Climate Change and Marine Biotoxin Contamination in Shellfish Farming: New Ecological and Molecular Approaches to Study Toxic Events for Sustainable and Safe Management of Marine Aquaculture Production

Offer Description

Climate change is profoundly altering the dynamics of marine ecosystems, affecting the frequency,intensity,and distribution of
harmful algal blooms (HABs),with significant impacts on shellfish farming.Shellfish farming is a strategic sector along the Adriatic coast,both for food security and economic value,but it is particularly vulnerable to contamination by marine biotoxins. In particular,lipophilic toxins responsible for Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) are the main cause of harvesting suspensions,resulting in significant economic losses.This project aims to investigate the ecological and molecular mechanisms of toxic phytoplankton underlying contamination events in shellfish farming,integrating multidisciplinary approaches.At the same time,advanced molecular techniques will be applied to identify toxic species early on in the water column and in mussels. – For the full description, please refer to the call for applications –