Location: National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center
Project Number: 8030-10600-001-018-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2025
End Date: Jun 30, 2026
Objective:
The first objective is to develop improved stocks for performance in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and net pens. Off-flavor reduction has been identified as a key industry priority following increasing interest in using land-based RAS for Atlantic salmon production. To determine if selective breeding may be applied to reduce off-flavor in the Agriculture Research service breeding population, a robust challenge model to test for off-flavor development in Atlantic salmon needs to be developed and employed.
The second objective is to develop strategies to reduce on-farm losses to pests and pathogens in salmon aquaculture. This will involve aiding efforts to develop a captive breeding program for Gulf of Maine lumpfish to provide sea lice biocontrol in net-pen-reared Atlantic salmon, as well as developing and improving sea lice therapeutic strategies in Atlantic salmon aquaculture.
The third objective is to improve spawning strategies to increase reproductive efficiency in Atlantic salmon. This will include investigations into using gene editing technologies and identifying and using hormonal/metabolite biomarkers for determining reproductive success.
The fourth objective is to optimize nutrient utilization and production practices in Atlantic salmon aquaculture. This will be achieved through investigations into novel feed ingredients for nutrient profiling and digestibility, fecal stability and growth performance trials, and evaluation of complete diet formulations.
Approach:
To develop improved stocks for performance in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and net pens, three challenge model delivery methods will be explored to consistently produce off-flavor in Atlantic salmon: (i) dosing a static bath with off-flavor compounds, (ii) adding off-flavor compounds to fish feeds, or (iii) inducing natural production of off-flavor compounds in recirculating aquaculture systems. To develop strategies to reduce on-farm losses to pests and pathogens in salmon aquaculture, wild-caught lumpfish will be caught, reared, and spawned to develop a captive brood population for use as biocontrol in Atlantic salmon net-pens. Therapeutic development for sea lice control will also be explored through louse/salmon molecular profiling and in vitro and in vivo experimental efficacy and safety trials. To improve spawning strategies to increase reproductive efficiency in Atlantic salmon, multiple gene editing technologies will be applied and compared and preliminarily identified as well as novel hormonal and metabolite biomarkers for reproduction will be validated and employed to track reproductive development and success. To optimize nutrient utilization and production practices in Atlantic salmon aquaculture, novel feed ingredients will be evaluated for nutrient content and digestibility and fecal stability. Promising ingredients will be evaluated via growth performance trials and varying complete diet formulations.