Marine Biology and Aquaculture group has focused its studies on the physiology of food acquisition and the incorporation of nutrients during the fish life cycle. They have made important advances in digestive physiology during larval and juvenile development in both gilthead sea bream and other fish species. In addition, thanks to the genomic tools generated, they have been able to progress in the mechanisms involved at the molecular level, studying the activation of the digestive enzymes throughout the gastrointestinal tract and how their activity varies depending on the conditions of food and food quality. The fundamental objective has been to optimize the efficiency of the digestion and absorption of nutrients by its evident consequences on the growth and load of wastes. Taking into account that the digestive tract in fish possesses both endocrine and immunological functions, the consequences of these studies on well-being and health are more than evident, applying the experimental tools generated on the efficiency of digestion in healthy growth.
2010. Feeding time synchronises daily rhythms of behaviour and digestive physiology in Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Aquaculture 306: 315-21. Montoya A, López-Olmeda JF, Yúfera M, Sánchez-Muros MJ, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ.
2011. Chronic and acute stress responses in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis): The involvement of cortisol, CRH and CRH-BP. Gen Comp Endocrinol 171: 203-10. Wunderink YS, Engels S, Halm S, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Flik G, Klaren PH, Mancera JM.
2011. Self-selection of diets with different oil oxidation levels in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Aquaculture 314: 282-84. Montoya A, Alves Martins D, Yúfera M, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ.
2012. Acidic digestion in a teleost: postprandial and circadian pattern of gastric pH, pepsin activity, and pepsinogen and proton pump mRNAs expression. PLoS ONE 7(3): e33687. Yúfera M, Moyano FJ, Astola A, Pousão-Ferreira P, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2012. Food deprivation induces chronic stress and affects thyroid hormone metabolism in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) post-larvae. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Int Physiol 162: 317-22. Wunderink YS, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Yúfera M, Martin Montero I, Flik G, Mancera JM, Klaren PHM.
2012. Transcriptomic characterization of the larval stage in gilthead Sea bream (Sparus aurata) by 454 Pyrosequencing. Marine Biotechnol 14: 423-35. Yúfera M, Halm S, Beltran S, Fusté B, Planas JV, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2012. Teleost fish larvae adapt to dietary arachidonic acid supply through modulation of the expression of lipid metabolism and stress response genes. British J Nutrition 108: 864-74. Alves Martins D, Rocha F, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Bell G, Morais S, Castanheira F, Bandarra N, Coutinho J, Yúfera M, Conceição LEC.
2012. Impact of dietary protein hydrolysates on skeleton quality and proteome in Diplodus sargus larvae. J App Ichthyol 28(3): 477-487. de Vareilles M, Richard N, Gavaia PJ, Silva TS, Cordeiro O, Guerreiro I, Yúfera M, Batista I, Pires C, Pousão-Ferreira P, Rodrigues PM, Rønnestad I, Fladmark KE, Conceição LEC.
2013. Fish larval nutrition and feed formulation - knowledge gaps and bottlenecks for advances in larval rearing. Rev Aquaculture 5: S26–S58. Hamre K, Yúfera M, Rønnestad I, Boglione C, Conceição LEC, Izquierdo M.
2013. Feeding behaviour and digestion physiology in larval fish - current knowledge, and gaps and bottlenecks in research. Rev Aquaculture 5: S59–S98. Rønnestad I, Yúfera M, Ueberschär B, Ribeiro L, Sæle Ø, Boglione C.
2013. Fantastically plastic: fish larvae equipped for a new world. Rev Aquaculture 5: S224–S267. Pittman K, Yúfera M, Pavlidis M, Geffen AJ, Koven W, Ribeiro L, Zambonino-Infante JL, Tandler A.
2013. Effects of dietary arachidonic acid on cortisol production and gene expression in stress response in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) post-larvae. Fish Physiol Biochem 39: 1223-38. Alves Martins D, Rocha F, Castanheira F, Mendes A, Pousão-Ferreira P, Bandarra N, Coutinho J, Morais S, Yúfera M, Conceição LEC, Martinez-Rodriguez G.
2013. Different early weaning protocols in common sole (Solea solea L.) larvae: implications on performances and molecular ontogeny of digestive enzyme precursors. Aquaculture 414-415: 26-35. Parma L, Bonaldo A, Massi P, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Gatta PP.
2013. Vasotocinergic and isotocinergic systems in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata): an osmoregulatory story. 2013. Comp Biochem Physiol A 166: 571–81. Martos-Sitcha JA, Wunderink YS, Gozdowska M, Kulczykowska E, Mancera JM, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2014. Effect of feeding frequency on the daily rhythms of acidic digestion in a teleost fish (gilthead sea bream). Chronobiol Int 31: 1024-33. Yúfera M, Romero MJ, Pujante IM, Astola A, Mancera JM, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ, Moyano FJ, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2014. Variations in the expression of vasotocin and isotocin receptor genes in the gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata during different osmotic challenges. Gen Comp Endocrinol 197: 5-17. Martos-Sitcha JA, Fuentes J, Mancera JM, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2015. Daily rhythms of clock gene expression and feeding behavior during the larval development in gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata. Chronobiol Int 32(8):1061-74. Mata-Sotres JA, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Pérez-Sánchez J, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ, Yúfera M.
2015. Influence of stocking density on growth, metabolism and stress of thick-lipped grey mullet (Chelon labrosus) juveniles. Aquaculture 448: 29-37. de las Heras V, Martos-Sitcha JA, Yúfera M, Mancera JM, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2016. Unraveling the Tissue-Specific Gene Signatures of Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata L.) after Hyper- and Hypo-Osmotic Challenges. PLoS One. 11(2): e0148113. Martos-Sitcha JA, Mancera JM, Calduch-Giner JA, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Pérez-Sánchez J.
2016. Cloning and molecular ontogeny of digestive enzymes in fed and food-deprived developing gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 191: 53-65. Mata-Sotres JA, Martos-Sitcha JA, Astola A, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2011. Feeding behavior in larval fish. In: Larval fish nutrition edited by G. Joan Holt, 285-305. Yúfera M.
2009. Expression of digestive enzyme precursors under different feeding conditions in Sparus aurata larvae. Larvi 2009, Gent, Belgium 7-11 September. Sánchez-Amaya MI, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2009. Genomic resources for a commercial flatfish, the Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis): EST sequencing, oligo microarray design, and development of the Soleamold bioinformatic platform. Genomics in Aquaculture International Symposium. Bodo, Suecia, 5-7 Julio. Cerdà Mercadé J, Lozano JJ, Manchado M, Tingaud-Sequeira A, Astola A, Infante C, Halm S, Viñas J, Castellana B, Asensio E, Cañavate P, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Piferrer F, Planas JV, Prat F, Yúfera M, Durany O, Subirada F, Rosell E, Maes T.
2010. Dietary fatty acids affect the expression of stress response, lipid and eicosanoid metabolism related genes in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) larvae. 9th International Congress on the Biology of Fish. American Fish Society, Barcelona (Spain), 5-9 July. Alves Martins D, Morais S, Rocha F, Castanheira MF, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Yúfera M, Bandarra N, Bell JG, Conceição LEC
2010. Transcriptomic analysis of gilthead sea bream larvae by 454 pyrosequencing. Preliminary annotation results. 9th International Congress on the Biology of Fish. American Fish Society, Barcelona (Spain), 5-9 July. Martínez-Rodríguez G, Halm S, Planas JV, Beltrán S, Yúfera M.
2010. Daily rhythm of behavioural, hormonal and digestive activity in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata): Influence of feeding schedules. 9th International Congress on the Biology of Fish. American Fish Society, Barcelona (Spain), 5-9 July. López-Olmeda FJ, Montoya A, Yúfera M, Sánchez-Muros MJ, Garayzar ABS, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ.
2010. Improvement of aquaculture production by the use of biotechnological tools (AQUAGENOMICS). Aquaculture Europe 2010. Porto (Portugal), 5-8 Octubre. Novoa B, Martínez P, Piferrer F, Mackenzie S, Planas JV, Morán F, Toranzo AE, Mulero V, Sanchez FJ, Estepa A, Coll J, Tort L, Yufera M, Pérez J, Zanuy S, Cerdá JM, Toro MA, Rejón MR, Figueras A.
2011. Food, feeding protocols and feeding behaviour in larval fish. Aquaculture Europe 2011, Rhodes (Greece) 18-21 October. Yúfera M.
2011. Effect of feeding protocol on daily acidic digestion in gilthead sea bream juveniles. Aquaculture Europe 2011, Rhodes (Greece) 18-21 October. Yúfera M, Romero MJ, Moyano FJ, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ, Mancera JM, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2011. Early life of sparids in culture. Ontogeny, digestive physiology and growth – an overview. World Aquaculture 2011, Natal (Brazil) 6-11 June. Yúfera M, Conceição LEC, Battaglene S.
2011. Molecular endocrine changes of GH/IGF-I axis in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) larvae exposed to different environmental salinity. 8º Congreso de la Asociación Ibérica de Endocrinología Comparada. Madrid 5 Septiembre. Geba K, Khallaf G, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Mancera JM.
2011. Cloning of pituitary adelynate cyclase activating popypeptide (PACAP) and preprosomatostatin I (PREPRO-SST I) from the brain of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.). 8º Congreso de la Asociación Ibérica de Endocrinología Comparada. Madrid 5 Septiembre. Geba K, Khallaf G, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Mancera JM.
2012. Pepsin activity and pepsinogen mRNA expression during protein digestion in gilthead sea bream juveniles. XV International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding-ISFNF, Molde (Norway) 4-7 June. Yúfera M, Pujante IM, Moyano FJ, Romero MJ, Mancera JM, Sánchez-Vázquez FJ, Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2012. Different early weaning protocols in common sole (Solea solea L.) larvae: implications on performances and gene expression of trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen and amylase. XV International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding-ISFNF, Molde (Norway) 4-7 June. Parma L, Yúfera M, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Bonaldo A, Massi P, Gatta PP.
2014. Evaluation of daily rhythm in feeding activity and digestive function in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) larvae. Larvi 2013, 6th Fish & Shellfish Larviculture Symposium, Ghent (Belgium) 2-5 September. Mata JM, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Moyano FJ, Yúfera M.
2014. Gut pH in fish; a Key factor affecting bioavailability of nutrients. 16th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding-ISFNF, Cairns (Australia) 25-30 May. Yúfera M, Moyano FJ.
2011. Khaled Mohammed AbdAlla Geba. University of Cádiz. Eje GH/IGF-I en larvas y juveniles de dorada (Sparus aurata L.): Influencia de la salinidad ambiental y tratamientos hormonales. Supervisor Martínez-Rodríguez G, Mancera.
2011. Ivette Wunderink. University of Cádiz. Interaction entre el sistema tiroideo y el sistema de estrés en el lenguado senegalés (Solea senegalensis). Supervisor Mancera.
2013. Juan Antonio Martos-Sitcha. University of Cádiz. Sistemas vasotocinérgico e isotocinérgico en la dorada (Sparus aurata): caracterización y aspectos osmorreguladores. Supervisor Martínez-Rodríguez G.
2013. José Antonio Mata Sotres. University of Cádiz. Evaluación del ritmo diario en la actividad alimentaria y funciones digestivas en larvas de dorada Sparus aurata. Supervisor Yúfera M.
2013. Antonia del Pilar Rosero García. University of Cádiz. Comparación de la fisiología digestiva de un pez carnívoro (corvina, Argyrosomus regius) y un pez omnívoro (liseta, Chelon labrosus), e influencia de la inclusión de un acidificante en el pienso sobre el proceso digestivo. Supervisors Yúfera M, Moyano FJ.
2014. Neda Gilannejad. University of Cádiz. Estudio de la expresión de enzimas gastrointestinales y de hormonas somatotropas durante el desarrollo temprano de la liseta (Chelon labrosus). Supervisors Yúfera M, Moyano FJ.
EU-FP7-KBBE-2011-5 contract 288925. ARRAINA. Advanced Research Initiatives for Nutrition and Aquaculture (2012-2016).
Cost Action FA0801. LARVANET. Critical success factors for fish larvae production in European aquaculture: a multidisciplinary network.
FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF - GA number 326245. FISHPROG. Breaking frontiers for the use of plant-derived feeds in fish farming through nutritional programming in fish farming.
H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 (Grant agreement-691150). Improving sustainability and performance of aquafeeds –WISEFEED (2016-2018).
2008. Aquagenomics is mentioned in a RTVE documentary on the ICMAN. Series "La Aventura del Saber", broadcasted on October the 1st.
2010. A detailed description of Aquagenomics project was broadcast by Cadena Ser-Cádiz in special radio program on research at ICMAN on 14 December 2010.