Barcelona hosted the 4th International Symposium on Mucosal Health in Aquaculture (MHA 2026) this week, organised by the Government of Catalonia and IRTA at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site.
The congress brought together researchers, industry professionals and company representatives to share the latest advances in mucosal immunity, nutrition and disease prevention in farmed aquatic species.
From 7 to 10 September, Barcelona became the international meeting point for mucosal health in aquaculture with the celebration of the 4th International Symposium on Mucosal Health in Aquaculture (MHA 2026). Organised by the Government of Catalonia and IRTA at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, the congress brought together the international scientific community to exchange knowledge and foster new collaborations in a key field for building healthier, more resilient and more sustainable aquaculture systems.
Following previous editions in Oslo, Crete and Puerto Varas (Chile), MHA was held in Catalonia for the first time, further consolidating its position as one of the leading international forums dedicated to aquatic animal health. This field of research focuses on the first lines of defence that protect fish and shellfish against disease, opening new opportunities to improve animal welfare, strengthen the resilience of production systems and reduce reliance on treatments.
The symposium’s scientific programme was led by Silvia Torrecillas, researcher in IRTA’s Aquaculture programme, together with Enric Gisbert, Head of the programme. The congress was organised around several thematic sessions, each opened by keynote lectures from internationally recognised experts in mucosal health, immunology, nutrition and aquatic animal physiology.
The keynote speakers included Linda B. Jensen (Skretting Aquaculture Innovation), Irene Salinas (University of New Mexico, USA), Jorge Galindo-Villegas (Nord University, Norway), Samuel Martin, Director of the Scottish Fish Immunology Research Centre (UK), and Nerea Roher (Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Barcelona).
Beyond the keynote lectures, the programme combined research presentations, poster sessions and networking activities that encouraged knowledge exchange and the development of new collaborations between universities, research centres and companies across the aquaculture sector.
Recognising emerging talent
The congress concluded with the presentation of the Best Poster Awards and Best Oral Presentation Awards, sponsored by Elsevier. These awards recognise the outstanding contributions presented by master’s and PhD students in the field of mucosal health, highlighting the importance of supporting the next generation of researchers who will help shape the future of this area of research.
The award winners were:
The successful hosting of MHA 2026 reinforces the importance of aquaculture research for the agri-food sector and strengthens IRTA’s role as a leading research centre generating the knowledge needed to address future challenges in animal health, sustainability and the competitiveness of the aquaculture industry.
