Mitochondrial Study Drives Aquaculture’s Climate Adaptation Efforts

Aotearoa New Zealand scientists are studying the role of mitochondria in fish and shellfish performance, particularly in the main fish that produce Chinook (king) salmon, Greenshell mussels and Pacific oysters, as well as the emerging species snapper, and how mitochondrial function could be enhanced to make fish more resilient and help them thrive in suboptimal conditions.

New Zealand’s aquaculture sector faces challenges from climate change, including rising sea temperatures, harmful algal blooms, marine heatwaves, and storms, with salmon and mussels particularly vulnerable to warming waters.  

Scientists from the Cawthorn Institute received a significant research grant from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Endeavour Fund to improve New Zealand’s aquaculture sector.

The two-year project, Supercharging Mitochondrial Function, will be co-led by fish physiologist Dr Leteisha Prescott and senior aquaculture scientist Dr Jane Symonds to investigate how improving the mitochondrial function – often referred to as the “powerhouses of the cell” – can enhance the growth, climate resilience, and survival of the country’s key aquaculture species.

Salmon and mussels are particularly vulnerable to warming waters, and the team led by Prescott investigates how to unlock the cellular power of mitochondria in these species to help them cope with NZ’s changing climate and benefit farmers.

“Our research has been focusing on understanding what makes fish more climate-resilient, which is critical for aquaculture in an uncertain future,” Dr Leteisha Prescott, fish physiologist at the Cawthron Institute, told the Advocate. “Through different thermal tolerance trials, we were able to identify individuals that continued feeding and growing under suboptimal conditions. We suspected that this could be linked to mitochondrial function and connected with researchers at the University of Auckland to explore a pilot study integrating mitochondrial function into our research” (Waycott, 2026).

The study titled “Mitochondria: At the Heart of Fish Thermal Plasticity” reveals that the mitochondria, particularly in the cells of a fish’s heart, are adaptable. They can change in volume, density, membrane composition, fluidity, aerobic capacity, and reactive oxygen species production.

This adaptability significantly aids the hearts of highly aerobic fish in coping with temperature variations, enhancing their health and chances of survival—especially for species that inhabit narrow temperature ranges. The study specifically investigated fish in the cold waters of Antarctica, examining how their cardiac mitochondria support heart function as they adapt to and thrive in icy conditions.

Prescott and her team aim to help New Zealand’s aquaculture industry adapt by developing new protocols and strategies. They are focusing on understanding the role of mitochondria in the performance of fish and shellfish, and exploring ways to enhance it. Their goal is to create a tool that better assesses the health of farmed species.

Click the video to listen to Dr Leteisha Prescott and Dr Jane Symonds share information about the two-year project: Supercharging Mitochondrial Function: A ‘Smart Ideas’ Research Project

Or read the Global Seafood Alliance article to learn more about the project.