Scottish Fish Immunology Research Centre contingent attend the 17th International EAFP Conference on Diseases of Fish and Shellfish.
The European Association of Fish Pathologists (EAFP) was established in 1975 and holds international conferences every two years. This year it was from September 7 to 11 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. The “Canary Islands” are a sub-tropical archipelago of volcanic origin located off the southern coast of Morocco. More than 500 scientists and numerous industry representatives from 43 countries attended this conference which included 39 oral sessions, 220 posters, 9 workshops, multiple roundtables and two field excursions.
A large number of sessions were devoted to Bacterial, Viral and Parasitic Diseases as well as to Fish Immunology, with excellent presentations given by a number of well-known European experts in these fields. Interesting presentations were also given on the topics of: Emerging Pathogens, Aquatic Animal Welfare and (for the first time at EAFP) Cephalopod Immunity and Diseases. The conference closed out with excursions to the Marine Scientific Park of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (PCTM) (followed by a visit to the famous “Rock in the Clouds” at the centre of the island) or the ADSA Hatchery Facility of Seabream and Seabass (followed by a whale and dolphin watching boat trip off the southern coast of the island).
Representatives of the SFIRC were: Prof. Chris Secombes, Dr. Sohye Yoon, PhD students Max Beckmann, Kimberly Veenstra (supported by SAIC) and Rachel Chance. Former students Dr. Rodrigo Belmonte (MSD Animal Health, Norway) and Dr. Bartolomeo Gorgoglione (Vetmeduni Vienna) were also in attendance.