Developing a Pacific COMMUNITY Marine Specimen Bank 14-17 March 2017/SPC, Noumea Information Paper 7

Overview What is a specimen bank? The WCPFC Tuna Tissue Bank Case studies Why we need a better specimen bank Next steps Information Paper 7

What is a specimen bank? COLLECT IDENTIFY STORE RESEARCH DATABASE SHARE

WCPFC Tuna Tissue Bank Recent science Current projects *Bigeye age and growth going into 2017 stock assessment *Feasibility of fine-scale stock structure for albacore, bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack *Mercury content in marlin and swordfish *Black marlin ecology *Observer sample quality assurance *Fatty acid content in tuna and swordfish

WCPFC Tuna Tissue Bank Pro Con Experience with tissue bank Only tuna/tuna-like species Existing observer sampling Limited specimen shelf-life Existing storage capacity Limited onsite laboratory Network of fisheries staff Limited storage space Links with IRD, CSIRO Limited number of samples Protocols for approving specimen use Limited human capacity in curation and analysis Medium-term tuna samples Not leveraging key strength

Case study – bigeye tuna At what size do they reach sexual maturity? How old are bigeye tuna? Is there a sex-specific difference in growth rate? Is this pattern the same across the Pacific?

Case study – bigeye tuna

Case study – yellowfin tuna Some studies suggest average mercury content in yellowfin has increased over time Public health perspective is that yellowfin tuna is more risky as a food source (too risky?) Is this the real story/true? Why is this occurring? Is it a new issue? Is it getting worse? Is it common across all tuna species? Does it also happen in the Pacific? Does it impact all the Pacific islands the same way?

Case study – yellowfin tuna Uses existing tissue bank Integrates data from other studies Bioaccumulation with size Latitudinal gradient

Case study – yellowfin tuna Remove size and sampling location biases from data Look at trends for area over 15 years No obvious or statistical trend

Case study – sea cucumber A target of ‘blue boats’ Tissue bank collections could lead to EEZ-specific (or finer) profiling of sea cucumber stocks Poaching could be genetically identified, leading to better prosecution of IUU fishing www.abc.net.au

Web-portal for regional access Why we need a better specimen bank Expand scope - include coastal and include ecosystems Better storage - long-term storage for long-term monitoring, more structured storage for better access More analytical options – laboratory equipment and human capacity Web-portal for regional access

Why we need a better specimen bank Regular curation and broad spectrum analysis at sample entry point to the bank, a continuous supply of high value data  can answer your questions more quickly Develop a living laboratory with capacity development a day-to-day activity  an excellent tool for the young generation of scientists of the Pacific to learn about and develop regional knowledge about the biological resources of their region for the livelihoods of their families and communities

Questions for a tissue bank - now Is heavy metal accumulation going to accelerate with ocean acidification? Where do those fish come from? Has population connectivity been affected by climate change?

Next steps Hear your views Undertake a project to develop a business case Seek seed funding for the full proposal Keep improving the WCPFC TTB in the interim