Project Number: 6225-31630-006-01
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 01, 2011
End Date: Sep 30, 2013

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative agreement is to conduct collaborative research between the Harry K. Dupree-Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Auburn University to characterize changes in gene expression in superior and inferior performing hybrid striped bass with a principal focus on growth and resistance to pathogens.

Approach:
Our approaches are two-fold: 1) Families of hybrid striped bass will be reared in communal ponds for a set duration to determine the performance of different families. After which, various tissues from the fastest and slowest growing fish will be collected and samples will be sent to Cooperator for gene expression analysis. 2) Families of hybrid striped bass will be challenged with Flavobacterium columnare. Tissues from naïve fish, moribund fish, and surviving fish will be isolated and sent to Cooperator for gene expression analysis.