The specific objectives are to:

• Characterize the gastrointestinal microbial community of various fish species as a function of developmental stage using culture independent methods
• Evaluate the effect of holding regime (feed, cultivation regime etc) on the composition of gastrointestinal microbial community
• Evaluate to what extent the composition of the gastrointestinal microbial community affects performance/viability (growth, survival) of the fish
• Evaluate to what extent fish within and between species has one or several healthy stable states of gastrointestinal microbial community composition
• Characterize time course stability of gut microbial communities in individuals.
• Test the resilience of the intestinal microbial community after perturbations with antibiotics.
• Compare the composition of the autochthonous microbial community versus the microbial community in faeces of single individuals.

1. Define protocol for sampling and analysis of community structure
2. Complete ring test for inter calibration of microbial community fingerprinting
3. Complete sample collection
4. Complete analysis of composition of gastro intestinal microbial community
5. Tagging and assemblage of experimental groups
6. Antibiotic perturbation
7. Complete resilience experiment
8. Final comparison between intestinal and faeces microbial community
9. Completion of TTGE analyses

1. Consensus protocol for profiling microbial community composition: Sampling, analysis and data treatment
2. Complete the database on the MC composition for all species
3. Report on the effect of holding regime on the composition of gastrointestinal microbial community
4. Report on the effect of the composition of the gastrointestinal microbial community on the performance (growth, survival) of the fish
5. Report on to what extent fish within and between species has one or several healthy stable states of gastrointestinal microbial community composition
6. Database on the individual stability of microbiota in seabass faeces
7. Database on the resilience of microbiota in seabass faeces after antibiotic treatment
8. Evaluation of the relevance of faeces microbial communities as a proxy for the intestinal autochthonous microbiota
9. Report on stability and resilience in seabass of the microbiota at the individual level, including a test of the stability/resilience-richness/diversity hypothesis

• NTNU
  • Olav Vadstein

• UGent
• IFREMER
• WUR
• SINTEF-FA