The COMES aquaculture lab at HMSC currently focuses on a range of topics important in the cultivation of shellfish and seaweeds.
Selective breeding of Pacific oysters: Oyster cultivation is economically the most important aquaculture activity on the US Pacific coast with annual harvests exceeding $90 million in value. Over a 27-year period of selection, COMES’s Molluscan Broodstock Program (MBP) improved oyster yields by up to 70% by enhancement of both growth and survival, potentially increasing harvest values by many millions of dollars. MBP is “passing the baton” to a new USDA/ARS program to continue with broodstock selection, with assistance from MBP. Going forward, MBP will focus on some basic research questions in support of the ARS program, such as the genetic and immunity basis of disease resistance.
Probiotics and innate immunity of shellfish: A “cocktail” of probiotics has been developed that protects oyster larvae from the highly pathogenic bacterium Vibrio corralliityicus. Based on gene expression studies, exposure of early developing larvae to these probiotics “primes” their immune system. The application of probiotics may greatly enhance the commercial production of oyster hatcheries by reducing the frequency of disease outbreaks.
Seaweed culture and urchins: The “dulse tastes like bacon” story resulted in the American public becoming much more aware of the taste and nutritional value of seaweed. In addition, research by COMES’s Dr. Jung Kwon and Japanese colleagues showed that dietary additions of dulse can reduce lipid accumulation in the livers of diabetes-prone mice. Research at HMSC has resulted in the establishment of several commercial dulse farms on the Oregon coast and in other Pacific states. Visit the lab's website.
