The meeting will open with a reception on the evening of Sunday, July 12th and finish with a full day of sessions followed by the conference dinner on Thursday, July 16th
Environmental physiology of life-history transitions: A tribute to Steve McCormick
Ciaran Shaughnessy, Jill Leonard and Jason Breves
This symposium will celebrate the scientific legacy, community impact, and recent retirement of Dr. Stephen D. McCormick. His pioneering work in fish physiology (especially in osmoregulation, endocrinology, and smolt physiology) and his stewardship of the community of fish physiologists (including his role as President of AFS Physiology) have shaped our field for over four decades. In brief, Steve’s work has provided new insights into how environmental factors such as endocrine disrupters, acidification, and climate change impact the performance (survival, growth, and reproductive success) of wild fish stocks including Atlantic salmon, American shad, blueback herring, brook trout, alewife, Atlantic sturgeon, and sea lamprey. Moreover, Steve’s applied work with hatcheries and dams relied on the discoveries he made regarding the hormonal control of osmoregulatory systems and the effects of environmental temperature fluctuations on hormonal and cellular stress responses. This symposium will bring together Steve’s trainees, collaborators, and colleagues from around the world to share their latest research findings and reflect on how their career and research are intertwined with Steve’s scholarship, mentorship, and friendship. The talks will cover a range of taxa, analytical methods, and physiological systems, reflecting the integrative and interdisciplinary spirit that defined Steve’s career. This symposium showcases the ongoing ripple effects of his science and community-building, celebrating not only Steve’s scientific career, but also the vibrant scientific “school” of fish physiologists he helped cultivate.
Ion and acid-base regulation in fishes
Colin Brauner, Greg Goss and Steve McCormick
There have been many recent advances in both our understanding of fish ion transport mechanisms and acid-base physiology and how they are regulated in fish. This symposium will bring together top researchers in the broad field of ion and of acid-base regulation in fishes to discuss current topics and future directions for the field. We plan to have sub-sections within the symposium that will deal with new advances in our understanding of: a) endocrine and mechanistic control of ion regulation, b) smoltification, and c) acid-base regulation, both in relation to basic and applied research including climate change and conservation physiology. The symposia will highlight researchers using whole animal approaches and those following more cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these regulatory events. This symposium will bring together speakers interested in a holistic approach to understanding the mechanisms involved in alteration and regulation of ion and acid-base status in fishes and the implications of this for whole animal function and responses to altered environments.
Stress in fish: A tribute to George Iwama
Matt Vijayan and Paige Ackerman
George’s contributions to the field of stress biology spans from his early research on acid base dysregulation during stress, to more applied work related to aquaculture, including efficacy of different anesthetics, relationships between salinity, metabolism and ion regulation, modulation of the immune system, and the development of biomarkers of stress in aquaculture. His research group was also the first to establish the linkage between the organismal and cellular stress response by demonstrating interactions between cortisol and the heat shock proteins in fish. George contributed to shaping the scientific landscape not just in Canada but also internationally, and held several senior executive positions at various institutions, including Director General at NRC, Canada, the President of the University of Northern British Columbia, and the Vice President of the Okinawan Institute of Science and Technology, to name a few. His enthusiasm for science and the field of stress is reflected in his trainees and collaborators, who continue to move the field forward. This symposium will highlight some of the ways in which George influenced the field of stress in fish, sharing both retrospective contributions and recent research developments. The symposium will consist of presentations from a mix of George’s trainees and collaborators, as well as researchers influenced by George’s ideas.
Stress in fish I (regulation of HPI axis functioning and response to stress) and II (stress effects on physiology – mechanistic insights)
Luis Tort, Matt Vijayan, Nicholas Bernier and Katie Gilmour
The stress response consists of a suite of coordinated physiological and behavioural responses that serve to help fish cope with challenges that threaten their capacity to function. At a neuroendocrine level, these responses reflect the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis, which is regulated by molecular, epigenetic and physiological mechanisms. In turn, the activity of the HPI axis affects the physiology and behaviour of the animal in ways that depend on the severity and duration of the stressor. “Stress in Fish I: Regulation of HPI axis functioning and response to stress” will attract researchers working on the mechanisms of HPI axis activity and regulation, whereas “Stress in Fish II: Stress effects on physiology – mechanistic insights” will provide a home for research on interactions between stress physiology and environmental factors such as temperature, social interactions or endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Tropical fish: A tribute to Dave Randall
Adalberto Val and Vera Almeida-Val
This symposium will celebrate the legacy of Dr. David Randall, whose groundbreaking contributions to fish physiology, especially in tropical systems, have profoundly influenced generations of researchers. It aims to honor his memory by presenting the latest findings on tropical fish from across the globe, showcasing new research frontiers and emerging technologies that are deepening our understanding of these species and their environments. From physiological plasticity to environmental adaptation, the symposium will highlight how Dr. Randall’s vision continues to inspire cutting-edge science in tropical ichthyology. We warmly welcome all who share a passion for tropical fish, as Dave did, and a commitment to understanding the environmental challenges shaping their future.
Respiratory gas exchange and circulation: The legacy of Dave Randall
Danielle McDonald and Alex Zimmer
With five classic papers in 1967 that measured blood pressure, blood gases, and gas exchange in chronically cannulated trout during exercise and hypoxia, Dave Randall, together with Don Stevens and George Holeton, established the modern era of respiratory and circulatory physiology of fish. Building on this legacy, this symposium will highlight the latest advancements in understanding how fish breathe, circulate blood, and adapt to changing environmental conditions (e.g., hypoxia, temperature, salinity). The research presented will incorporate cutting-edge imaging, molecular techniques, and integrative approaches that link gill function, oxygen transport, and environmental adaptation. As a forward-looking discussion of where the field is headed, this symposium will serve to celebrate the visionary scientist that started it all.
From reproductive physiology to molecular physiological ecology of fish: A tribute symposium to Dr. Frederick (Rick) W. Goetz
Josep Planas, Julien Bobe and Simon MacKenzie
This symposium is to pay tribute to Dr. Frederick (Rick) W. Goetz and his long and outstanding career in fish biology. Rick has made seminal contributions to a number of fields in fish biology, including reproductive physiology, immunology, growth and physiological ecology. Importantly, Rick has been a pioneer in the development and application of molecular biology and genomic approaches to the study of fish biology. Throughout his full-time tenures at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, MA, the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI, and lastly at the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration in Seattle, WA, Rick mentored and collaborated with many young and established scientists who have benefited from his inexhaustible energy, love for fish biology, dedication to rigorous research, and friendship. The proposed symposium will bring together many of his past and more recent students and collaborators to celebrate his career and commitment to the advancement of fish biology.
Current trends in growth and metabolism of fishes
Brian Small, Brian Peterson, and Suraj Unniappan
An interplay of numerous external and internal factors orchestrates fish growth, feeding, and metabolism. This symposium serves as a platform to highlight recent breakthroughs in our comprehension of somatic growth and energy homeostasis of fishes. Special attention will be directed towards unraveling the metabolic and hormonal processes that regulate growth, while illuminating the ways in which the environment, fish tissues, and associated pathways interact. We extend an invitation to researchers engaged in fundamental and applied investigations into the regulatory aspects of growth and metabolism of fish, with a special emphasis on encouraging active participation from trainee researchers.
The fish gut: Digestion and beyond
Patricia Ferreira and Jonathan Wilson
The fish gut is a multifunctional organ system with roles extending far beyond its immediate digestive and absorptive processes. It is a major endocrine organ in vertebrates, and plays fundamental roles in the crosstalk with other systems, notably the brain. The gut microbiome is also emerging as a key piece in this regulatory puzzle. Moreover the gut organs have evolved different adaptations and forms throughout the evolution of vertebrates, with particular diversity being present in fish. How this diversity has been shaped to respond to selective pressures and helped fish achieve efficient digestion and energy homeostasis has been, and still is a hot topic in fish research. This symposium aims to bring together researchers from different areas of gut research to present their recent research findings from the molecular to organismal level, bridging knowledge gaps and inspiring the exchange of ideas on the role of the different aspects of gut physiology in applied (aquaculture), ecological and evolutionary contexts.
Ancient fishes in comparative physiology: Agnathan and chondrichthyan fishes
Gary Anderson, Ian Bouyoucos and Alyssa Weinrauch
Agnathans (i.e., hagfish and lampreys) and chondrichthyans (i.e., sharks and rays) are some of the primitive fishes that are useful for investigations of the evolution of physiological systems. Agnathans diverged from the vertebrate lineage after the first whole genome duplication, while chondrichthyans diverged after the second, yet prior to the within lineage duplications occurring in the more derived actinopterygians. Thus, these enigmatic groups of fishes are often described as ‘living fossils’ and have been the subject of studies of comparative physiology for decades, both from a fundamental evolutionary perspective and in the context of environmental change. This symposium examines advances in the field in both contexts from across an international stage.
The deep blue sea: Probing the physiology and behaviour of large marine fishes
David McKenzie and Holly Shiels
The physiology and behaviour of large marine fishes, such as tunas, billfishes, and sharks, has interested fish biologists for over a century, from both fundamental and applied fishery perspectives. They often inhabit and migrate through vast open oceans, which makes direct observation, capture, and tracking challenging. The stress of capturing and handling large fishes can have significant impacts on their physiological state, and they are difficult to house in laboratories for controlled studies. As a consequence, most large marine fish species are poorly studied and data deficient. Nonetheless, the physiology and behaviour of some large marine fishes are beginning to be understood and this session will provide a forum to present the latest advances in knowledge. We welcome talks from the biologging and biotelemetry community; on behavioural studies including of group living, or on research that infers aspects of whole animal physiology and behaviour from controlled studies on organs, tissues, and molecular processes. We dedicate this session to the memory of John F. Steffensen, who had a passion for pelagic fishes and spent many happy years probing their physiology and behaviour.
The physiology, biology and ecology of polar fish
Pedro Guerreiro and Luis Vargas-Chacoff
Recent technological developments allowed to research deeper into the molecular and functional aspects of the biology and the phylogeny of these fish, and all this research is taking place at a time in which the future of these species is uncertain due to climate change. In the arctic there is novel information on the distribution of species due to temperature shifts, and in the Antarctic current studies focus very much on how the physiology adjusted to extreme environments and whether there is scope to acclimate to new conditions. Meanwhile emerging pollutants are starting to be found in these pristine regions, with likely impacts on fish. Icefish nesting grounds have recently been observed for the first time, new information about larval and early development are finally being looked at, and many questions about the antifreeze proteins are finding their answers.
Physiology in motion: Linking movement, metabolism, and life history of fishes
Christian Bihun and Erin Stewart
Advances in biologging and telemetry technologies are transforming our understanding of fish biology by allowing researchers to track not only where fish go, but how they function in the wild. This session highlights studies that combine fish movement with physiological insights such as metabolic rate, activity patterns, behavioural thermoregulation, and stress responses, using tools such as acoustic or satellite tags, accelerometers, heart rate loggers, and archival sensors. We welcome contributions that take integrative approaches to explore questions related to life history strategies, environmental constraints, bioenergetics, and vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts and climate warming. By bridging the fields of physiology and ecology, this session will showcase the utility of in situ measurements to reveal the inner lives of fishes.
Metabolism in motion: Mechanics, physiology, and ecology of fish movement
Yangfan Zhang, Katja Anttila and George Lauder
Understanding fish movement is a central challenge in biology that integrates decades of fundamental research in physiology, biomechanics, energetics, and hydrodynamics. We are now at the edge of a profound transformation. Emerging and rapidly maturing tools, such as AI-enhanced kinematic tracking, minimally invasive biologgers on free-moving animals, robotic surrogates, and ocean-scale tracking, are shifting the paradigm: from individual to collective behaviour, from the energetics of fine-scale kinematics to activities of large-scale movement, and from controlled experiments to real-world complexity. The relevant topics in this symposium include, but are not limited to, kinematic-metabolic coupling, collective movement, climate driven range shifts, as well as physiological limits of fish locomotion, and their implications for conservation, aquaculture, and welfare, by asking how fish generate, regulate, and optimize movement and/or energetics in dynamic environments.
The physiology, ecology and control of invasive fish species
Mike Wilkie and Pedro Guerreiro
After climate change, aquatic invasive species (AIS) pose the biggest threat to biodiversity in both freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems, and can severely undermine conservation efforts. A key to predicting, preventing and controlling invasive fish species is to develop a better understanding of their physiology. We will assemble a team of internationally recognized experts to discuss our current understanding of the physiology and ecology of invasive fishes focusing on: (i) a review of invasion theory as it relates to the physiology and behaviour of fishes, (ii) physiological features that are common in successful invaders, (iii) use of physiological, ecological and molecular biology approaches to characterize and exploit specific vulnerabilities to mitigate or control invasive species, (iv) the use of eDNA for the early detection and prevention of invasions. Examples of species of interest may include invasive (Asian) carps, goldfish, invasive lake trout and brook trout in western North America, smallmouth and largemouth basses which have been in many novel environments worldwide, sea lamprey and round goby in the Great Lakes, as well as other invasive fishes commonly occurring in Europe pikeperch, bleak, pumpkinseed, the chameleon cichlid or the Wels Catfish. We will also seek out speakers with expertise of invasive species in marine and estuarine habitats including lion fishes and salmonids.
Bridging experimental biology and conservation: From mechanism to application
Heather Bauer Reid, Vincent Mélançon, Sandra Ann Binning, Mar Pineda and Leon Tran
Experimental approaches are key to uncovering complex biological mechanisms. From the lab to the field, experimental studies have facilitated insights into the behaviour, physiology, and ecology of fishes, particularly in response to environmental challenges. Despite their value, findings from experimental studies are seldom translated into conservation practice. This session explores how experimental approaches can be harnessed to inform conservation outcomes. We aim to highlight studies that are designed with conservation in mind, from lab-based approaches that examine individual and group-level responses to environmental change, to applied fieldwork techniques that test interventions in situ. By bridging experimental biology and conservation practices, we hope to foster discussion on how experimental studies can improve ecological predictions and inform decision making processes. We particularly encourage submissions that involve collaborative work with conservation practitioners and broadly welcome studies from all ecosystems.
Integrating physiology and behaviour in a changing environment
Bradley Howell, Caleb Hasler, Nann Fangue and Steve Cooke
This symposium will explore the growing body of research connecting physiological processes with behavioural outcomes in fishes across ecological contexts. From metabolism and energetics to stress and neuroendocrine function, internal states shape how fishes forage, migrate, interact socially, and respond to environmental change. By bringing together researchers studying diverse species and systems in both field and lab settings, this symposium will highlight how integrating physiology, and behaviour can illuminate adaptive strategies, inform conservation, and advance predictive models of animal performance. Building on past ICBF symposia that emphasized integrative biology and environmental physiology, this session aims to bridge mechanistic insights with ecological relevance. We will spotlight advances in methodologies—such as biologging, acoustic telemetry, behavioural assays, respirometry, and “-omics”—that enable researchers to track fine-scale behavioural variation in relation to internal physiological states. In doing so, the symposium will examine how these individual-level insights can reveal broader patterns in phenotypic plasticity, transgenerational acclimation, population dynamics, species interactions, and ecosystem responses to global change.
Investigating the interrelated responses of climate change, contaminants, and biodiversity loss in fishes
Tamzin Blewett and Ivan Cadonic
Climate change research has been at the forefront of scientific study for the better part of the last few decades. Although much focus has been put on organisms’ responses to thermal stress, fishes have to contend with an assault of multiple different stressors including anthropogenic-induced environmental change. Contaminants can interact as well to hinder an animal’s ability to respond to other biotic and abiotic stressors (i.e., temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, parasites), resulting in reduction in fitness and wellbeing, and further exacerbated by climate variability. These impacts can be seen at the population level for many fish species, resulting in biodiversity loss across the globe. Fishes from sensitive ecosystems (e.g., Arctic or Antarctic) tend to be understudied but are likely to be particularly vulnerable to multiple stressor interactions; therefore, studying their responses to common climate change parameters is vital to reduce biodiversity impacts.
This session will focus on both laboratory and field studies that investigate these multiple stressors within a climate change perspective and seek to answer the question of how fishes are able to cope with changing biotic and abiotic parameters. Research presented will span from molecular to whole-animal studies, with focus on studies that incorporate multiple levels of organization or studies that investigate non-model species from vulnerable ecosystems. We look forward to inviting both early career and established researchers to our session to provide a diverse perspective on fish responses to this crisis
Fish talks on phys tox
Sarah Alderman and Todd Gillis
Fish physiologists are critical players in the field of aquatic toxicology, providing mechanistic insight into contemporary challenges that impact the health and fitness of individual fish and, by extension, entire ecosystems. The list of established and emerging chemicals of concern is long and growing. From embryos to food webs, PAH to PFAS, the goal of this session is to highlight research across a breadth of study systems, pollutants, and methodologies, emphasizing sublethal effects and opportunities for knowledge translation.
Vulnerability and adaptations of developmental stages to global change stressors
Jeremy Bonville, Zara-Louise Cowan and Patrice Pottier
Anthropogenically induced environmental changes are an increasingly urgent problem, as they are exposing organisms to stimuli and stress beyond what they are adapted to. There is an increasing recognition that certain life stages may be more vulnerable to stressors than others, potentially representing a bottleneck in the vulnerability of species to environmental change. Due to factors including underdeveloped physiological systems and their immobility when faced with challenging environments, embryos have been proposed as being highly susceptible to environmental stressors. Yet, experimental data on this life stage in the context of environmental change is often said to be lacking, in comparison to later life stages. We expect our session to have a broad appeal, to have an interdisciplinary aspect and to bring together speakers and delegates from multiple fields interested in, and working on, the vulnerability and adaptations of this critical life stage to a changing environment. We welcome submissions covering topics relating to vulnerability and adaptations of embryos to environmental stressors (e.g., temperature, acidification, hypoxia, nutrition, toxicants, pathogens), and the impacts that these may have on individuals and populations.
Sensing the environment: Altered waters and changing behaviours
Tyler Buchinger, Andy Dittman and Keith Tierney
We aim to bring together junior to established researchers in the field of fish sensory biology to link sensory signals to fish receivers in order to understand the future of fish populations in the context of ecology and a changing environment. This will be the seventh offering of this symposium. Past symposia have focused on vision, olfaction, taste, hearing, lateral line, magnetic and electroreception and the role they play in the physiology, behavior, and ecology of fishes. We encourage fish sensory biologists from all disciplines (physiology, ecology, behavior) and all senses to participate in the symposium and especially researchers in early career stages and that represent the diversity of people studying how fish investigate the world. For the 2026 Symposium, we especially encourage presentations that focus on the role of sensory systems in the context of the changing coastal environment that fish experience and the use of multiple sensory modalities to adapt to these changes.
Fish integrative neurobiology in changing environments
Martin Tresguerres, Mar Huertas and Trevor Hamilton
The nervous system serves as the sensory interface between an animal and its environment, enabling it to regulate bodily functions, locate food and suitable habitats, interact with mates, and avoid predators. The underlying neurobiological mechanisms have evolved and adapted to naturally fluctuating environments. However, human activities are now introducing rapid environmental changes that may profoundly impact many of these processes. Importantly, neurons do not operate in isolation in real-world conditions. Instead, they function within internal microenvironments maintained by various other cells (e.g., glial cells), tissues, and organs (e.g., blood-brain barrier, gills, lungs, kidneys) that ultimately shape behavior. Therefore, understanding the vulnerability and resilience of nervous system function requires a truly integrative approach. This includes multiple fields of comparative physiology—such as neurobiology, behavioral neuroscience, endocrinology, acid-base and ionic regulation, thermal physiology, and metabolism—as well as insights from ecology, genomics, and environmental science. This session will bring together transdisciplinary scientists from these and other diverse areas to discuss the physiological mechanisms that enable animals to maintain neural function during environmental fluctuations—both natural and anthropogenic. Participants will also explore the broader evolutionary, ecological, and conservation/restoration implications of these mechanisms.
Fish immunology in a changing environment: Implications for aquaculture and conservation
Mark Fast and Ensiyeh (Forough) Ghanizadeh-Kazrouni
Fish are increasingly exposed to a wide range of infectious and non-infectious stressors including pathogens, pollutants, rising temperatures, hypoxia, and habitat degradation. These stressors can have profound impact on immune function, resulting in increased disease susceptibility, compromised fitness, and long-term health consequences. Given that food security and climate change are two of the most pressing challenges globally, this session will focus on how environmental changes shape immune responses and adaptation mechanisms in ecologically and economically important species. The topics of interest will cover role of stressors in inducing immune response, emerging biomarkers of immune stress, and the application of transcriptomic and proteomic technologies for monitoring fish health and remediation strategies. This session aims to bring together researchers from immunology, evolutionary biology, and physiology to meet and share discoveries and ideas, and foster collaborations.
Applying knowledge of fish biology to sustainable aquaculture
Andrea Frommel and Tillmann Benfey
Although fish farming has been practised for thousands of years, it is only in the last few decades that global fish production from aquaculture has outpaced capture fisheries as a source of food for human consumption and for conservation of threatened populations. This recent and rapid transition from hunting and gathering wild fish to farming them has had many positives but also raises concerns about sustainability that are being compounded by the effects of climate change on the freshwater and coastal marine environments historically used for aquaculture. The goal of this symposium is to bring together speakers with shared interests in applying fundamental knowledge of fish biology to ensuring the continued responsible growth of aquaculture and hatchery production that considers the welfare of the animals and the environmental impacts of their rearing systems. Possible topics include genetics (selective breeding, gene editing, ploidy manipulation), nutrition (alternative feed ingredients and immunostimulants), health (novel vaccines, microbiome, probiotics), environmental physiology (realizing phenotypic plasticity in hyperthermia and hypoxia tolerance), practical welfare indices, recirculating aquaculture systems and hatchery practices.
Using behaviour and physiology to understand fish welfare
Katherine Sloman and Lynne Sneddon
The way that humans interact with fishes, and what fishes may experience through those interactions, often raises scientific, political and public concern in relation to their welfare. Assessment of fish welfare often involves observation of behavioural changes or deficits, and draws on our understanding of the way that fishes respond physiologically to environmental challenge. In reality, combined measures that integrate behaviour and physiology are likely needed to improve welfare assessment. Fishes represent important scientific models for human health, a key source of protein for human consumption through aquaculture and fisheries and a popular focus of human enjoyment through sport fisheries, home and public aquaria. This session aims to discuss how we can better understand fish welfare across this range of scenarios, but also to share welfare refinements from different fields.
Cardiac responses to changing environmental conditions
Todd Gillis and Erika Eliason
The heart is central to fish performance, circulating blood gases, nutrients, hormones, immune factors, and metabolic wastes throughout the body. This symposium highlights research examining how the heart responds and adapts to changing environmental conditions. We invite talks that explore cardiac function across levels of biological organization (gene, cell, tissue, whole animal), and in response to a range of environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, hypoxia, salinity, pH, toxicants). Studies examining responses across different timescales (e.g. acute, chronic, seasonal, fluctuating, generations) are encouraged.
Fish evolution in human-altered environments
Andrew Whitehead
Human induced environmental changes, such as pollution, harvest pressure, invasive species, and climate change, are posing challenges to the persistence of wild fish species worldwide. Many environmental changes are sufficiently severe to exceed physiological, behavioral, or demographic compensatory abilities, such that fitness is threatened. This symposium will examine the causes and consequences of evolutionary change in the Anthropocene, including research on the features of fish species or the environment that enable or disable adaptive outcomes, the genetic and physiological mechanisms of rapid evolutionary change, and the costs and limits of adaptation.
Recent advances in fish biology and physiology (general session)
Don MacKinlay
Fish biology encompasses a much wider range of topics than what are included in the current list of Congress Symposia. This session is an opportunity for researchers to present their work on topics that do not fit well into that list but are important for the overall understanding of biological mechanisms for fish.