SBIR-STTR Award

SUMMARY: Shellfish growers on the U.S. West Coast depend largely on hatchery-produced seed that are amenable for genetic improvement. Within-species hybrids produced by crossing inbred lines generated from selected wild-type families can substantially improve growth and survival for farmed Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). The Pacific oyster has the highest production among shellfish species and can be farmed sustainably with relatively small environmental impacts. Hybrid oysters optimized for different growing conditions however are not available to the shellfish aquaculture industry that has considerable diversity of environmental conditions and growing methods. An important premise for a crossbreeding program to realize the benefit of hybrid vigor is a repository of selected family lines for production of hybrids. In this project we propose to (1) conduct rigorous field trials with multiple industry partners to evaluate the yield of hybrids under different environmental conditions and (2) produce new inbred lines using a group of wild-type families that have been selected for better field performances. The proposal builds on published evidence on hybrid vigor for oysters and established facilities and resources of Pacific Hybreed the only commercial shellfish breeding company on the U.S. West Coast. Controlled crosses of genotyped animals will be conducted in our hatcheries to produce hybridlines for field trials during which yield data and environmental parameters variables will be collected. This project will if successful significantly advance our understanding of how different hybrid lines respond to a variety of farm conditions. Outcomes of this research will contribute to development of elite inbred and hybrid lines with improved yield performances for commercial propagation and establish important biological resources for use in research. SBIR TOPIC AREA 8.7: Aquaculture RESEARCH PRIORITY #2: Genetic improvement crossbreeding and performance evaluation