Ectoparasites that penetrate host skin can act as biological or mechanical vectors for pathogens and, in some cases, serve as reservoirs. Crustacean ectoparasites of fish are potential vectors of pathogens, which is especially relevant for obligate pathogens (e.g., Aeromonas salmonicida ) with limited seawater survival. Sea lice ( Lepeophtheirus salmonis ), affecting Atlantic salmon, cause dermal damage and can facilitate seco...

Antibiotics cause significant gut microbiome dysbiosis, particularly when administered orally. This contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is associated with myriad health conditions. Novel drug delivery strategies that minimize gut exposure while maintaining therapeutic efficacy are urgently needed. This study aimed to evaluate whether a novel transdermal system could reduce gut microbiome disruption compared to or...

Whether phenotypic plasticity facilitates adaptive evolution is a key question in evolutionary ecology. The discovery of limb-length plasticity in two Anolis lizard species led to hypotheses about its role in the Anolis radiation. Yet, whether limb plasticity is realized in nature and has adaptive significance is poorly understood. In this study, we combined a limb-length plasticity experiment, lab-based assays of hatchling be...

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar , migrate through multiple habitat types, each having the potential to impact differently upon migration success. The inshore marine coastal zone is arguably disproportionately impacted by potential stressors on populations. We investigated the migration of Atlantic salmon post‐smolts ( n = 898) from eight rivers (populations) through the inshore marine coastal zone over a 2‐year period using acous...

Aims Kernza® ( Thinopyrum intermedium) is among the first perennial grain crops ever bred and has the potential to address challenges associated with annual agriculture, in part due to its robust microbial partnerships and soil health benefits. However, breeding programs generally select plants based on aboveground traits such as seed size, resulting in unintended consequences on belowground traits such as root exudation and m...

Increasing atmospheric CO 2 emissions are altering the carbonate chemistry of seawater in a process known as ocean acidification (OA). This is a growing issue for marine industries and communities. During the 2023 New Zealand Ocean Acidification Community (NZOAC) Conference, the community undertook a horizon scanning exercise to determine potential future activities and opportunities. Conference participants were sent question...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is shaped by environmental pressures, yet the role of microbial predators such as Acanthamoeba in resistance dynamics remains poorly characterized. In this study, Acanthamoeba ‐associated bacterial communities (AAB) exhibited significantly higher multidrug resistance than sediment‐associated bacterial communities (SAB) in a polluted estuarine system. All isolated amoebae belonged to the T4 genoty...

There is some evidence that the river migration success of Atlantic salmon smolts, on their first migration to sea, varies both spatially and temporally. However, we have only a poor understanding of what may be driving this variation. In this study, we used acoustic telemetry to quantify the spatial and temporal variations in river migration success in Atlantic salmon smolts on their first migration to sea. In total 4120 Atla...

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) is an angiogenic signaling protein involved in the maintenance of the cerebral vasculature. No prior study has explored whether plasma VEGF-A levels may be associated with brain functional connectivity changes, such as disruption of the default mode network (DMN), which often precedes the development of cognitive changes in aging. Seventy-six independently living older adults (mean...

Untangling the patterns and proximate drivers of intraspecific genetic and phenotypic structuring informs our understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping diversity. This study investigated morphological and genetic structuring of brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) populations across varying spatial scales in a single, complex, dendritic river catchment and examined the potential natural and anthropogenic environmental feat...

Trap and transport, the capture and subsequent translocation of fish during the freshwater phase of their migration, is becoming more common as a management intervention. Although the technique can be successful, it is costly and can have unintended effects on the fish being transported. This study investigates whether trap and transport can be used to increase the migration success of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar , smolts in...

Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) predicts age-related hippocampal atrophy, neurodegeneration, and memory decline in older adults. Beat-to-beat BPV may represent a more reliable and efficient tool for prospective risk assessment, but it is unknown whether beat-to-beat BPV is similarly associated with hippocampal neurodegeneration, or with plasma markers of neuroaxonal/neuroglial injury. Independently living older...

Paediatric imaging protocols should be carefully optimised to maintain the desired image quality while minimising the delivered patient dose. A paediatric chest phantom was designed, constructed and evaluated to optimise chest CT examinations for infants. The phantom was designed to enable dosimetry and image quality measurements within the anthropomorphic structure. It was constructed using tissue equivalent materials to mimi...

Several modifiable lifestyle factors have been linked to cognitive ability and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Health coaching (HC) is an intervention that addresses lifestyle factors associated with cognition. The effectiveness of an HC protocol was evaluated and compared with a health education (HE) intervention, representing the current standard of care, in a sample of 216 adults bet...