1. Welcome!
Benoit Eudeline PhD, Hatchery production Manager

2. Pacific Northwest Shellfish Aquaculture

3. Overview Mussel remote setting and farming Shellfish breeding programs
Geoduck culture

4. Taylor Shellfish in numbers
400 employees in USA , employees in foreign sites
Annual US Payroll : $ 16 million USD
Annual sales:
US Farms: $ 35 million USD
(28% export sales to Asia: $9.8 millions)
Foreign entities: $ 10 million USD
US production in 2007
38,600,000 oysters (Half shell, frozen, shocked)
4,250,000 lbs of Manila Clams (1,930 M/Ton)
1,250,000 lbs of Mussels (568 M/Ton)
493,000 lbs of Geoduck (224 M/Ton)

5. 1 nursery in Hawaii
5 farms in Canada
12 farms in the US
1 retail store in Hong Kong
9,300 acres of farms
2,930 acres farmed
1 Pearl oyster farm in Fiji
1 farm in Mexico

6. Estimated 2005 West Coast Cultured Shellfish Production
OYSTERS
CLAMS
MUSSELS
GEODUCKS
% of shellfish
88.6 8
2.6
0.8
% of sales ($) 77 15 3 5

7. Oyster varieties
Kumamoto
Olympia
Pacifics
European Flat

8. Pacific oyster Introduced from Japan ~ 1921
Crassostrea gigas
Dominant species cultured today on the West Coast of the United States

9. Kumamoto oysters Crassostrea sikamea
Initially introduced by Washington Dept. of Fisheries
In 1947 and called the “Western Gem”

10. Olympia oysters
Ostrea lurida

11. European flat oysters
Ostrea edulis

12. Virginicas
Crassostrea virginica

13. Manila clam culture

14. Manila clam culture

15. Geoduck Culture

16. Mussel Culture

17. Cultivated species

18. The Mediterranean “gallo” mussel
1980s several people culturing what they understood to be M. edulis in Puget Sound, Washington
crops plagued by haemic neoplasia
1984 Kamilche Seafarms acquired seed from Ted Kuiper, a Northern California oyster and clam seed producer
Miraculous survival

19. Re-evaluation of West Coast species
(Mc Donald and Koehn)
Mytilus trossulus – Alaska to about Central California
Mytilus galloprovincialis – Central California and south
Kamilche Seafarms had inadvertently imported gallos to Puget Sound which were resistant to haemic neoplasia prior to the species differentiation

20. Gallos versus trossulus
Resistant to haemic neoplasia
Generally larger
Lives for several years
Thicker shinier shell
Less dense byssal threads
Winter spawner
Orange female gonad, white male gonad
Plagued by haemic neoplasia causing severe annual mortality
Stronger, denser byssal thread
Summer spawner

21. Why remote setting of mussels?
Is your problem lack of seed/larvae in natural waters or is it poor survival of naturally caught seed?
It is a lot cheaper to solve nursery problems in the “wild” than trying to spawn larvae in a hatchery and nurture seed in a land based system!

22. Why remote setting of mussels?
Seed availability (varies but more or less consistent)
Optimize production period by spawning at different time of the year (Feb-march) and (Aug-Sept)
Spread production, spread the risk
Choice of species - Gallos in Washington
- Edulis in Canada
Selection, triploids

23. Hatchery seed production

24. Traditional commercial larvae production
Large static culture tanks (6000 to 12,000 gallons),
(Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, Tillamook, Or)

25. Traditional algae production
Batch culture in large static tanks

26. High density flow-through larvae culture=

27. “Traditional” static larval rearing system
10,000 to 12,000 gallon fiberglass
Static water, drained every 2-3 days
Temperature drops
“Batch” feeding twice a day
Algae concentration decreasing with time
1 to 5 larvae/ml

28. High density larval rearing system
200 liter fiberglass conical tanks
Flow through water supply
-Continuous water and algae supply
-Continuous elimination of waste products
100 to 150 larvae/ml
Flexibility
-Small tanks
-Time (cleaning, filling)
-Harvesting flexibility

29. Mussel larvae Larvae cycle about 14 days Raised at 18 degree Celcius
Set at microns,
micron screen size

30. 3 remote setting techniques
Seed set on window screen frames
Seed set on ropes / mesh bags
Single seed in downwellers

31. Window screen frames 3 to 8 weeks in tanks (1 to 3 mm)
2 feet x 8 feet, stacked 15 high
Easy to handle and transport
Reusable
Low labor
Seed is protected from “rubbing”
Good for over wintering
High density and flow can become a problem
3 to 8 weeks in tanks (1 to 3 mm)

32. Ropes and mesh bags Standard polyethylene or knitted
Polypropylene ropes.
10 to 15 feet length
Labor intensive
Subject to “rubbing”, loss of seed
Good survival and growth once on the farm (less dense than frames)
3 to 8 weeks in tanks (1 to 3 mm)

33. Downweller mussel seed
Not used anymore as main source of seed production
Used to grow “fall-off” seed
Heavy labor
Crowding
Costly

34. Setting densities 9 x 9 tanks Set 6000 feet of ropesOR
60 frames (4 stacks)
20 million larvae
100 USD/ set frame
1 dollar/foot set rope

35. Raft culture 69 rafts 10m x 10m, 3 pontoons 10,000 feet of ropes
10 to 15 feet ropes
720 to 1000 ropes per raft
Harvest 50,000 pounds/raft
=25,000 pounds after processing
17 to 18 month cycle
45 to 50 rafts harvested each year

36. Seed transfer to rafts
Predator exclusion is very important !

37. Seed thinning and socking

38. Mussel harvest

39. Mussel harvest

40. Mussel processing

41. Is remote setting cost efficient?
It depends of the wholesale price of your product!
In washington:
Seed cost to produce 1,200,000 pounds is about 200,000 USD:
cost of hatchery is 17 cents/pound
Farmer gets 1 USD/pound  Viable
In New Zealand:
Farmer gets 20 cent/pound (green mussel)
 not viable without reducing hatchery cost!

42. Shellfish Breeding programs
Western Regional Aquaculture Center

43. Why a breeding Program? Improve production and reduce cost
Improve yield (combine growth rate and survivorship)
Uniform growth rate (reduces handling, harvest cost..)
Reduce inbreeding
Selection for disease resistance (Morest…)
Improve marketability of the product
Triploids and summer availability
Breeding for “looks” (shell/mantle color, shell patterns in clams…)

44. Fundamental question:
WHAT TO SELECT FOR?
Breeding programs fail because the “selected” product, after many years and many millions is not worth the extra cost to the industry!
Have an extensive discussion with the industry about what is important to them!

45. Strategies for Genetic Improvement
Western Regional Aquaculture Center
Selection
Crossbreeding
“Breeding Value” X
Inbred lines
“Hybrid Vigor” P1 P2

46. Quantitative Genetics to Stock Improvement
Fundamental Assumptions:
Polygenic inheritance
Heritable traits such as growth or yield are determined by many loci that results in continuous phenotypic (e.g. measurable) variation in those traits
Focus of program on measuring phenotypes under controlled, replicated, growing conditions
Long track record of breeding success in plants
and animals (including oysters!)

47. Quantitative Genetics
Relationships between the phenotype and genotype due to different genetic mechanisms
Dominance Alleles at a single locus interact, but are not inherited under random mating
Epistasis Loci may interact to produce a phenotype, but are not inherited under random mating
Additivity Loci contribute to the phenotype independently and may be inherited under random mating

48. Selection differential
Quantitative Genetics Fundamentals
Selection differential
P = G + E
Phenotypic variance
(this is measurable)
Environmental variance
(error)
Genetic variance
(inherited differences)
Looking for difference in average phenotype between pre-selection and post selection generations
Population average
“Breeding Value”
Selected individuals
Post-selection average

49. h2 = Heritability Offspring Value for Trait Parental Value for Trait
By comparing phenotypes of related individuals, we can determine
the degree that genetic differences account for the observed variation
Offspring
Value for
Trait
Parental Value for Trait
h2 high

50. Molluscan Broodstock Program
Started in 1996, OSU, Chris Langdon
Pair mating/Mass selection
Selection based on yield
2 cohorts a year
50 families in each cohort
Families assessed my measuring the total weight= YIELD (growth+survival)

51. PERFORMANCE OF MBP FAMILIES AFTER 2 GENERATIONS OF SELECTION
MBP Cohorts:
Founder
Population
1st
Generation
2nd
3rd
4th
Cohort 1
1996
Yaquina, OR Tomales, CA
Willapa, WA
PW Sound, AK
Cohort 2
Yaquina, OR
Cohort 3
1997
Westcott, WA
Cohort 4
Sequim, WA
Cohort 6
1998
Cohort 13
2002
Dabob, WA
Cohort 5
Yaquina, OR Totten, WA
Cohort 7
1999
Tomales, CA
Cohort 8
Cohort 9
2000
Totten, WA
Cohort 10
Cohort 15
2003
Cohort 16
Cohort 14
Cohort 11
2001
Dabob x Dabob
Willapa x Willapa
Dabob x Willapa
Pipestem x
Pipestem
Willapa
Japan
C. gigas
Cohort 17
2004
Cohort 18
2005
Cohort 19
Cohort 20
2006
Thorndyke, WA
Peterson, AK
Cohort 21
Cohort 22
(2009?)
C. sikamea J1
Quarantine K1
2008 J2
2007
Yaquina
Pipestem line P4

52. Realized heritability for yield = 0.46
Compare with the yields of families derived from unselected industry broodstock – 100%. Average for G2 families – yields are 34% greater than those from industry broodstock. Top 5 families from each cohort have an average yield that is 77% greater than that of industry oysters

53. Yields of G2 MBP families compared to non-selected controls
(controls consist of families derived from “wild” and industry non-selected broodstock)
Cohort 16
Cohort 15
Cohort 14
Cohort 17
Cohort 10
Control (100%)
350%
- Pipestem line
300%
250%
200%
% improvement compared with control
150%
100%
Looking more carefully – blue are cohort 1 of the Pipestem line. Outstanding yields compared to other cohorts. The top two families were each created by crossing
50% 0%
h2r for yield = 0.46
% change/gen = 16.7%
Family
Average
control

54. SIX INBRED PARENTAL LINES FOR THREE TOP-PERFORMING C14
FAMILIES HAVE BEEN CREATED
Cohort 16
Cohort 15
Cohort 14
Cohort 17
Cohort 10
Control (100%)
350%
Adam & Eve
- Pipestem line
Yin & Yang
Salt & Pepper
300%
250%
200%
% improvement compared with control
150%
100%
Looking more carefully – blue are cohort 1 of the Pipestem line. Outstanding yields compared to other cohorts. The top two families were each created by crossing
50% 0%
Family

55. GROWOUT Eve SEED Adam HATCHERIES WILL CROSS INBRED LINES FOR
PRODUCTION OF HIGH-PERFORMING SEED FOR GROWERS
Eve
Continue inbred line x
Eve
GROWOUT
Eve
Eve x
Eve x
SEED
Adam x
Adam
One of the simplest ways of amplifying a family is to cross siblings to create an inbred family. One cross can create millions of progeny. This can be done either at MBP or in a commercial hatchery. In other words, commercial hatcheries should be able to continue inbred lines indefinitely by continually crossing siblings without the need to import new broodstock from MBP. The commercial hatcheries can then cary out the crossed among the inbred lines to generation the desired top-performing cross for growut.
Adam
Adam x
Adam
Continue inbred line
MBP
COMMERCIAL HATCHERIES

56. ESTABLSHMENT OF A COMMERCIAL REPOSITORY TO
SUPPLY HATCHERIES WITH INBRED PARENTAL LINES
AMPLIFICATION OF
SELECTED
INBRED LINES
DISTRIBUTION OF
SELECTED
INBRED LINES
CROSS SELECTED
INBRED LINES
PLANT AND SELL PROGENY
MBP
GROWERS
REPOSITORY
HATCHERIES
SELECTION
CYCLE
SALES
A repository has been estaqblished to safely maintain desirable broodstock.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

57. Hybrids=Hybrid vigor?
Western Regional Aquaculture Center
Based on the agriculture example (corn industry……)
Testing the “combinability” of inbred lines

58. (Shull’s 1908 photographs & drawings)
Hybrid Vigor in Corn
Strain B
(Shull’s 1908 photographs & drawings)
BB
BA
AB
AA
G. H. Shull (1950) Beginnings of the Heterosis Concept. In Heterosis, J. W. Gowan, ed. Iowa State College Press
Strain A

59. U.S. Yields & Kinds of Corn
Civil War to 2006
double cross
open-pollinated
single cross
b=0.02
b=1.04
b=1.83
Crossbreeding has resulted in a 7X increase in yield, ~60% of which is genetic. Our preliminary data suggest that a doubling of oyster yield could be achieved with current elite inbred lines. Note that a doubling of yield in corn took ~20 years. How would we know? We need yield data.
(after Crow, years ago: The beginning of hybrid maize. Genetics 148: )

60. Hybrid Testing
1000s of inbred lines
10s of inbred lines

61. Hybrid Vigor in the Pacific Oyster
4.03 cm
66
6.10 cm
76
3. 35 cm
77
6.55 cm
67
Hybrids exceed the performance of the better parent
(Hedgecock, et al Aquaculture)

62. “Best of Best” Crosses
Comparison of promising crosses to wild Willapa stock. We should be able to double yield! Note reciprocal effects.

63. Geoduck Culture

64. Geoduck facts Panopea abrupta Largest bivalve in North America
Oldest found was 165 years old
Can be over 15 pound and 2 meter long
From California to Alaska, but mostly Washington, British Columbia and Alaska
Diving fishery was created in 1970
First culture in 1980’s by WDFW
Wholesale price of USD/pound
Retail price in Asia 30 USD/pound
Evergreen College mascot in Olympia,Wa

65. Current Geographical Scope
Current Acreage in Geoduck Farms
Approximately acres throughout Puget Sound
Limited Areas Available for Geoduck Farming

66. Hatchery culture
20 days larvae cycle
60 days nursery cycle
8 to 15 mm

67. Seed transfer to the farm
Direct seeding
Bay nursery/holding

68. Preparing the planting site

69. Planting the seed LABOR INTENSIVE !!! 3 seeds per tube
40 to 60,000 seed per tide
Net removed after 1 year and replaced with larger net
Tubes and net removed after 18 month
LABOR INTENSIVE !!!

70. Ready for harvest!
Geoducks harvested after 5 to 6 years: at to 2 pounds
6 year

71. Mature geoduck bed

72. Geoduck harvest

73. Geoduck harvest

74. Geoduck harvest = Dirty Job

75. The challenges of shellfish seed supply
Shellfish hatcheries are highly dependent on fluctuating natural conditions
West coast hatcheries facing great challenges:
Vibrio tubiashii
Low pH
Dead zone of Oregon coast (low/no oxygen)
Hatcheries can adapt and modify water quality but not the farms!

76. Questions? Benoit Eudeline Hatchery Production Manager
Research & Development
Taylor Resources Hatchery
701 Broadspit Rd
Quilcene, Wa 98376
(360)
Questions?