Programme

The 13th International Sea Lice Conference

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, 9-13 May 2022

  • Sea lice biology
  • Modelling and epidemiology
  • Genetics and genome
  • Medical treatment
  • Non-medical treatment
  • Fish welfare
  • Wild fish interaction
  • Management; Policy & legislation

EXCURSIONS

Excursion 1 MOWI

In the tiny village of Hellurnar, you will visit MOWI Faroes on-land smolt production facility which serves as the headquarters for the Norwegian parent company´s North Atlantic operations.

The guests will receive a guided tour of the smolt station and routine farming operations. Refreshments will be served.

On the way to and from MOWI we will experience the famous subsea roundabout tunnel – the only one in the world.

The tour starts at 10.00by bus from Tórshavn and we will be back in Tórshavn no later than 16.00

Maximum number of registrations is 15.

Excursion 2 Hiddenfjord.

Hiddenfjord is located on the island of Vágur and is proud of its marketing strategy focused on highlighting environmental sustainability and research-driven innovation.

A presentation of their on-land facilities will be followed by a boat tour at one of their salmon seacage sites. Refreshments will be served.

The tour starts at 10.00 by bus from Tórshavn and we will be back in Tórshavn no later than 16.00

Maximum number of registrations is 50.

Excursion 3 Bakkafrost

Bakkafrost is the biggest company in the Faroe Islands with salmon farming activities in Scotland and Faroe Islands.

A presentation at the Bakkafrost headquarter in Glyvrar will be followed by a tour of their state-of the art processing plant located on-site.

On the way to and from Bakkafrost we will experience the famous subsea roundabout tunnel – the only one in the world.

Bakkafrost is welcoming 3 teams of 50 people and each tour lasts for 2,5 hours.

Depending on how many register for this excursion the first one starts at 08.30 from Tórshavn. The second one will start from Tórshavn 9.30 and the last by bus from Tórshavn 10.30.

Maximum number of registrations is 3×50

17:00 - 19:00

Welcome reception and registration

Host: City of Tórshavn, Mayor Heðin Mortensen

Address: SILO

Vestara Bryggja 15

08:00 - 08:45

Registration

08:45 - 09:00

WELCOME AND OPENING
Ms. Jóhanna Lava Køtlum, CEO of Fiskaaling, FAROE ISLANDS

Mr. Magnus Rasmussen, Minister of Environment, Industry and Trade

SEA LICE BIOLOGY SESSION, part I
Chairs:
Kjell Maroni & Tróndur J. Kragesteen

09:05 - 09:25

Wild Juvenile Salmon and Sea Lice Monitoring in British Columbia, Canada.

Lance StewardsonRegistered Professional Biologist, Mainstream Biological Consulting, CANADA

09:25 - 09:45

Linking abundance of free-swimming sea lice to fish farming activity and environmental cues.

Gunnvør á Norði, Researcher, Head of Department, Fiskaaling, FAROE ISLANDS

09:45 - 09:50

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Lepeophtheirus salmonis.

Constance M. Bakke, PhD student, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NORWAY

09:50 - 10:10

Antiparasitic susceptibility profile of Caligus rogercresseyi facing different temperature and luminosity conditions.

Margarita P. González Gómez, Senior Researcher, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, CHILE

10:10 - 10:15

Gene silencing by RNAi of voltage gated sodium channels in salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis).

Julie M. Falken, Veterinary student, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NORWAY

10:15 - 10:30

PANEL Q&A: SEA LICE BIOLOGY SESSION, part I

10:30 - 11:00

BREAK

MODELLING AND EPIDEMOLOGY SESSION, part I
Chair: Crawford Revie

11:00 - 11:20

Coupling hydrodynamic simulations to salmon lice population dynamics in Norway.

Tróndur J. Kragesteen, Post Doc, Fiskaaling, FAROE ISLANDS

11:20 - 11:40

Location- and time-dependent lice control effects.

Leif Christian Stige, Senior researcher, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, NORWAY

11:40 - 11:45

Refining enumeration of planktonic sea louse larvae detected by ddPCR; calibration by serial spiking.

Nathan Mertz, Stipendiat/PhD Research Fellow, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

11:45 - 12:05

A metapopulation model reveals hotspots in the evolution of treatment resistance in salmon lice.

Andrew Coates, PhD, University of Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

12:05 - 12:20

PANEL Q&A: MODELLING AND EPIDEMOLOGY SESSION, part I

LUNCH

12:20 - 13:20

13:20 - 13:55

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Living conditions in the future Northeastern Atlantic under climate change.

Bogi Hansen, senior scientist, Faroe Marine Research Institute, FAROE ISLANDS

MODELLING AND EPIDEMOLOGY SESSION, part II
Chairs: Crawford Revie & Karin K. Boxaspen

13:55 - 14:15

The effect of a warmer climate on the salmon lice infection pressure from Norwegian aquaculture.

Dr. Anne D. Sandvik, PhD, Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, NORWAY

14:15 - 14:20

Towards ensemble models for predicting sea lice distributions: Evaluation of multiple coupled biophysical models in Loch Linnhe, Scotland.

Dr. Meadhbh MoriartySenior Aquatic Epidemiological Modeller, Marine Scotland Science, UK

14:20 - 14:40

Combining population models and larval dispersal – a tool for sea lice management.

John P. Phelan, PhD student, Scottish Association for Marine Science, UK

14:40 - 15:00

Designing a Decision Support System to inform “beyond best practice” farm management.

David Vale (placeholder), Principal Consultant, BMT, UK

Emma McCall, Engineer, BMT, UK

15:00 - 15:10

Exploring the interaction between environmental conditions and control measurements on the population dynamics of Caligus rogercresseyi (Boxshall & Bravo 2000): a modelling approach in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Jorge Mancilla Schulz, Fish Health & Nutrition Manager, Mowi

15:10 - 15:30

Developing a framework for assessing spatial and temporal variability in parasite density in Scottish waters – implications for wild salmon smolt migration.

Alexander G. Murray, Fish Health & Welfare group leader, Marine Scotland Science, UK

15:30 - 15:45

PANEL Q&A: MODELLING AND EPIDEMOLOGY SESSION, part II

15:45 - 16:15

BREAK

SEA LICE BIOLOGY SESSION, part II
Chairs:
Kjell Maroni & Tróndur J. Kragesteen

16:15 - 16:20

A novel study on sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) settlement success during Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) encounters.

Eleanor Glahn, Graduate research student, Aquaculture Research Institute and School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, USA

16:20 - 16:40

Frontal filament formation in copepodids of the salmonid specialist Lepeophtheirus salmonis and the generalist Caligus elongatus: trade-offs and impact on the rate of parasitic development.

Lars Are Hamre, Cand. Scient., University of Bergen, NORWAY

16:40 - 17:00

Energy consumption of the free-living stages of sea lice.

Stine Østerhus, PhD student, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

17:00 - 17:05

The effect of temperature on the interaction between salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

Mathias Stølen Ugelvik, Postdoc. Institute of Marine Research, NORWAY

17:05 - 17:25

Immune modulation – a comparison between the generalist Caligus elongatus and the specialist Lepeophtheirus salmonis.

Aina-Cathrine Øvergård, Associate professor, University of Bergen, NORWAY

17:25 - 17:40

PANEL Q&A: SEA LICE BIOLOGY SESSION, part II

RECEPTION

Host:         The Ministry of Environment, Industry, Aquaculture and Trade

Location:  The Nordic House

17:40

GENETICS AND GENOME SESSION, part I
Chairs:
Jonhard Eysturskarð & Mark Fast

08:00 - 12:00

08:05 - 08:25

Advances in Salmon Louse Genomics.

Michael Dondrup (placeholder), Researcher, The Sea Lice Research Centre & Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, NORWAY

Frank Nilsen, Professor, Sea Lice Research Centre, University of Bergen, NORWAY

 

08:25 - 08:45

Identification of semiochemicals associated with resistance of Atlantic salmon to the salmon lice and assessment of their effects on lice.

Nick Robinson (placeholder)

Bjarne Gjerde, Senior scientist, Nofima, Rothamsted Research, Bencmark Genetics, NORWAY

08:45 - 09:05

Molecular responses of salmon lice to reduced salinity.

Andreas Borchel, Researcher, University of Bergen, NORWAY

09:05 - 09:25

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in salmon lice.

Kiranpreet Kaur, Scientist / Director R&D Salmonids, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), NORWAY

09:25 - 09:45

Co-expression network analysis identifies modules and genes relevant for molting and development in the Atlantic salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis)

Michael Dondrup, Researcher, The Sea Lice Research Centre & Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, NORWAY

09:45 - 10:00

PANEL Q&A: GENETICS AND GENOME SESSION, part I

10:00 - 10:30

BREAK

Group photography

Posters 8, 9 and 10: Nadezhda Lekanova, Michael Dondrup and James Bron.

GENETICS AND GENOME SESSION, part II

10:30 - 10:50

Alteration of the gene expression in the skin of Atlantic salmon after experimental down-regulation of a salmon louse salivary gland protein.

Christiane Eichner, PhD, University of Bergen, NORWAY

10:50 - 11:10

A chromosome-level genome assembly reveals the genetic basis of a Lepeophtheirus salmonis colour mutant.

James Bron (placeholder), Professor of Aquatic Animal Health, Head of Parasitology Research Group, University of Stirling, UK

Armin SturmSenior Lecturer, University of Stirling, Institute of Aquaculture, UK

11:10 - 11:30

CrispResist with NoLice: Developing tools for boosting Atlantic salmon host resistance to sea lice.

Nick RobinsonSenior Scientist, Nofima and The University of Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

11:30 - 11:35

Does the salmon louse have an immune dampening effect on Atlantic Salmon?

Helena Marie Doherty Midtbø, PhD Candidate, University of Bergen, NORWAY

11:35 - 11:40

LsNaV1.3-SNP in Norwegian populations of L. Salmonis.

Sine A. H. Hansen, PhD candidate, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), NORWAY

11:40 - 11:45

A de novo full-length mRNA transcriptome for Lepeophtheirus salmonis.

Nadezhda Lekanova, Senior Engineer, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), NORWAY

11:45 - 12:00

PANEL Q&A: GENETICS AND GENOME SESSION, part II

LUNCH

Technical presentation

Host:   Benchmark Animal Health

12:00 - 13:10

MEDICINAL TREATMENT SESSION
Chairs: Tor Einar Horsberg & Sandra Bravo

13:10 - 14:25

13:15 - 13:35

Traveling resistance: Rapid development and dispersal of lice resistant to delousing agents throughout the north Atlantic.

Helene Børretzen FjørtoftPhD-student, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

13:35 - 13:40

Spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of the effectiveness of peroxide bath treatments in Chile.

Sandra Marín (placeholder), Professor of Instituto de Acuicultura, Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Puerto Montt, CHILE

Daniel Jimenez, Veterinarian, Aquabench SA, CHILE

13:40 - 14:00

Monitoring sensitivity of Caligus rogercresseyi to lufenuron through larval bioassays: preliminary results.

Sandra Marín, Professor of Instituto de Acuicultura, Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Puerto Montt, CHILE

14:00 - 14:05

Bioassays in microtiter plates

Linas J.H. Hauge, Veterinary student, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), NORWAY

14:05 - 14:10

The electrophysiological properties of salmon lice ion channels and drug exposure – a frog eggs view.

Marit J. Bakke, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), NORWAY

14:10 - 14:25

PANEL Q&A: MEDICINAL TREATMENT SESSION

14:25 - 15:15

BREAK

Posters 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 and 24:
Daniel Jimenez, Sandra Marín, Alexis Slupe, Pietro Asproni, Julio Boettiger, Patrick Pageat and Cécile Bienboire-Frosnini.

NON-MEDICINAL TREATMENT SESSION, part I
Chairs: Anne D. Sandvik & Sussie Dalvin

15:15 - 17:45

15:15 - 16:35

Sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus) during freshwater treatment.

Maria Guttu, PhD student, Institute of biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

15:35 - 15:55

Comparing mechanical and thermal delousing methods: effects on salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) hatching success.

Cecilie Miljeteig, Researcher, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

15:55 - 16:15

Efficacy of SCAIS as inhibitor of infestation behavior of Lepeophtheirus salmonis copepodid in Atlantic salmons (Salmo salar) with altered olfactory system.

Patrick Pageat, Professor Titular of the Chair of Ethology and Animal Welfare, IRSEA – E.I. Purpan, CHILE

16:15 - 16:20

The Salmon-Nest-Appeasing-Pheromone (SNAP) effects on skin mucous cells development.

Pietro Asproni, Head of Department, IRSEA (Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology), FRANCE

16:20 - 16:30

The intraspecific semiochemical SNAP (Salmon-Nest-Appeasing-Pheromone) influences the skin gene expression and mucus composition of Atlantic salmon.

Cécile Bienboire-Frosini, Head of research department, IRSEA (Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology), FRANCE

16:30 - 16:45

PANEL Q&A: NON-MEDICINAL TREATMENT SESSION, part I

NON-MEDICINAL TREATMENT SESSION, part II

16:45 - 17:05

Investigation of potential increased tolerance to low salinities in salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) as a consequence of freshwater delousing.

Anna S. Båtnes, Researcher, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

Cecilie Miljeteig, (placeholder) Researcher, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

 

17:05 - 17:15

Use of cleaner fish and optical laser in combination with depth-based prevention (snorkel sea cages).

Lena Geitung, Postdoc, Institute of Marine Research, NORWAY

17:15 - 17:20

The influence of biofouling on lumpfish welfare and cleaning efficacy.

Kirstin Eliasen, Biologist (PhD), head of department, Fiskaaling, FAROE ISLANDS

17:20 - 17:25

Personality assessment as a predictor of cleaning behaviour in lumpfish.

Ása Johannesen, Researcher (PhD), Fiskaaling, FAROE ISLANDS

17:25 - 17:30

Delousing behavior of ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) studied by a sea lice model in commercial sea cages.

Håvard Kaland, PhD,  Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NORWAY

17:30 - 17:45

PANEL Q&A: NON-MEDICINAL TREATMENT SESSION, part II

CONFERENCE BANQUET

Sponsored by SIGNS – Group Irsea

Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

19:30 - 23:00

FISH WELFARE SESSION
Chairs: Ása Johannesen & Kjell Maroni

08:30 - 10:05

08:35 - 08:55

Solving sea lice with data management and predictive analytics

Anthony ChenCo-Founder and CEO, Manolin AS, NORWAY

08:55 - 09:00

Efficacy of single and combined non-medicinal delousing treatments in a laboratory setting.

Sussie Dalvin, Senior Researcher, Institute of Marine Research, NORWAY

09:00 - 09:20

How do medicinal bath treatments fit into the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) toolbox?

Catrine Smørås, Strategic Sea Lice Manager, Benchmark Animal Health

09:20 - 09:35

Prolonged and significant decrease in attachment and development of sea lice following pro-microbial enhancement with Aliivibrio spp.

Kira SaloniusManaging director, Previwo AS, NORWAY

09:35 - 09:45

Field experience with pro-microbial enhancement for lice prevention.

Ragnhild Hanche-Olsen, Technical manager, Previwo AS, NORWAY

09:45 - 09:50

Lumpfish welfare and nutrition in on-growing farms.

Jessica Di ToroPhD student, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling/Fiskaaling, UK/FAROE ISLANDS

09:50 - 10:05

PANEL Q&A: FISH WELFARE SESSION

10:05 - 10:40

BREAK

Posters 6, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19:

Mari Austad Brandt, Andrew Bett, Rory Casey, David Vale, Malene Skuseth Slinning and Martin Welch.

Bid presentations for the 14th Sea Lice International Conference

10:40 - 11:10

WILD FISH INTERACTION SESSION, part I
Chairs: Ian Bricknell & Kirstin Eliasen

11:15 - 12:35

11:15 - 11:35

Mortality thresholds for salmon lice infections in Atlantic salmon.

Sussie Dalvin, Senior Researcher, Institute of Marine Research, NORWAY

11:35 - 11:40

Critical lice loadings to protect wild Atlantic salmon smolts.

Stephen C Ives, Researcher in fish health, Marine Scotland Science, UK

11:40 - 12:00

Assessing the Evolution of Virulence of the Salmon Louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) in the Bay of Fundy.

Mark Fast (placeholder), Professor of Fish health and Immunology, Atlantic Veterinary College – UPEI, CANADA

Dylan Michaud, PhD student, University of Prince Edward Island, CANADA

12:00 - 12:20

Are farmed salmon the progenitors of lice on wild Pacific salmon?

Jim PowellDirector, Fidelis Aquaculture Management, CANADA

12:20 - 12:35

PANEL Q&A: WILD FISH INTERACTION SESSION, part I

LUNCH

See you back at 13:45

12:35 - 13:45

WILD FISH INTERACTION SESSION, part II
Chairs: Ian Bricknell & Kirstin Eliasen

13:45 - 13:50

Sea trout (Salmo trutta) in the Faroe Islands.

Unn V. Johannesen, Biologist (MSc), Fiskaaling, FAROE ISLANDS

13:50 - 14:10

Development of a risk assessment method for sea trout in coastal areas exploited for aquaculture.

Bengt Finstad, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Biology, NORWAY

14:10 - 14:15

Increased sea lice infestation affect individual sea trout life history traits.

Ola H. Diserud, Senior researcher, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NORWAY

14:15 - 14:20

Effects of sea lice infestation on long-term sea trout population dynamics.

Richard Hedger, Research Scientist, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NORWAY

14:20 - 14:35

PANEL Q&A: WILD FISH INTERACTION SESSION, part II

14:35 - 14:55

FHF – Funding Sea Lice Research

Kjell MaroniR&D director aquaculture & environment, FHF – The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund, NORWAY

14:55 - 15:25

BREAK

Posters 20, 21 and 22:

Anne Stene, Margret Thorsteinsson and Rosa Maria Serra-Llinares.

MANAGEMENT; POLICY AND LEGISLATION SESSION

Chairs: James Bron & Sandra Marín

15:30 - 17:15

15:30 - 15:50

Combination of science, advice, and regulation towards a new system for sustainable growth of salmonid aquaculture – The Norwegian experience of implementing a regulatory system based on effect of salmon lice from fish farms on wild salmonid fish.

Karin K. Boxaspen, Research Director, Institute of Marine Research, NORWAY

15:50 - 15:55

Surveillance strategies of sea lice – assessing environmental infection pressures.

Berit Rabe, Inshore Physical Oceanographer, Marine Scotland Science, UK

15:55 - 16:15

Marine spatial planning tool for digital environmental impact assessment: Case study application for Scottish salmon aquaculture.

Cemlyn Barlow (placeholder), Environmental Consultant, BMT, UK

Harrison Carmody, Marine Environmental Consultant, BMT, UK

16:15 - 16:20

Gender differences in the abundance of Caligus rogercresseyi after the application of an anti-sea lice treatment.

Sandra Bravo, Universidad Austral de Chile, CHILE

16:20 - 16:40

Breeding for lice resistance in Norwegian farmed atlantic salmon: What are the main barriers to this path for sustainable innovation?

Ingrid Olesen (placeholder), Senior Researcher, NOFIMA, NORWAY

Kristin Rosendal, Research professor, The Fridtjof Nansen Institute, NORWAY

16:40 - 17:00

Physical prevention of sea lice.

Frode OppedalResearcher, Institute of Marine Research, NORWAY

17:00 - 17:15

PANEL Q&A: MANAGEMENT; POLICY AND LEGISLATION SESSION

Conference wrap-up

17:15 - 17:35

Reception

Host: Hiddenfjord

Sea Lice Conference Awards and 14th Sea Lice Conference Bid Results

17:35 - 19:30