculture. Mariculture in Ilha Grande Bay (BIG) has suffered significant losses in recent years due to scallop mortality outbreaks. The causes of the drop in productivity are still unknown, but they reduce production by 90% in many mariculture enterprises. In this context, this project proposes to: i. analyze the taxonomic diversity of the water microbiome of cropping systems and important rivers in the BIG; ii. analyze the biogeochemical parameters of water from cropping systems and important rivers in the BIG. Omics approaches, cell biology, biogeochemical and microbiological analyzes will be employed to achieve the objectives. The team has a previous history of working together, having developed relevant studies in the context of the proposal (> 300 published articles; H index> 100). The project will contribute to improving the productivity of mariculture, which can have a social and economic impact on the ERJ. (AU)