Menghong Hu

Ocean acidification (OA) and microplastic (MP) pollution are widespread marine stressors, yet their interactive effects on seafood quality and molecular metabolism remain unclear. This study investigated the combined effects of OA (pH 7.7) and MPs (2 and 200 μg/L) on the Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas). OA was the primary driver of textural deterioration, significantly reducing springiness and chewiness, while combined stress synergistically depleted protein and lipid reserves. Distinct lipid remodeling strategies were identified: OA induced DHA accumulation potentially associated with membrane stabilization, whereas MPs triggered EPA and ARA upregulation associated with stress and immune responses. The flavor profile was severely compromised, characterized by depletion of umami amino acids, nucleotide redistribution, and altered succinate contribution. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that high MP exposure activated genome maintenance and DNA repair-associated pathways, including the Fanconi anemia pathway, superimposed on OA-associated metabolic suppression. Concurrent upregulation of nucleotide salvage (APRT, HPRT) and amino acid catabolic genes (GLS, GDH) suggests increased utilization of flavor metabolites for energetic demands. These findings support a bioenergetic trade-off in which oysters exposed to OA and MPs reallocate resources from nutritional and sensory quality toward cellular maintenance and stress adaptation, highlighting underrecognized consequences of climate change and plastic pollution for seafood quality.

Marine bivalves play pivotal ecological and economic roles but are increasingly challenged by multiple environmental stressors. Although there is extensive research on the effects of individual stressors, a comprehensive review is needed to synthesize current evidence and clarify how multiple interacting stressors collectively affect the physiology and resilience of marine bivalves. This review integrates evidence from 2010 to 2025, encompassing 178 peer‐reviewed studies emphasizing the combined and interactive impacts of climate change drivers (warming, hypoxia, salinity, and ocean acidification), pollutants (heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, endocrine‐disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, nanoparticles, microplastics), and microbiome shifts on future aquaculture resilience. Literature was systematically retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Bibliometric mapping (VOSviewer 1.6.20) revealed a rapid growth in research after 2018, characterized by studies on Mytilus , Crassostrea , and Ruditapes . A systematic evaluation of recent evidence was conducted, combining data from physiological, molecular, and microbial studies, with particular attention to implications for aquaculture. The analysis reveals that stressors rarely act alone. Instead, their cumulative and interactive effects cause oxidative stress, disrupted energy allocation, destabilized host‐microbe relationships, lowered tolerance thresholds, and other eco‐physiological consequences. These results highlight the vulnerability of bivalve populations to rapid coastal urbanization, declining water quality, and sediment contamination. The review concludes that resilience can be enhanced through selective breeding for stress‐tolerant genotypes, integrated monitoring of pollutants and microbial indicators, and multi‐omics approaches to guide adaptive aquaculture management.

The continuous development of high‐throughput sequencing technologies has revolutionised the field of food production and agriculture, including aquaculture. In addition to fish, crustaceans play a crucial role in supporting coastal economies and serve as a valuable source of high‐quality protein worldwide. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of diseases, especially in commercially valuable crustaceans, are of paramount importance. Among the various parasites affecting crustaceans, rhizocephalan parasites have recently gained widespread attention due to their severe effects on hosts, including moult inhibition, parasitic castration and feminisation, reduction in metabolism and survival, and behavioural changes. This review employs a systematic literature review approach to summarise progress in omics research regarding host‐rhizocephalan interactions. The final dataset comprised 12 articles from four rhizocephalan families (Thompsoniidae, Sacculinidae, Polyascidae, and Peltogasterellidae). The review further discusses advances in omics research across five main functional categories: growth and moulting, metabolism, sex differentiation and reproduction, immunity and disease, and population genetics and evolution. Differentially expressed genes, proteins, metabolites, and pathways identified in rhizocephalan‐related omics studies serve as a valuable molecular database to understand host responses and rhizocephalan infection strategies. Key factors, including juvenile hormone esterase ( JHE ), thioredoxin, Kazal‐type protease inhibitor ( KPI ), heat shock proteins ( HSP70/HSP90 ), and cathepsins , are multi‐functionally involved in host‐rhizocephalan interactions. However, knowledge gaps persist, hindered by limitations in diagnostic tools and data integration. Future directions, such as single‐cell sequencing (scRNA‐seq), multi‐omics approaches, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks, offer promise for advancing our understanding of host–parasite dynamics, providing insights for rhizocephalan parasitology control in sustainable crustacean aquaculture health.