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Cod are among Sweden's most common and most popular edible fish and have been fished hard for many years. One consequence is the risk of serious changes in cod stocks, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. In overfished areas, there is often a shortage of large and old cod, and the fish become sexually mature at a younger age. Researchers have feared that this change may have impacted on the fish's health, physiological aging and reproductive capacity.
In a recently published study, a research group from the University of Gothenburg working with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences therefore looked into the health and aging of male and female cod. |
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"We measured various aspects of oxidative stress, a condition in the cells that can lead to irreparable damage, antioxidant capacity, which protects against oxidative stress, and telomere length," says researcher and marine biologist Helen Nilsson Sköld.
Telomeres are repeated DNA sequences that protect the ends of chromosomes. The length of these telomeres and the rate at which they get shorter are closely linked to health and aging.
The researchers compared the health of cod in the Öresund, Skagerrak and Kattegat. Cod in the Öresund have been protected from trawling since 1932 and so stocks include larger and older fish, but cod in the Skagerrak and Kattegat have been seriously overfished. |
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