Aquaculture America 2026

February 16 - 19, 2026

Las Vegas, Nevada

Add To Calendar 17/02/2026 13:45:0017/02/2026 14:05:00America/Los_AngelesAquaculture America 2026EXPLORING NOVEL CONTROLS FOR ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT Vibrio spp. IN OYSTER HATCHERIESConcorde CThe World Aquaculture Societyjohnc@was.orgfalseDD/MM/YYYYanrl65yqlzh3g1q0dme13067

EXPLORING NOVEL CONTROLS FOR ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT Vibrio spp. IN OYSTER HATCHERIES

Abigail Qi*, Manzar Mohd Abbas

 

Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

aqi6656@gmail.com

 



Vibrio infections are an increasing global concern and often linked to major oyster hatchery crashes. Moreover, conventional treatment with antibiotics has contributed to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment, posing both ecological and public health threats. This project aimed to explore novel treatments to kill antibiotic-resistant Vibrio using naturally occurring predatory bacteria, Bdellovibrio and Like Organisms (BALOs), thereby reducing oyster larval mortality rates. First, 24 Vibrio strains resistant to ciprofloxacin were isolated from seawater and identified using the 16S rDNA sequencing technique. These strains were taxonomically classified into seven Vibrio species, including V. campbellii, V. nigripulchritudo, V. hyugaensis, V. antiquaries, V. tubiashii, V. coralliilyticus, and V. mediterranei. Then, seven strains from three potentially pathogenic species (Vibrio tubiashii, Vibrio coralliilyticus, or Vibrio campbellii) were selected to test their predatory relationship with BALO strain VP4 through a 2-day incubation experiment. These seven isolates were then screened for their pathogenicity in oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica), and the four most pathogenic ones were chosen to challenge oyster larvae, with or without BALO treatment. Results showed VP4 effectively killed all the seven Vibrio isolates tested for predation (Figure 1). The pathogenicity tests revealed significantly higher oyster larvae mortality in five out of seven Vibrio treatments compared to the control (Figure 2). However, when BALO was applied to treat the oyster larvae challenged by pathogenic Vibrio strains, the mortality rates were significantly decreased by up to 73% (Figure 3). This approach could be scaled up to combat vibriosis and antibiotic-resistance in aquaculture, reducing economic loss in the seafood industry and protecting coastal resources in communities across the world.