Investigating the California Mussel as a new species for aquaculture production

The US seafood industry has two critical issues: a declining wild fishery and an incredible $14Bnational seafood deficit. One facet of the solution can be found in sustainable bivalve aquacultureincluding Mytilid (mussel) production. However Pacific Southwest mussel producers have adifficult time competing against faster growing Pacific Northwest mussel varieties and are seekingnovel locally adapted species. We propose to investigate Mytilus californianus (California Musselor CM) as a new species for aquaculture production (Phase I) and subsequently develop superiorlines of CM using a genetics-based strategy (Phase II). A literature review suggests that native CMoutperform the few commercially available mussel species (all non-native) in market traits yet CMhas not been adapted for aquaculture due to the incorrect perception that they are not amenable tomodern longline farming methods. In fact the last piece of research needed to establish a proof ofconcept of CM for longline farming involves understanding the preferred substrates for larvalsettlement critical for generating 'seeded' lines for grow-out. We aim to close this gap and deliverprotocols to grow CM as an aquaculture product for a growing West Coast shellfish industry. Ourteam consists of academic (USC) and commercial entities (Santa Barbara Mariculture and HoldFastAquaculture) with a combined 30+ years of experience in academic research aquaculture &seafood marketing and outreach & education. Together we aim to be part of the solution bybolstering the aquaculture industry via development of a competitive new crop option theCalifornia Mussel a product with potential to disrupt the shellfish industry.