Marine Resources Center (MRC)
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The Marine Resources Center (MRC) is a highly advanced facility for maintaining, culturing, and providing aquatic organisms essential to advanced biological, biomedical, and ecological research. Research is partitioned into two programs: The Program in Sensory Biology and Neuroethology; and The Program in Scientific Aquaculture.
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Browsing Marine Resources Center (MRC) by Subject "Aquaculture"
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ArticleInfluence of host genetic origin and geographic location on QPX disease in northern quahogs (=hard clams), Mercenaria mercenaria(National Shellfisheries Association, 2007-04) Ragone Calvo, Lisa M. ; Ford, Susan E. ; Kraeuter, John N. ; Leavitt, Dale F. ; Smolowitz, Roxanna M. ; Burreson, Eugene M.QPX (Quahog Parasite Unknown) a protistan pathogen of northern quahogs (=hard clams), Mercenaria mercenaria, has caused disease outbreaks in maritime Canada, and in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, USA. Although epizootics have occurred in wild hard clam populations, the parasite has most seriously affected cultured hard clams, suggesting that aquaculture practices may promote or predispose clams to the disease. In this investigation the influence of clam genetic origin and the geographic location at where they are grown on QPX disease susceptibility was examined in a common garden experiment. Aquaculture stocks were acquired from hatcheries in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida and spawned at a single hatchery in Virginia. All stocks were originally, although not exclusively, derived from wild hard clam populations from each state. The seed clams were deployed at two sites, New Jersey and Virginia, and evaluated during the subsequent 2.5 y for growth, survival, and QPX disease. At both sites, South Carolina- and Florida-derived clam stocks exhibited significantly higher QPX prevalence and lower survival than New Jersey and Massachusetts clam stocks. Levels in the Virginia stock were intermediate. In Virginia, mortality at the termination of the experiment was 78%, 52%, 36%, 33%, and 20% in the Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey hard clam stocks, respectively. Mortality was significantly correlated with QPX prevalence. Maximum QPX prevalence in the South Carolina and Florida stocks ranged from 19% to 21% and 27% to 29%, respectively, whereas in the Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts stocks prevalence was 10% or less. Similar trends were observed in New Jersey where mortality at the termination of the experiment was estimated to be 53%, 40%, 20%, 6%, and 4% in the Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey clam stocks, respectively. QPX prevalence peaked at 18% in the Florida stock, 38% in the South Carolina, 18% in the Virginia, and 5% in the New Jersey and Massachusetts stocks. These results suggest that host genotype is an important determinant in susceptibility to QPX disease. As such, hard clam culturist should consider the genetic origin of clam seed stocks an important component of their QPX disease avoidance/management strategies.
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ArticleThe lesser Pacific Striped Octopus, Octopus chierchiae: an emerging laboratory model(Frontiers Media, 2021-12-13) Grearson, Anik G. ; Dugan, Alison ; Sakmar, Taylor ; Sivitilli, Dominic M. ; Gire, David H. ; Caldwell, Roy L. ; Niell, Cristopher M. ; Dölen, Gül ; Wang, Z. Yan ; Grasse, BretCephalopods have the potential to become useful experimental models in various fields of science, particularly in neuroscience, physiology, and behavior. Their complex nervous systems, intricate color- and texture-changing body patterns, and problem-solving abilities have attracted the attention of the biological research community, while the high growth rates and short life cycles of some species render them suitable for laboratory culture. Octopus chierchiae is a small octopus native to the central Pacific coast of North America whose predictable reproduction, short time to maturity, small adult size, and ability to lay multiple egg clutches (iteroparity) make this species ideally suited to laboratory culture. Here we describe novel methods for multigenerational culture of O. chierchiae, with emphasis on enclosure designs, feeding regimes, and breeding management. O. chierchiae bred in the laboratory grow from a 3.5 mm mantle length at hatching to an adult mantle length of approximately 20–30 mm in 250–300 days, with 15 and 14% survivorship to over 400 days of age in first and second generations, respectively. O. chierchiae sexually matures at around 6 months of age and, unlike most octopus species, can lay multiple clutches of large, direct-developing eggs every ∼30–90 days. Based on these results, we propose that O. chierchiae possesses both the practical and biological features needed for a model octopus that can be cultured repeatedly to address a wide range of biological questions.