Broodstock Oysters are first conditioned in a flow-through system
where elevated water temperature and algal food supply encourage egg and sperm production. Once acceptable reproductive condition
is reached, animals are strip-spawned and sperm from a single male is used to fertilize eggs from a single female. Fertilized eggs
develop into swimming larvae within 24 hours and remain free-swimming for approximately 2 weeks. Larvae are fed on algae and grow from
the D-larval stage to the eyed larval stage. Family-specific larval rearing tanks are required in order to keep pedigreed families separate.
The MBP hatchery can hold up to 60 separate family groups. After approximately two weeks post-spawn, eyed larvae are retained on a 240 μm
sieve and exposed to epinephrine, inducing metamorphosis of swimming pediveliger larvae to become sessile juvenile “spat”.
The spat are then moved to the upweller nursery system.
