Programme

Day 0 - Monday 6th July

16:00

Arrival & registration at the conference venue, Faculty of Sciences, rue Grafé, 2 - 5000 Namur - Belgium

18:00

Welcome get-together

Day 1 - Tuesday 7th July 2026

8:15-8:45

Registration-welcome

8:45-9:00

Welcome address by Sabine Henry, Dean of the Science Faculty

9:00-9:30

T00-Introductory lecture by P. Kestemont

Session 1 - Physiology of reproduction | Chairs: D. Zarski & C. Mylonas

9:30-10:00

T01-Keynote 1 by C. Mylonas: Fish reproduction control in Mediterranean aquaculture

10:00-10:15

T02-O. Baric: Transcriptomic Insights into the Onset and Maturation of the Circadian Clock in Eurasian Perch

10:15-10:30

T03-J. Nynca: Integrated proteomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals mechanism of in vivo post-ovulatory egg ageing in pikeperch

10:30-11:00

Coffee break-poster viewing

11:00-11:30

T04-Keynote 2 by D. Zarski: Non-genetic inheritance factors as key drivers shaping progeny phenotype and intergenerational adaptability to aquaculture conditions

11:30-11:45

T05-O. Linhart: Optimizing short-term storage of common carp sperm: impacts on motility, hatchability, and offspring epigenetics

11:45-12:00

T06-S. Wałdowska: Post-thaw storage of sperm as a tool towards revealing paternal-effect genes in Eurasian perch, Perca fluviatilis

12:00-12:20

Poster teasers

12:20-13:20

Walking lunch on site

13:20-13:35

T07-P. Parente: The pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) mRNAome: from multi-tissue atlas to reproductive axis specificity

13:35-13:50

T08-M.Z. Iqbal: Integrative egg quality assessment in European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa): linking morphological and molecular markers

13:50-14:05

T09-F. Teletchea: Why do larvae hatch when they do? An extended analysis and first physical modelling approaches.

Session 2 - Physiology of Feeding and Nutrition | Chair: I. Lund 

14:05-14:35

T10-Keynote 3 by M. Izquierdo: Essential fatty acids in hatchery diets: functions, levels and interactions

14:35-14:50

T11-M. Gokulakrishnan: Growth and Physiological Responses of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to Dietary Replacement of Soy Protein Concentrate with Brewer’s Spent Grain Protein Isolate

14:50-15:05

T12- N.T. Tran: Effects of Feeding Regime on Growth Performance and Feed Utilization of Pangasius (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)

15:05-15:20

T13-C.J. Saromines: Growth and Physiological Responses of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to Alternative Feed Ingredients Derived from Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus ostreatus Stem By-Products

15:20-15:25

Poster teaser

15:25-16:00

Coffee break-poster viewing

Session 2 - Physiology of Feeding and Nutrition (larval stage) | Chair: M. Izquierdo 

16:00-16:30

T14-Keynote 4 by I. Lund: Prospects of using live feed substitutes in early larval fish nutrition: Current status and remaining challenges

16:30-16:45

T15-O. Malvezin: Impact of growth rhythms on muscle characteristics in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

16:45-17:15

T16-Keynote 5 by E. Gisbert: Skeletal Deformities in Fish: The Holy Grail of the Aquaculture Industry

17:15-17:30

T17-C. Philippe: Effects of dietary protein sources and pigment supplementation on growth performance and fillet quality in Rainbow Trout

17:30-17:45

T18-C. Le Xuan: Plant-based additives in Tilapia aquaculture: applications, challenges and emerging opportunities

17:45-19:00

Beer/wine and cheese party

19:00

Dinner (free)

Day 2-Wednesday 8th July 2026

Session 2 - Physiology of Feeding and Nutrition (larval stage) | Chair: E. Gisbert

9:00-9:30

T19-Keynote 6 by M. Saroglia: How Diet, Genotype, and Environment Shape Fish Microbiota for a Sustainable Aquaculture

9:30-9:45

T20-V. Kalemi: Diet, Genotype, and Environment as Drivers of Fish Microbiota: Implications for Sustainable Aquaculture

9:45-10:00

T21-K. Ricaud: Characterization of novel histone post-translational modifications linking, via the microbiota, the impact of the nutritional environment to phenotypes expressed in trout: towards an open door to new biomarkers of metabolic diseases?

Session 3 - Fish immunology and health | Chairs: D. Montero & L. Tort

10:00-10:30

T22-Keynote 7 by L. Tort: Interactive immuno-neuroendocrine response to stress

10:30-11:00

Coffee break-poster viewing

11:00-11:15

T23-H. Segner: Trade-offs between reproduction and immune system in female rainbow trout

11:15-11:45

T24-Keynote 8 by D. Montero: Nutritional strategies to enhance fish health and welfare

11:45-12:00

T25-L. Burratin: Comparative assessment of the potential effects of EE2 and E4 on immune development and functions in zebrafish (Danio rerio) under Aeromonas hydrophila challenge

12:00-12:15

Poster teasers

12:15-13:15

Walking lunch on site

13:15-13:30

T26-N.T. Mai: Replacing Fish Oil with Plant Oils: Lessons from Growth, Immunity and Inflammatory Balance in Fish

13:30-13:45

T27-S. Torrecillas & E. Gisbert: Use of dietary phytogenic feed additives as an effective approach to reduce Vibrio anguillarum infection incidence in European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax juveniles

13:45-14:00

T28-L. Molina Roque: Antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunostimulatory potentials of terrestrial and marine extracts from by-products and low-value biomass: An ex vivo study in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) head kidney leukocytes

14:00-14:15

T29-I.T. Chen: Using small fish models to assess phytobiotic-based feed additive for skin health

14:15-14:45

T30-Keynote 9 by A. Vanderplasschen: The Carp and Its Herpesvirus: A Fascinating Journey into Immune System Discoveries

14:45-15:15

Coffee break-poster viewing

Session 4 -Physiology of stress and welfare | Chair: S. Milla

15:15-15:45

T31-Keynote 10 by M. Gesto: Physiology of stress and its connections to Operational Welfare Indicators (OWIs) in aquaculture

15:45-16:00

T32-A. Palstra: Heart rate and acceleration biologging of yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi in a commercial marine RAS environment

16:00-16:15

T33-J. Arboleda: The stress response of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) at harvest

16:15-16:45

T34-Keynote 11 by S. Milla: New strategies to evaluate and encourage fish welfare in aquaculture

16:45-17:15

T35-Keynote 12 by E. Thoré: Reading stress through animal behaviour

18:00-19:30

Visit Citadel of Namur or Grafe Lecoq Wine Caves

20:00

Gala dinner, Panorama

Day 3-Thurdsay 9th July 2026

Session 5 - Fish genetics and epigenetics | Chairs: F. Piferrer & F. Farnir

9:00-9:30

T36-Keynote 13 by M. Vandeputte: Which phenotypes for selective breeding in aquaculture?

9:30-10:00

T37-Keynote 14 by F. Farnir: Genomic selection in aquaculture: current status, challenges and prospects

10:00-10:15

T38-R. Debernardis: Zootechnical and transcriptomic profile of non-eating Eurasian perch larvae

10:15-10:30

T39-Y. Duong: Gene expression and growth in bighead catfish (Clarias macrocephalus) exposed to varying salinity levels

10:30-11:00

Coffee break-poster viewing

11:00-11:15

T40-L. Gazo: Sturgeon embryos as a model for genotoxicity screening

11:15-11:45

T41-Keynote 15 by F. Piferrer: Epigenetics in Aquaculture: recent developments and prospects

11:45-12:00

Poster teasers

12:00-13:00

Walking lunch on site

Session 6 - Fish diversification/domestication | Chair: C. Rougeot

13:00-13:30

T42-Keynote 16 by P. Fontaine: The domestication of new species in fish farming: assessment, challenges and prospects

13:30-14:00

T43-Keynote 17 by N.T.Phuong: Domestication of indigenous fishes: A significant contribution to the unprecedented development of Aquaculture in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

14:00-14:15

T44-K. Palińska-Żarska: Domestication starts early: physiological and molecular drivers of early-life adaptation in Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis)

14:15-14:30

T45-E. Diakos & T. Lecocq: Sex-specific domestication effects on aquaculture potential during early generations in a model fish species

14:30-14:45

T46-M.D. Tchiedjo: Effects of stocking ratios on the growth and welfare of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) and sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) reared in polyculture in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)

14:45-15:00

Poster teasers

15:00-15:30

Coffee break-poster viewing

Session 7 - Fish Physiology and conservation | Chair: P. Fontaine

15:30-16:00

T47-Keynote 19 by V. Cornet: Integrative Research to Improve Atlantic Salmon Health and Fitness Supporting Restocking Program in the Meuse Basin

16:00-16:15

T48-M. Poignet: Effects of Sperm Cryopreservation on Offspring Fitness and Environmental Stress Tolerance in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

16:15-17:00

Awards and closure ceremony