Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages

Atlantic salmon in marine farming environments are exposed to potentially detrimental conditions through space and time. For instance, the vertical distribution of parasitic salmon lice larvae shifts in response to changing salinity conditions. We examined whether stock can be moved away from harmfu...

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Main Authors: DW Wright, A Glaropoulos, D Solstorm, LH Stien, F Oppedal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Inter-Research 2015-07-01
Series:Aquaculture Environment Interactions
Online Access:https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/aei/v7/n1/p61-65/
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author DW Wright
A Glaropoulos
D Solstorm
LH Stien
F Oppedal
author_facet DW Wright
A Glaropoulos
D Solstorm
LH Stien
F Oppedal
author_sort DW Wright
collection DOAJ
description Atlantic salmon in marine farming environments are exposed to potentially detrimental conditions through space and time. For instance, the vertical distribution of parasitic salmon lice larvae shifts in response to changing salinity conditions. We examined whether stock can be moved away from harmful depths using constant-rate vertical movements of lights at night over short periods. Salmon held in research-scale sea cages were exposed to light movements between depths of 0-12 m and at 5 different speeds (1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 m min-1) on 3 nights. Fish were acclimated to lights fixed at 8 m depth in a temperature- and salinity-stratified cage environment, partitioning salmon into surface-positioned (47%) and light-positioned subgroups (53% of the population). A high proportion (50-65%) of the light-positioned group followed lights between upper and lower cage sections when moved up to a critical speed of 4 m min-1. However, the surface-positioned group always persisted. Following decreased when lights were moved at higher speeds, equivalent to or faster than fish swimming speeds measured under fixed lighting. Instantaneous vertical light movements at night may effectively move salmon away from fluctuating unsuitable depths (e.g. lice-rich depths), into temporary favourable depths (e.g. surface brackish waters to treat against stenohaline parasites), and throughout cages to avoid crowding in narrow depth ranges.
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spelling doaj.art-bdd4695646ca484aac4b1018d621d2df2022-12-21T19:23:23ZengInter-ResearchAquaculture Environment Interactions1869-215X1869-75342015-07-0171616510.3354/aei00136Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cagesDW Wright0A Glaropoulos1D Solstorm2LH Stien3F Oppedal4Sustainable Aquaculture Laboratory - Temperate and Tropical (SALTT), School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, AustraliaInstitute of Marine Research, Matre Research Station, 5984 Matredal, NorwayInstitute of Marine Research, Matre Research Station, 5984 Matredal, NorwayInstitute of Marine Research, Matre Research Station, 5984 Matredal, NorwayInstitute of Marine Research, Matre Research Station, 5984 Matredal, NorwayAtlantic salmon in marine farming environments are exposed to potentially detrimental conditions through space and time. For instance, the vertical distribution of parasitic salmon lice larvae shifts in response to changing salinity conditions. We examined whether stock can be moved away from harmful depths using constant-rate vertical movements of lights at night over short periods. Salmon held in research-scale sea cages were exposed to light movements between depths of 0-12 m and at 5 different speeds (1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 m min-1) on 3 nights. Fish were acclimated to lights fixed at 8 m depth in a temperature- and salinity-stratified cage environment, partitioning salmon into surface-positioned (47%) and light-positioned subgroups (53% of the population). A high proportion (50-65%) of the light-positioned group followed lights between upper and lower cage sections when moved up to a critical speed of 4 m min-1. However, the surface-positioned group always persisted. Following decreased when lights were moved at higher speeds, equivalent to or faster than fish swimming speeds measured under fixed lighting. Instantaneous vertical light movements at night may effectively move salmon away from fluctuating unsuitable depths (e.g. lice-rich depths), into temporary favourable depths (e.g. surface brackish waters to treat against stenohaline parasites), and throughout cages to avoid crowding in narrow depth ranges.https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/aei/v7/n1/p61-65/
spellingShingle DW Wright
A Glaropoulos
D Solstorm
LH Stien
F Oppedal
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages
Aquaculture Environment Interactions
title Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages
title_full Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages
title_fullStr Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages
title_full_unstemmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages
title_short Atlantic salmon Salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages
title_sort atlantic salmon salmo salar instantaneously follow vertical light movements in sea cages
url https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/aei/v7/n1/p61-65/
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AT lhstien atlanticsalmonsalmosalarinstantaneouslyfollowverticallightmovementsinseacages
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