Evaluation of field performance of hybrid Pacific oysters from crossbreeding

SUMMARY:Shellfish growers on the U.S. West Coast depend largely on hatchery-produced seed thatare amenable for genetic improvement. Within-species hybrids produced by crossing inbredlines generated from selected wild-type families can substantially improve growth and survivalfor farmed Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). The Pacific oyster has the highest productionamong shellfish species and can be farmed sustainably with relatively small environmentalimpacts. Hybrid oysters optimized for different growing conditions however are not availableto the shellfish aquaculture industry that has considerable diversity of environmental conditionsand growing methods. An important premise for a crossbreeding program to realize the benefitof hybrid vigor is a repository of selected family lines for production of hybrids. In this projectwe propose to (1) conduct rigorous field trials with multiple industry partners to evaluate theyield of hybrids under different environmental conditions and (2) produce new inbred lines usinga group of wild-type families that have been selected for better field performances. The proposalbuilds on published evidence on hybrid vigor for oysters and established facilities and resourcesof 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 becollected. This project will if successful significantly advance our understanding of how differenthybrid lines respond to a variety of farm conditions. Outcomes of this research will contribute todevelopment of elite inbred and hybrid lines with improved yield performances for commercialpropagation and establish important biological resources for use in research.SBIR TOPIC AREA 8.7: AquacultureRESEARCH PRIORITY #2: Genetic improvement crossbreeding and performance evaluation