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

Funding Activity

Website
https://www.frdc.com.au/project/2008-762

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity 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 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.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 15-09-2008

End Date: 04-02-2011

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Aquaculture | Climate Change | Physiology | Reproduction

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