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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Orono, Maine » National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #371585

Research Project: Genetic Improvement Of Marine Fish and Shellfish

Location: National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center

Title: From sequence to consequence: Genomic selection to expand and improve selective breeding for the eastern oyster

Author
item GUO, XIMING - Rutgers University
item ALLEN, STANDISH - Virginia Institute Of Marine Science
item Proestou, Dina
item ALLAM, BASSEM - Stony Brook University
item GOMEZ-CHIARRI, MARTA - University Of Rhode Island
item HARE, MATTHEW - Cornell University
item LIU, MING - Morgan State University
item LOTTERHOOS, KATIE - Northeastern University
item PLOUGH, LOUIS - University Of Maryland
item PURITZ, JONATHAN - University Of Rhode Island
item RAWSON, PAUL - University Of Maine
item SMALL, JESSICA - Virginia Institute Of Marine Science
item WIKFORS, GARY - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
item WILBUR, AMI - University Of North Carolina-Wilmington

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Eastern oyster supports an important aquaculture industry along the east coast of the United States. The sustainable development of eastern oyster farming depends on continued improvement of cultured stocks through advanced breeding technologies. The Eastern Oyster Breeding Consortium (EOBC) was formed to advance genetics and breeding of the Eastern oyster for the aquaculture industry. Members of EOBC have developed oyster strains with improved disease resistance through selective breeding and sequenced the Eastern oyster genome. In this project funded by NOAA Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the consortium seeks to accelerate and expand eastern oyster breeding for all growing regions on the east coast by developing, testing, and verifying genome-based breeding. The project is developing a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for efficient genotyping. The SNP array will be used to characterize selected lines and establish genotype-phenotype association for key production traits such as resistance/tolerance of diseases, low-salinity tolerance, and ocean acidification and hypoxia. The array will be used to implement genomic selection at several breeding programs. Lines produced by genomic selection and traditional breeding will be evaluated in seven states along the Atlantic coast to identify best performing stocks for each region. The development and implementation of these tools are expected to accelerate genetic improvement of the Eastern oyster, by streamlining the breeding process, increasing selection precision, lowering long-term costs and enabling advanced breeding across the region. The project has begun whole-genome resequencing for SNP discovery and array design. Latest results will be presented and discussed.