Sofia Morais
Innovation Aqua Team Leader
Lucta S.A.
Spain
Sofia leads the development and validation of feed additives for the aquaculture sector in Lucta, a global company founded in Barcelona in 1949, committed to the development of solutions that enhance palatability, efficiency and animal welfare, as well as to the preservation of ingredients and premixes. She holds a degree in Biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, an MSc in Aquaculture from the University of Stirling, Scotland, UK and a PhD in Aquaculture Nutrition from the University of Algarve, Portugal.
With 26 years of experience in aquaculture research, in both academia (17 years) and in the feed additives industry (9 years), Sofia has a core expertise in research and development of science-based products for the aquaculture industry. She has a strong background in fish nutrition, lipid metabolism, nutritional and digestive physiology and regulation of food intake in cultured fish and fish larvae, particularly dealing with requirements for essential fatty acids and with the physiological and molecular effects of replacing fish oil by vegetable oils in fish diets. She has led or participated in different research projects and (co) authored 90 scientific publications and 3 book chapters.
| Speaker | Precision Fish Nutrition, Health Interventions and Feed Efficiency |
| Presentation | Taste Matters: From Science to Application |
Abstract
In recent years, an increasingly acknowledged notion is that “fish need nutrients, not ingredients”. Although this is now widely accepted, it can also be argued that fish additionally need to recognize nutrients, or their sources, as food. Taste, determined by the gustatory system, has a vital role in animals by enabling them to discriminate between sources of nutrients and harmful substances, and make sensible alimentary choices. Moreover, species-specific taste preferences enable cohabitation in the same ecological niche, making possible the great diversity of fish species. Additionally, taste receptors coordinate the gastrointestinal response to ingested food (including the regulation of gut transit, digestion and absorption processes), a mechanism known as “gut sensing”.
This presentation will examine fundamental principles of taste physiology in fish, and how it relates to the regulation of feed intake and feeding efficiency. Subsequently, the practical implications of the science will be discussed in the context of the current aquaculture industry trends. We will delve into different contexts:
- Changes with feed ingredient – including both reductions of marine feedstuffs and rise of novel ingredients;
- Low level of domestication of some farmed fish species; and
- Rise in infectious diseases and multiple stress factors associated with climate change, both negatively affecting fish appetite, and increasing inclusion levels of potentially aversive functional substances.
In conclusion, the presentation intends to raise awareness on how knowledge of the mechanisms that promote food consumption by attractive taste sensations can contribute to the productivity and sustainability of the industry, particularly when the sensory properties of aquafeeds are limiting their acceptability or stress is impacting on the fishes’ motivation to eat.