On Wednesday, 23 September 2026, the CENAKVA research centre hosted another instalment in its series of scientific seminars. Two international researchers presented their latest findings in the fields of aquaculture and fish reproductive biology in the large meeting room in Vodňany.
The seminar featured two lectures:
- Dr. Thomas Lecocq (University of Lorraine, France): “Towards Rational Design of Fish Polyculture Systems: Integrating Ecology, Traits, Modelling and Stakeholder Knowledge”
Dr. Lecocq focused on the rational and sustainable design of fish polycultures. He presented a comprehensive framework combining ecological models, functional fish traits, and stakeholder knowledge, which overcomes the limitations of traditional empirical methods and enables better optimization of multi-species fish culture systems.
- Sylwia Wałdowska, Ph.D. (Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland): “Beyond sperm preservation: from standardized cryopreservation to paternal effects in fish”
Dr. Wałdowska introduced standardized protocols for the cryopreservation of freshwater fish sperm and their importance for aquaculture and biodiversity conservation. Using the Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) as a model, she demonstrated how the freeze–thaw process can serve as an experimental tool to investigate sperm selection and paternal effects on offspring gene expression and development.
Both lectures provided valuable insights and opened the floor for fruitful discussion.
We would like to thank both speakers and all attendees for an inspiring meeting!
