WERA_OLD099: Broodstock Management, Genetics and Breeding Programs for Molluscan Shellfish
Statement of Issues and Justification
Molluscan aquaculture in the U.S. includes a wide range of aquaculture techniques and species. Presently, the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica, European oyster Ostrea edulis, hard shell clam Mercenaria mercenaria, blue mussel Mytilus edulis and the Atlantic scallop Argopecten irradians irradians are cultured on the Atlantic coast. On the West coast, commercially cultured molluscan species include the European oyster, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, the Manila clam Tapes japonica, the geoduck Panopea abrupta and the red abalone Haliotis rufescens.Oysters are the most economically important group of mollusks in the U.S. with landings of naturally-occurring oysters at 15,213 metric tons in 1998, valued at $88.6 million (U.S. Dept Commerce, Fisheries Statistics 1998). Although present annual harvests of wild oysters in the U.S. are significant, they represent less than 50% of annual harvests a decade ago. The impact of diseases (Haplosporidium nelsoni [MSX] and Perkinsus marinus [Dermo]) on Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coasts, together with the effects of pollution, habitat destruction and over fishing have contributed to the decline. The adverse impact has been especially evident in the Chesapeake Bay where annual harvests of Eastern oysters are now less than 10% of harvests during the early 1980s.
In contrast to declines in Eastern oyster production on the Atlantic Coast, aquaculture of Pacific oysters on the West Coast has not been impacted by catastrophic disease outbreaks and has benefited from the adoption of modern hatchery techniques. Production was estimated to equal about 92 million pounds of meat in 2000, worth about $69 million (Toba and Chew 1999; Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association).
Broodstock management and breeding programs for the West Coast oyster industry have not been developed and the industry is essentially farming wild oysters. Unlike many agricultural industries in the US, the shellfish industry has not benefited from a coordinated, long-term, funded breeding program; therefore, the industry has not profited from the enhanced economic returns associated with domestication. Recently, this situation has started to change and several regional research projects on the development of breeding programs for oysters have been funded. These include two projects funded by USDA to develop broodstock improvement and management programs for Pacific oysters on the West Coast. One program funded by the USDA - Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC) adopts a cross-breeding approach and involves researchers from California, Oregon and Washington. The USDA-Special Project, the Molluscan Broodstock Program at Oregon State University, is the other West-coast oyster genetics program that focuses on genetic selection of Pacific oysters. In addition, USDA and other Federal and State agencies support several projects in the mid-Atlantic States (New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia) on the development of disease-resistant Eastern oysters for the revitalization of the oyster industry of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. Among these, the ABC program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is implementing breeding strategies to genetically enhance farmed hard clams. Researchers in the Northeast are also developing a broodstock improvement program for the aquaculture of the Eastern oysters. Lastly, a large, multi-state USDA project is planned to compare the genomics of Eastern and Pacific oysters.
The renewal of WCC-099 will facilitate interaction among researchers working on multi-state genetics projects. In addition, WCC-099 will provide a forum for industry members to work with researchers to develop optimal commercial breeding programs. Appendices 1 and 2 provide descriptions of the accomplishments of the past WCC-099.
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