Within the long-term cooperation of the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters USB with Turkish colleagues in crayfish research and colleagues from Charles University in Prague, we developed a method of artificial incubation of crayfish eggs to reduce the transmission of crayfish plague from infected females to their offspring. In Turkey, the commercial harvesting of crayfish, namely the narrow-clawed crayfish, is a significant part of commercial aquaculture. They are mainly exported and represent an important source of income. These exports grew until the mid-1980s when the accidental introduction of the crayfish plague caused dramatic declines in crayfish populations. Although crayfish densities in some Turkish lakes have recovered to levels where fishing is economically viable, persistent chronic crayfish infections have not allowed full recovery of the local populations. Consequently, considerable financial resources have been invested in developing alternative methods of crayfish farming in closed aquaculture systems.  

However, the development of these farms has been hampered by the high mortality rates of both wild-caught broodstocks and juveniles. This is caused by the onset of crayfish plague symptoms. We have focused on solving this problem. We have shown that the artificial incubation of separated eggs from females held in a flow-through system with plague-free water, in a possible combination of egg disinfection in formaldehyde or peracetic acid, reduces the transmission of infection from mothers to their offspring.

The utilization of this method has significant potential in commercial crayfish farms in regions with crayfish plague presence, potentially resulting in the disease transmission- via infected broodstocks or infected water. This is another particular success of the FFPW USB scientists in protecting native crayfish species and mitigating the negative impacts of the spread of non-native crayfish species and crayfish plague.

More detailed information can be found in the original article: Kozák, P., Erol, K.G., Uzunmehemtoglu, O.Y., Tangerman, M., Mojžišová, M., Özkök, R., Kouba, A., Cinar, S., Petrusek, A., 2023. Short-term artificial incubation before hatching limits vertical transmission of Aphanomyces astaci from chronically infected females of a host species susceptible to crayfish plague. Aquaculture 569: 739373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.739373

Written by: prof. Pavel Kozák

On November 11, 2022 the Dean Committee for awarding of scholarships for talented students recommended 4 students namely Bc. Lucie Bártová, Bc. Anna Hovorková, Bc. Jakub Kocour a Jan Škrabánek which applicants out of students of FFPW USB might be awarded with the scholarship according to the Measure of the Dean No. 2/2019.

Decisions about awarding the scholarships to students were passed personally by the dean of the faculty professor Pavel Kozák and the vice-dean for study affairs Assoc. Prof. Martin Kocour.

We congratulate to all awarded students and we hope that they will keep collaborating with our faculty in this academic year!

The Meeting of the Scientific committee of the USB was held on 15. 3. 2023 and three of our scientists achieved significant success.

The researcher Ganna Fedorova, MSc., Ph.D. received the Rector's Award of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice for the prestigious scientific publication of 2022 for her publication Water reuse for aquaculture: Comparative removal efficacy and aquatic hazard reduction of pharmaceuticals by a pond treatment system during a one-year study. You can read more about this publication here.

Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Policar successfully fulfilled all the conditions for obtaining the title of professor, and therefore the appointment as a professor, which will be carried out by the President of the Republic, remains.

Dr. Ján Regenda won the Honorable Mention in the JU INNOVATION competition for the innovative technology "Přelivový žlab pro skrápění biofiltru a skrápěcí biofiltr s tímto přelivovým žlabem".

Congratulations.

Central European standing water bodies, the main part of it consisting of carp ponds, suffer from strong eutrophication (an excess of available nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus). This eutrophication is often associated with the currently conducted feeding (farming) management in these fishponds, which does not consider the balanced nutritional needs of the growing fish. Our present study provides an understanding of how to fish nutrition shapes nutrient excretion and eventually eutrophication. The study concludes that in spring and autumn, the status quo diets lead to inefficient resource use and indirectly to poor ecological conditions. Improved ecosystem resource use efficiency and tackling eutrophication may be achieved by ‘bio-manipulating’ these fishponds towards a more balanced fish nutrition. The study calls for balanced pond feeds that optimize resource utilization efficiency and stimulates fish to exploit better the natural food – in such a way that ecosystem services are maintained.

The authors feel future researchers could carry the baton forward with a novel understanding this article offers. Especially the ecological management of these important pond ecosystems and cleaner aquatic food production from pondscapes of Central Europe.

A graphical summary of the presented concept. High= beginning of the vegetative season (lacking carbohydrate energy in ponds). Low= end of the vegetative season (lacking some indispensable amino acids in ponds). Balanced= short transition time (beginning-to-mid summer) when zooplankton-zoobenthos is sufficient and cereals are introduced in a pond. Suspended losses= losses through faeces (undigested nutrients). Reactive losses= losses through gills and urine (discarding of digested nutrients). Nutrient loading from fish stock to a pond ecosystem is minimum when the pond diet is balanced.

Detailed information is available in the original article: Roy, K., Vrba, J., Kajgrova, L., Mraz, J., 2022. The concept of balanced fish nutrition in temperate European fishponds to tackle eutrophication. Journal of Cleaner Production 364, 132584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132584   

Written by: Koushik Roy, Ph.D.

Cover photo courtesy: Dipl.-Ing. Tomáš Kolařík

The Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Biochemistry (LECHB) at the RIFCH organized a bilateral meeting between Norwegian and Czech partners at the beginning of May (4-7.5.2022). Representatives of COWI attended the workshop AS and Aquateam COWI on the Norwegian side and LECHB staff on the Czech side, and laboratory partners in the field of water monitoring and treatment – Povodí Vltavy, State Enterprise, Povodí Labe, State Enterprise, CHMI, and ENVI-PUR Ltd. The workshop dealt mainly with issues related to reducing the negative impact of human activities on water quality and the possibilities of mutual cooperation in monitoring and water treatment.

During the workshop, participants presented several papers, followed by discussions on the topic. The workshop's first day (May 5^th) was dedicated to water monitoring and new micropollutants in the aquatic environment. In the morning, prof. Tomáš Randák (FFPW) welcomed the participants and introduced the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters (FFPW) and its parts. An excursion around the FFPW facilities in Vodňany followed. In the afternoon, some participants presented their contributions:

• Beata Szatkowska, Renata Tomczak-Wandzel (Aquateam COWI)
  • Aquateam laboratory competencies – applied science
  • Aquateam selected ongoing projects – in context of micropollutants
• Pavla Chaloupková (State environmental fund of the Czech Republic) – Norway grants - Bilateral cooperation
• Roman Grabic (FFPW) – Non-target screening as a tool in monitoring and technology solutions
• Vít Kodeš (CHMI) – Pesticides in ground water
• Marek Liška, Lumír Kule (Povodí Vltavy) – Water quality in reservoir and catchment of Želivka
• Martin Ferenčík (Povodí Labe) – Analyses of Organic micropollutants in water compartments by chromatographic methods with MS detection

The next day (May 6^th, 2022) continued with contributions and discussions about water treatment and the solution of water pollution hot-spots:

• Lukáš Moniak (EnviPur) – Introduction of EnviPur
• Daniel Vilím (EnviPur) – EnviPur Technology, Examples of pilot plant application, Further development within EnviPur in general
• Liv Bruaas Henninge, Stein Broch Olsen (COWI AS) – Collaborations between COWI and FFPW USB + Povodi Labe
• Petra Nováková (FFPW) – Target and non-target screening in drinking water treatment plants

After lunch, the participants took a break during a tour of the nearby Kratochvíle Castle so that they could continue until the evening to address specific issues regarding cooperation (e.g., NEA screening) but also the future (PFC in water, soil, and sludge screening, calls from Norwegian funds, …). Newly emerging micropollutants and ways to prioritize them were also discussed. The output is a List of emergent pollutantssuitable for monitoring in Czech and Norwegian conditions.

The meeting was beneficial not only from a professional point of view, but it was possible to meet again in person and strengthen mutual relations after a long pause caused by the covid situation. You can see the video from the meeting here.

Strengthening of the collaboration between the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and COWI AS in Water Monitoring, project n. 1404572019

Project from the Bilateral Fund of the Programme „Environment, Ecosystems and Climate Change“ supported by the Norway Grants 2014 – 2021.

Laboratoř environmentální chemie a biochemie (LECHB) při VÚRH pořádala na začátku května (4.-7.5.2022) bilaterální setkání mezi norskými partnery a českými partnery. Workshopu se účastnili za norskou stranu zástupci firem COWI AS a Aquateam COWI a za českou stranu jednak pracovníci LECHB a také partneři laboratoře z oblasti monitoringu vod a jejich úpravy – Povodí Vltavy, s.p., Povodí Labe, s.p., ČHMÚ a ENVI-PUR s.r.o. Workshop se zabýval především otázkami spojenými se snižováním negativního vlivu lidské činnosti na kvalitu vod a možnostmi vzájemné spolupráce v oblasti monitoringu a čištění vod.

Během workshopu účastníci přednesli řadu příspěvků, následovaných diskuzí nad tématem. První den (5.5.) workshopu byl věnovaný monitoringu vod a novým mikropolutantům ve vodním prostředí. Dopoledne prof. Tomáš Randák (FROV) přivítal účastníky a představil Fakultu rybářství a ochrany vod (FROV) a její součásti. Následovala exkurze po pracovištích FROV JU ve Vodňanech. Odpoledne předneslo své příspěvky část účastníků:

• Beata Szatkowska, Renata Tomczak-Wandzel (Aquateam COWI)
  • Aquateam laboratory competencies – applied science
  • Aquateam selected ongoing projects – in context of micropollutants
• Pavla Chaloupková (SFŽP) – Norway grants - Bilateral cooperation
• Roman Grabic (FROV JU) – Non-target screening as a tool in monitoring and technology solutions
• Vít Kodeš (ČHMÚ) – Pesticides in ground water
• Marek Liška, Lumír Kule (Povodí Vltavy) – Water quality in reservoir and catchment of Želivka
• Martin Ferenčík (Povodí Labe) – Analyses of Organic micropollutants in water compartments by chromatographic methods with MS detection

Druhý den (6. 5. 2022) pokračoval příspěvky a diskuzí okolo úpravy vod a řešení hot-spots znečišťujících vody:

• Lukáš Moniak (EnviPur) – Introduction of EnviPur
• Daniel Vilím (EnviPur) – EnviPur Technology, Examples of pilot plant application, Further development within EnviPur in general
• Liv Bruaas Henninge, Stein Broch Olsen (COWI AS) – Collaborations between COWI and FFPW USB + Povodi Labe
• Petra Nováková (FROV JU) – Target and non-target screening in drinking water treatment plants

Po obědě si účastníci oddechli při prohlídce nedalekého zámku Kratochvíle, aby mohli pokračovat až do večera řešením konkrétních otázek ohledně již proběhlé spolupráce (např. NEA screening), ale i té budoucí (PFC ve vodách, screening půd a kalů, výzvy z Norských fondů, …). Dále se diskutovaly nově vznikající mikropolutanty a způsoby jejich prioritizace. Výstupem je Seznam mikropolutantů, který jsou vhodný pro sledování v českých i norských podmínkách.

Setkání bylo přínosné nejen po odborné stránce, ale umožnilo se po delší odmlce způsobené covidovou situací opět setkat osobně a upevnit vzájemné vztahy. Video ze setkání můžete zhlédnout zde.

Strengthening of the collaboration between the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and COWI AS in Water Monitoring, project n. 1404572019

Project from the Bilateral Fund of the Programme „Environment, Ecosystems and Climate Change“ supported by the Norway Grants 2014 – 2021.

In the term 17 – 18 October 2022, the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters USB and the CENAKVA center had the honor of hosting a meeting of the Board of Government Representatives DANUBIUS from 7 countries (Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Great Britain), who gathered for negotiations on the implementation phase of the DANUBIUS project.

Cílem talentového programu L’Oréal-UNESCO Pro ženy ve vědě je finančně podpořit mladé vědkyně a usnadnit jim tím kariérní cestu ve vědecko-výzkumném prostředí. Přihlášky jsou již přijímány!

Do programu se mohou přihlásit vědkyně, které splňují tyto podmínky:

•  věk do 40 let (včetně),
• dosažení titulu Ph.D. z oblasti neživé vědy (matematické vědy, aplikovaná fyzika, vědy o zemi) a vědy o živé přírodě (biologické a lékařské vědy, chemické vědy, ekologické vědy).

Pravidla jsou umístěna na www.prozenyvevede.cz.

Porota složená ze zástupců AV ČR za účasti zástupců společnosti L’Oréal a České komise pro UNESCO vybere tři talentované vědkyně, které získávají:

• 600 000 Kč, které si rozdělí a mohou použít přímo i nepřímo na podporu své kariéry.
• Absolvování mediálního tréninku.
• Možnost prezentace svého výzkumu v médiích v podobě rozhovorů.

Do letošního ročníku se mohou zájemkyně přihlašovat do 31. prosince 2022 pomocí platformy umístěné na www.prozenyvevede.cz.

Aquatic invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity, but also the economy. One of the factors facilitating their spread is the construction of canals that connect two previously separated seas. In our paper, we quantified for the first time the economic costs of invasive species facilitated by the three globally most important canals (Suez, Panama, and European Inland Canals) using the most comprehensive database on the economic costs of invasive alien species worldwide (InvaCost).

Despite the high number of invasive species listed to have been facilitated in their introduction and spread by these canals, only for five of them economic costs were reported: the fishhook waterflea Cercopagis pengoi and the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha for the European Inland Canals, and the silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus, the lionfish Pterois miles, and the nomad jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica for the Suez Canal. However, these species alone accounted for a total cost of $42.2 million ($33.6 for European Inland Canals and $8.6 for Suez, while no costs were reported for the Panama Canal). Considering the high number of ecologically problematic invasive species spreading in these regions, it is obvious that their socioeconomic damage remains almost entirely unknown.

More detailed information can be found in the original article: Balzani, P., Cuthbert, R.N., Briski, E., Galil, B., Castellanos-Galindo, G.A., Kouba, A., Kourantidou, M., Leung, B., Soto, I., Haubrock, P.J., 2022. Knowledge needs in economic costs of invasive species facilitated by canalisation. NeoBiota 78, 207–223. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.78.95050.

Written by: Paride Balzani, Ph.D.

Photo source: EVER_GIVEN_(49643352087).jpg (2934×1640) (wikimedia.org)

Přečtěte si článek z časopisu Rybářství, který sepsali naši kolegové Mgr. Miroslav Boček a doc. Ing. Vlastimil Stejskal, Ph.D. o multitrofickýc farmách. Ke stažení zde.

Ve středu 16. března 2022 byly na zasedání Vědecké rady Jihočeské univerzity v Českých Budějovicích uděleny Ceny rektora Jihočeské univerzity. Jako prestižní vědecké publikace byly oceněny dvě knihy a jeden vědecký článek. Posledně jmenovaný vznikl pod vedením doc. Antonína Kouby. Studie se zabývá celosvětově druhým nejrozšířenějším a nejchovanějším druhem raka – rakem červenoklepetým.

Více informací zde.

CENAKVA RI presence at the scientific symposium "State of the Environmental Health in Europe: Scientific Solutions to Global Crises"organized on the occasion of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 9^th November 2022, 9-12 a.m.at the Permanent representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union in Brussels.

Panels discussions focused on:

• The eco-exposome as a possible link between global pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss (i.e. the elements of so-called triple crisis) and population health
• The need for a transformational change in society to cope with global challenges, including strengthening interdisciplinarity in research and education, building shared infrastructures and better communication of scientific results.
• Establishment of a long-term SP-HERA platform.

Thanks to RECETOX MUNI for the invitation.

Vladimír Žlábek, Roman Grabic

CENAKVA research infrastructure (FFPW USB) participates in a European project called "Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC)". It is a seven-year partnership under Horizon Europe, the EU’s 2021-2027 framework programme for the funding of research and innovation. This major project seeks to develop a new generation chemical risk assessment to protect human health and the environment. The project involves 200 partners in 28 countries and at EU level, national agencies and research organizations working in the field of the environment or public health, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Environment Agency (EEA). The budget of the whole project is 400 million euros. 50% is funded by the European Union and 50% by the Member States. The staff of the Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Laboratory of Aquatic Toxicology and Ichthyopathology will participate in the project on behalf of our faculty. More detailed information about the project can be found on the project website.

Vědecké centrum CENAKVA se prezentovalo na vědeckém sympoziu "Stav environmentálního zdraví v Evropě: vědecká řešení globálních krizí" pořádaném u příležitosti českého předsednictví v Radě Evropské unie ve dnech 9. listopadu 2022, 9-12 hodin,na Stálém zastoupení České republiky při Evropské unii v Bruselu.

Panelové diskuse byly zaměřeny na:

• Eko-expozice jako možné spojení mezi globálním znečištěním, změnou klimatu a ztrátou biodiverzity (tj. prvky tzv. trojité krize) a zdravím populace;
• Potřeba transformační změny ve společnosti, která se musí vyrovnat s globálními výzvami, včetně posílení interdisciplinarity ve výzkumu a vzdělávání, budování sdílených infrastruktur a lepší komunikace vědeckých výsledků;
• Založení dlouhodobé platformy SP-HERA.

Děkujeme RECETOX MUNI za pozvání.

Vladimír Žlábek, Roman Grabic

Výzkumné centrum CENAKVA (FROV JU) se zapojilo do evropského projektu s názvem „Partnerství pro hodnocení rizik chemických látek (PARC)“. Jedná se o sedmileté partnerství v rámci Horizon Europe, rámcového programu EU na období 2021–2027 pro financování výzkumu a inovací. Tento velký projekt se snaží vyvinout hodnocení chemických rizik nové generace za účelem ochrany zdraví lidí a životního prostředí. V projektu je zahrnuto 200 partnerů ve 28 zemích a na úrovni EU, národní agentury a výzkumné organizace působící v oblasti životního prostředí nebo veřejného zdraví, Evropská chemická agentura (ECHA), Evropský úřad pro bezpečnost potravin (EFSA) a Evropská agentura pro životní prostředí (EEA). Rozpočet celého projektu je 400 milionů eur. 50 % financuje Evropská unie a 50 % členské státy. Za naši fakultu se na projektu budou podílet pracovníci Laboratoře environmentální chemie a biochemie a Laboratoře vodní toxikologie a ichtyopatologie. Podrobnější informace o projektu je možno nalézt na webových stránkách projektu.

We had the honour to award another certificate of the Faculty school, namely to the Secondary School of Fisheries and Water Management of Jakub Krčín Třeboň on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. The school director Dipl.-Ing. Aleš Vondrka, Ph.D. received the certificate from the Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters of the University of South Bohemia Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Pavel Kozák, Ph.D.

We are looking forward to our cooperation.

Ve středu 13.4.2022 jsme měli tu čest předat další certifikát fakultní školy a to Střední škole rybářské a vodohospodářské Jakuba Krčína Třeboň. Certifikát si převzal z rukou děkana Fakulty rybářství a ochrany vod JU prof. Ing. Pavla Kozáka, Ph.D. ředitel školy Ing. Aleš Vondrka, Ph.D.

Těšíme se na vzájemnou spolupráci.

The meeting of the České dráhy, a. s. company with the title „Sestava oběhů vozidel pro JŘ 2022/2023“ was held for the twelfth time at the MEVPIS centre Vodňany, FFPW USB, in the term 18.-27.10.2022. The meeting used as usual the whole conference and accommmodation capacity of the mill for ten days and the large lecture hall was again transformed into an IT department.

We are glad and thankful for the fact that not only this group is returning to us.