We recently visited the team at Calverton @FishFarmEA to understand what it takes to produce high quality, healthy #fish to benefit #rivers and #fisheries nationwide. It was a fantastic tour to see and understand each stage of their fish production facility. #TeamEA

Topmouth gudgeon is a highly invasive non-native fish species and pose a significant threat to native biodiversity in our lakes and rivers. They can outcompete native species for food and resources. #INNSWeek @InvasiveSp

#INNS can be spread in many ways, with some being introduced deliberately, others accidentally with other species. At the @EnvAgency Fisheries Laboratory we have detected a number of invasive pathogens and work with fishery owners to protect the environment #INNSweek @InvasiveSp

This weekend we hosted @IFMFish2 for the IFM Diploma course and showcased what we do in the lab, as well as a fish dissection! A wonderful weekend sharing and learning about fish health with keen fish enthusiasts! #FishHealth

Primary test results allow us to select an Analytical Profiling Index (#API) test for the #bacteria in question. API strips contain up to 20 #biochemical tests. Once prepped, incubated and results read they can provide us with #species/#genus identification. #TeamEA #Fish

We have a motile, Gram-negative, rod-shaped #bacterium. These primary tests, as well as the #oxidase (+ve) and #catalase (+ve) reactions, help us to determine what kind of #bacteria we have growing on the plate! #TeamEA #Fish

Now the diagnostic work begins to figure out what #bacterial #species it is! We start by classifying it through biochemical/phenotypical tests to indicate the characteristics of the #bacteria we've cultured. These include Gram staining and catalase, oxidase and motility tests🦠🐟

Here is some good #bacterial growth on a sub-culture agar plate from last week. Sub-culturing the original sample plates allows us to separate out individual #strains of #bacteria so that we get pure single-species #colonies of each bacteria from the original sample plate #TeamEA

The samples are plated onto nutrient agar plates and incubated with an aim to culture #bacteria that cause disease and pathologies observed. We regularly sample #carp lesions which look to be of a bacterial nature. 🦠🐟#Fish #TeamEA

We use swabs as a collection device to sample #bacteria from both organs and external lesions on #fish samples we see here at the @EnvAgency Lab where we suspect #bacterial infection. 🐟#TeamEA