Seafood CRC: Maximising Value By Reducing Stress-related Mortality In Wild Harvested Abalone
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$190,987.19
Summary
The Abalone Council of Australia (ACA) has clearly identified in their Strategic Plan (2007-2017) goals to have an Australian national wild abalone brand driven by a national Quality Assurance and Product Integrity Program, and to increase the industry GVP (in real terms) by 25% to $268 million in 2012 and by 50% to $321 million by 2017.
This project supports these goals, particularly a desire to increase the value of the abalone, by ensuring that animals in the best possible physiologi ....The Abalone Council of Australia (ACA) has clearly identified in their Strategic Plan (2007-2017) goals to have an Australian national wild abalone brand driven by a national Quality Assurance and Product Integrity Program, and to increase the industry GVP (in real terms) by 25% to $268 million in 2012 and by 50% to $321 million by 2017.
This project supports these goals, particularly a desire to increase the value of the abalone, by ensuring that animals in the best possible physiological condition are provided to the processor for live export. This project also encompasses the development of practices that ensure marine environmental sustainability, because animals that are not suitable or which cannot be transported to maintain optimal physiological status will not be harvested. The development of handling and transport protocols delivers into the desire for the industry to develop uniform Codes of Practice and product standards. Ultimately this will be about effectively managing harvest and the integrity of product going to market. This project will supporting ACA’s vision to work with fishers, processors and value adders to establish a whole-of-chain approach to creating premium Australian products and servicing consumers
Objectives: 1. Quantify changes in stress levels in abalone from the time that they are removed from the reef to the point of export from the processors, including the live-holding period 2. Quantify how the magnitude of stress and the capacity to recover from stress is affected by the different natural factors time spent on the deck prior to packing in crates post-harvest, the extent and use of seawater immersion on the boat, the timing and frequency of water changes during transport, the influence of reproductive condition, and season of harvest. Read moreRead less
SCRC: Tackling Microbial Related Issues In Cultured Shellfish Via Integrated Molecular And Water Chemistry Approaches
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Over the last few years, the shellfish industry has experienced an increase in unpredictable hatchery and settlement rates of abalone and oyster larvae – batches crash for no apparent reason despite successful spawning and fertilisation. Additionally, farms experience unexplained stock losses during grow-out periods in both land and sea based culture facilities. Recently, the Australian abalone aquaculture industry ranked the ‘investigation into the causes of summer mortality and development of ....Over the last few years, the shellfish industry has experienced an increase in unpredictable hatchery and settlement rates of abalone and oyster larvae – batches crash for no apparent reason despite successful spawning and fertilisation. Additionally, farms experience unexplained stock losses during grow-out periods in both land and sea based culture facilities. Recently, the Australian abalone aquaculture industry ranked the ‘investigation into the causes of summer mortality and development of management protocols to minimize or prevent losses’ as one of the top three priorities for the industry (J. Fromm, pers.comm.). In oysters, farmers are looking for indicators of potential culture problems (i.e. hatchery failures) (M. Bermudes, pers.comm.).
Our ability to manage such events would be strengthened if we could determine and subsequently monitor the causative agent. There is evidence from the international literature to suggest that the cause of these events may be microbial in nature and, anecdotally, farmers believe the mortality of shellfish experienced across seasons may be a product of hydrochemistry interactions with bacteria.
Recently, CSIRO developed and adapted a suite of new cost-effective molecular tools that enable complex microbial communities in water, sediment or soil samples to be rapidly described without the need for physical culturing of the microorganisms. The identification of both commensal and harmful microorganisms which are responsive to changes in abiotic environmental parameters, as well as low abundant microbes that represent a reservoir for infection, can now be undertaken using highly sensitive and high throughput genomics techniques. Furthermore, we have developed multivariate statistical approaches capable of describing links between microbial community profiles and causative factors. We are confident that this burgeoning area of research, metagenomics, will have direct uptake and application in a wide range of aquaculture industries (including food protection and human health aspects) particularly given the increasingly cost-effectiveness of next generation sequencing.Read moreRead less
Electron Microscope Study Of Tissues Which Produce Pearl Shell Organic Matrix
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$8,985.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. The further identification and clarification of the tissues and glands involved in the secretion of the organic matrices of pearl shells
Seafood CRC: Broodstock And Genetic Management Of Southern Bluefin Tuna And Yellowtail Kingfish
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$289,822.00
Summary
SBT: There is a need to better identify the relationship between hormonal treatment and spawning performance as this will determine the hormonal manipulation strategy. There is also a need to better understand factors associated with broodstock mortality, as currently 30% of the broodstock die every year and thus need to be replaced.
We need to develop methods of ensuring that all females participate in spawning every year and how to extend the spawning cycle to have eggs fo ....SBT: There is a need to better identify the relationship between hormonal treatment and spawning performance as this will determine the hormonal manipulation strategy. There is also a need to better understand factors associated with broodstock mortality, as currently 30% of the broodstock die every year and thus need to be replaced.
We need to develop methods of ensuring that all females participate in spawning every year and how to extend the spawning cycle to have eggs for four months of the year.
There is a need to advance the initiation of spawning to October (from the current norm of February) so that the fingerlings are ready to be transferred to sea cages sufficiently early in the calendar year for optimal seawater temperatures. SBT broodstock reach spawning age at about 12 years of age. There is therefore a need to examine alternative technologies and approaches to obtain tuna seed from younger fish.
YTK: This genetic management and selection project is needed to maintain a commercial advantage in a highly competitive market and as a management tool to prevent inbreeding.
It is difficult to source wild YTK broodstock, and the current stock are getting older and larger. There is a need to source new broodstock, and it will be advantageous to use selected F1, provided they can be genetically managed.
Objectives: 1. Extend the spawning season of captive SBT from 2 months to 4 months 2. Bring forward the spawning season of SBT to achieve initiation of spawning in September/ October rather than the current February/April. 3. Monitor spawning dynamics of individual SBT broodstock 4. Develop a tool for sexing of SBT broodstock to ensure sufficient number of females are available 5. Maximise the number of SBT females that participate in the spawning and monitor egg quality in relation to hormonal spawning induction. 6. Aim to obtain natural spawning in SBT (i.e without the use of hormonal implants) 7. Investigate alternative spawning induction protocols with less physical impact on the treated fish 8. Determine the suitability of YTK as a surrogate for SBT and explore alternatives if needed 9. To develop a YTK genetic management and genetic breeding program for CST to control and minimise inbreeding (e.g. there will be no inbreeding depression for the commercially produced fish during the life of the project or in perpetuity) 10. To maximize the speed of commercial return by culling poor performing broodstock or by identifying preferred broodstock and using existing and new F1 stock Read moreRead less
SCRC: Masters M3.1 Nutritional Genomics And Its Application To Aquaculture (Prof Abigail Elizur; Student Linda Moss)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
The project aims to address the question: Can different aquaculture diets be assessed and evaluated by examining the expression profiles on known (or newly discovered) candidate genes that are responsible for, or associated with, the digestion and absorption of diet components.
Nutrition is a key significant consideration in aquaculture operations and absorption of molecular components of feed is the main factor contributing to nutrition in fish. An innovative alternative to feed trials ....The project aims to address the question: Can different aquaculture diets be assessed and evaluated by examining the expression profiles on known (or newly discovered) candidate genes that are responsible for, or associated with, the digestion and absorption of diet components.
Nutrition is a key significant consideration in aquaculture operations and absorption of molecular components of feed is the main factor contributing to nutrition in fish. An innovative alternative to feed trials is the use of nutritional genomics, where the specific response to the various diet at a gene expression level can potentially predict the quality of the diet and its suitabilty for optimum aquaculture use.
Candidate genes for such studies include genes associated with the digestion and absorption of nutrients i.e. trypsin, aminopeptidase, bile salt-activated lipase, insulin, glucagon and cholecstokinin. This project is expected to also lead to the discovery of a novel suite of genes whose expression is diet dependant, leading to the discovery of suitable markers for diet effectiveness, reducing the necessity and costs of feed trials.
The research done during the project is expected to greatly enhance our knowledge of the molecular processes with feed digestion, absorption and feed development, thus not only offereing an attractive testing alternative to diet development, but also explore the animal's response to different diets.Read moreRead less
SCRC: RTG: Visit To The Laboratory Of Professor Douglas Tocher (Institute Of Aquaculture, University Of Stirling, Scotland) To Undertake Collaborative Research Into The Lipid And Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) Metabolism Of Southern Bluefin Tuna
Condition And Its Assessment In The Southern Rock Lobster. Field Application Of The Techniques For Condition Assessment Developed In The Laboratory
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$249,591.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. Obtain an understanding of variations in growth and recruitment through the establishment of the potential of selected indices to characterise temporal and spatial changes in condition of lobsters within the fishery.
SCRC: PhD : The Effect Of Temperature On Reproductive Development In Maiden And Repeat Spawning Farmed Atlantic Salmon: Understanding The Molecular Basis For Improved Egg Quality And Survival
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
The economic viability of sea cage farming of Atlantic salmon is strongly influenced by the cost of production of smolts. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to, or cause reproductive failure in spawning fish is an essential component of reducing those industry production costs, and at a broader level, ensuring that there are sufficient smolts produced each year to maintain industry production. The issue has been identified as an industry priority with the stated SALTAS ....The economic viability of sea cage farming of Atlantic salmon is strongly influenced by the cost of production of smolts. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to, or cause reproductive failure in spawning fish is an essential component of reducing those industry production costs, and at a broader level, ensuring that there are sufficient smolts produced each year to maintain industry production. The issue has been identified as an industry priority with the stated SALTAS aim of reducing the reliance on repeat spawning fish for egg production. The potential cost of failing to solve the problem is high. The survival of eggs to the eyed embryo stage can be as low as 30-50%, compared with 80% for eggs from best performing fish (SALTAS data). Modelling of this cost gives direct increases in smolt production costs of $225,000 per annum, but a potential industry shortfall in production terms of $15-20 million per annum.
The knowledge gained through this research will be applied in a real life context to the Atlantic salmon industry in Australia to overcome a real and immediate industry bottleneck, and provide information to assist in large scale production procedures. It will provide important new information regarding the endocrine regulation of egg quality, information that could be highly relevant to other finfish industries, such as tuna and kingfish.
In addition to the direct benefit of this research to the Salmon industry, the investigation of the impact of temperature on reproductive process in fish is relevant to environmental studies concerning the impact of global warming on biological processes, with the Atlantic salmon being an example of a fish that has been translocated from a colder environment (Europe) to the warmer Tasmania.Read moreRead less
SCRC: SCRC Honours Scholarship H4.3 The Effects Of Feeding Alternative Protein Sources On The Intestinal Mucus Layer And Mucosal Architecture In Yellowtail Kingfish (Rebecca Forder; Student Matthew Bransemer.)