Developing Resilience to Ocean Acidification in Red Abalone Aquaculture

It is now recognized that the pH of the world’s oceans is becoming more acidic as a consequence of increasing atmospheric CO2. This process, termed “ocean acidification” (OA) will affect the aquaculture of marine shellfish. In order to maintain current levels of commercial mollusk production, the identification and commercialization of resilient shellfish strains will be required. Emerging evidence suggests that wild shellfish populations may be locally adapted to variable pH conditions along the California coast. Our firm will exploit this natural variation, carrying out research towards the development of an OA resistant strain of red abalone. We will also work to develop a reproducible commercial diet and feeding approach that conveys resistance to OA. These products may hold significant commercial and market potential, setting an example for efforts in other shellfish industries. Our proposed OA culture experiment will investigate the relative resilience of different abalone populations under OA, and the effects of varying maternal and juvenile diet. We will identify resilient strains using both growth observations and advanced genetic techniques in collaboration with partner researchers. Our work will identify the genetic signatures of resilience to OA and will provide a foundation for future selective breeding efforts.