Deliverable 2.3 - E-book with quality indicators and a photo-atlas

Transfer of knowledge within the hatchery is frequently acquired by “praxis” and hands-on experience and a “feeling for the organism” are key factors in becoming a good hatchery manager or technician. This means that hatchery managers and technicians possess untapped knowledge with a high potential and relevance for transfer. WP2 offers a unique opportunity to develop a resource for the MMFF sector that engages with end users to build something of practical use. As part of the objectives of WP2 a vast ontogenetic collection of larvae of the gilthead sea bream and the European sea bass has been acquired and built during the first two and a half years of PerformFISH. The egg and larval collection represents the production from five different companies across Europe and corresponds to populations/batches from different seasons and years. The collected larvae have been defined as “good” or “bad” performers based on the incidence of skeletal malformations and also their growth as represented by weight and length at a given ontogenetic stage. Activities in WP2 are directed at idenifying larval and juvenile quality indicators for the batches or populations from the routine production cycle of linked third parties (LTPs). The collected material is being used to analyse external morphology, histology and molecular markers that can be linked to the “good” or “bad” classification of individuals from specific production populations/batches. A vast library of images has been collected and samples analysed in detail to provide a multi-parameter classification of quality. The biological resources that the collection of eggs and larvae represent is very valuable but the photographs, mamography and associated outcomes that resulted from the sample analysis represent another very valuable and unique asset of PerformFISH. This resource will become open access in a way that makes it applicable by the end-users that can most benefit from it, the MMFF. The aim is to “free” all the relevant and high quality, checked and validated images that form the background to thesis and publications so they can become an e-atlas resource.

The PerformFISH e-Atlas is being developed as a spin-off from the extensive analysis that has been performed on the samples in D2.2. This e-Atlas represents a collaborative effort by industry and scientists to develop a “living” atlas that can be developed and upgraded as the project develops. The objective of the e-atlas is to develop an on-line image-based resource (histology, whole mount staining and mammography) that can be used by hatchery managers and trainees to assess production quality and obtain information about the morphological and histological characteristics of “good” and “bad” larvae. The e-Atlas concept is established but the atlas is still under construction as only now are images available due to the need for extensive analysis and validation of populations/batches of larvae and images. The e-Atlas will consist of a primary introductory chapter to objectives, methods and limitations, which then will be followed by image plates and descriptions. The present deliverable will describe the concept and basis of the e-Atlas but its launch on-line in the PerformFISH webpage will depend on the contribution of images by WP2 partenrs (UoC, UNIUD, and CCMAR) and its full validation by WP2 partners and LTP that will test and advise on improvements or parameters that will be usefull. Since analysis of samples and results from LTP is still ongoing and tools developed in WP2 will be applied to WP6 the e–Atlas will continue to develop throughout the lifetime of the project. The e-Atlas will for part of the PerformFISH legacy as it will be hosted on other institutional websites (to be agreed) as a resource on completion of the project so it remains live.