Can a can of salmon over 40 years old provide clues about the evolution of marine ecosystems? A group of scientists in the United States has demonstrated that it is possible. By analyzing canned salmon produced between 1979 and 2019, they were able to track how the presence of parasites in these Pacific species has changed over time.
The study, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, examined fillets of four types of salmon caught in the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay. These canned goods, stored for decades in industrial facilities as part of their quality control processes, offered a unique opportunity for research.
Typically, long-term parasitological records are scarce, but in this case, the cans acted as authentic time capsules: the tissues were intact enough to allow for the identification and counting of various parasites, including nematodes of the genus Anisakis, as well as cestodes and trematodes.
In total, 178 cans were studied. Scientists dissected the fillets to determine the number of parasites per gram of meat. The results showed that in two of the species, the presence of anisakids increased notably over the years, while in the others it remained stable. This increase could be linked to the recovery of marine mammal populations, which act as hosts for these parasites and may have favored their expansion.
The team suggests that this method could be applied to other canned seafood products stored in the past, in order to analyze how climate change and human activities have influenced ocean ecosystems.
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