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ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPENDIX B (Review Summary Report) 111 INTRODUCTION The U.S. aquaculture industry continues to be one of the
fastest growing sectors within U.S. agriculture, although at a lesser rate than what
occurred during the 1980s. Production in 1994 reached 666 million pounds and generated
approximately $751 million for producers. The impact of U.S. aquaculture is substantial
accounting for approximately 181,000 jobs and generating an estimated $5.6 billion
annually. Yet, anticipated growth in the industry, both in magnitude and in species
diversity, continues to fall short of expectations. Much of what is known about aquaculture science is a result
of institutional attention given to our traditional capture of wild fisheries with the
goal of releasing cultured fishes into public waters for enhancement of declining public
stocks. Despite extensive efforts to manage wild populations for a sustained yield, as a
nation we consume substantially greater amounts than we produce. Much of the United
States' demand for seafood has been met by imports. The U.S. imports over 40% of its fish
and shellfish and, after Japan, is the world's second largest importer of seafood.
Fisheries imports are the largest contributor to the U.S. trade deficit among agricultural
products, and the second largest after petroleum, among all natural resources products.
The value of imported fisheries products more than doubled during the 1980s and has
continued to increase in the 1990s. In fact, the $12.5 billion value for 1995 was a
record. In 1995, the trade deficit was $4.2 billion for all fisheries products, $3.5
billion of which was for edible fish and shellfish. Landings for most commercial capture fisheries species and
recreational fisheries of the United States have been relatively stable during the last
decade, with many fish stocks being overexploited. In this situation, aquaculture provides
an opportunity to reduce the trade deficit and meet the rising U.S. demand for fish
products. A strong domestic aquaculture industry is needed to increase U.S. production of
fish and shellfish. This can be achieved by a partnership among the Federal Government,
State and local public institutions, and the private sector with expertise in aquaculture
development. Congress recognized the opportunity for making significant
progress in aquaculture development in 1980 by passage of the National Aquaculture Act
(P.L. 96-362). Congress amended the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-113) in Title XIV of the Agriculture and Food Act of
1981 (P.L. 97-98) by granting authority to establish aquaculture research, development,
and demonstration centers in the United States in association with colleges and
universities, State Departments of Agriculture, Federal facilities, and non-profit private
research institutions. Five such centers have been established: one in each of the
northeastern, north central, southern, western, and tropical/subtropical Pacific regions
of the country. The 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (FAIR) (P.L.
104-127) otherwise know as the Farm Bill, has reauthorized the Regional Aquaculture Center
program at $7.5 million per annum. As used here, a center refers to an administrative
center. Centers do not provide monies for brick-and-mortar development. Centers encourage
cooperative and collaborative aquaculture research and extension educational programs that
have regional or national application. Center programs complement and strengthen other
existing research and extension educational programs provided by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and other public institutions. As a matter of policy, centers implement
their programs by using institutional mechanisms and linkages that are in place in the
public and private sector. The mission of the Regional Aquaculture Centers (RACs) is
to support aquaculture research, development, demonstration, and extension education to
enhance viable and profitable U.S. aquaculture production which will benefit consumers,
producers, service industries, and the American economy. The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) was
established in February 1988. It serves as a focal point to assess needs, establish
priorities, and implement research and extension educational programs in the twelve state
agricultural heartland of the United States which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and
Wisconsin. NCRAC also provides coordination of interregional and national programs through
the National Coordinating Council for Aquaculture (NCC). The council is composed of the
RAC directors and USDA aquaculture personnel. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Michigan State University (MSU) and Iowa State University
(ISU) work together to develop and administer programs of NCRAC through a memorandum of
understanding. MSU is the prime contractor for the Center and has administrative
responsibilities for its operation. The Director of NCRAC is located at MSU. ISU shares in
leadership of the Center through an office of the Associate Director who is responsible
for all aspects of the Center's publications, technology transfer and outreach activities.
At the present time the staff of NCRAC at MSU includes Ted R. Batterson, Director and Liz Bartels, Executive Secretary. The Center Director has the following responsibilities:
At the present time the staff of NCRAC's Office for Publications and Extension Administration at ISU includes Joseph E. Morris, Associate Director and Glenda Dike, Secretary. The Associate Director has the following responsibilities:
The Board of Directors (BOD) is the primary policy-making
body of the NCRAC. The BOD has established an Industry Advisory Council (IAC) and
Technical Committee (TC). Membership of the BOD consists of two persons from the IAC (the
chair and an at-large member), a representative from the region's State Agricultural
Experiment Stations and Cooperative Extension Services, a member from a non-land grant
university and representatives from the two universities responsible for the center:
Michigan State and Iowa State. The IAC is composed of representatives from each state's
aquaculture association and six at-large members appointed by the BOD who represent
various sectors of the aquaculture industry and the region as a whole. The TC is composed
of a sub-committee for Extension (TC/E) and a subcommittee for Research (TC/R). Directors
of the Cooperative Extension Service within the North Central Region appoint
representatives to the TC/E. The TC/R has broad regional make-up and is composed of
scientists from universities and state agencies with varied aquacultural expertise who are
appointed by the BOD. Each sub-committee of the TC has a chairperson who serves as an
ex-officio member of the BOD. NCRAC functions in accordance with its Operations
Manual which is periodically amended and updated with BOD approval. It is an evolving
document that has changed as the Center's history lengthens. It is used for the
development of the cooperative regional aquaculture and extension projects that NCRAC
funds. ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS Since inception of NCRAC February 1, 1988, the role of the
Administrative Center has been to provide all necessary support services to the BOD, IAC,
TC, and project work groups for the North Central Region as well as representing the
region on the NCC. As the scope of the NCRAC programs expand, this has entailed a greater
work load and continued need for effective communication among all components of the
Center and the aquaculture community. The Center functions in the following manner.
To date, the Center has funded or is funding 39 projects
through 224 subcontracts from the nine grants received. Funding for all Center supported
projects, except for Publications and development of an Aquaculture Situation and Outlook
Report, is summarized in Table 1 below (pages 7-8). During this reporting period, the Publications Office at
ISU produced and distributed a number of publications including fact sheets, technical
bulletins, videos, and the Center's newsletter. A complete list of all publications from
this office is included in Appendix A under Extension. Other areas of support by the Administrative Office during
this reporting period included: monitoring research and extension activities and
developing progress reports; facilitating a program review of the Center (see Appendix B
which contains the reviewers' summary report); developing liaisons with appropriate
institutions, agencies and clientele groups; preparing, in coordination with the other
RACs, both written and oral testimony for the U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee on
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies hearing
in Washington, D.C.; participating in the NCC; numerous oral and written presentations to
both professional and lay audiences; working with other fisheries and aquaculture programs
throughout the North Central Region; and in conjunction with the Aquaculture Network
Information Center (AquaNIC) creating a NCRAC web site
(http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/aquanic/ncrac.htm). PROJECT DEVELOPMENT A joint Program Planning meeting of the BOD, IAC, and TC is
held every year in the early winter. The IAC, with input from the TC, generates a list of
priority areas for consideration by the BOD. Using their recommendation as guidelines, the
BOD then selects priority areas for which project outlines will be developed. The BOD also
specifies a maximum funding level for each priority area. Problem statements and
objectives are then developed for each priority area by IAC and TC members at the Program
Planning meeting. For projects with more than one objective, the IAC ranks the objectives
by priority. The problem statement and objective(s) are then included in a workshop
announcement that is broadly distributed throughout the North Central Region. The
workshops are one-day events to establish a work group that will develop a project outline
over the summer months. Work group members will be those who have demonstrated that they
have the expertise and facilities for undertaking the proposed work in regard to a
particular objective or objectives. The proposed work cannot deviate from the objective or
objectives included in the workshop announcement. The work group elects a chair and
secretary. The chair is responsible for submitting the project outline to the NCRAC
Director; the secretary is responsible for preparing minutes from the workshop that are
distributed to all attendees. All project outlines are peer reviewed. The reviewers'
comments are used by the BOD in making the final selection of projects and level of
funding at the following year's annual Program Planning meeting. All work group members
are apprised of the BOD decisions. Revisions of projects approved by the BOD are submitted
by the work group chair to the NCRAC Director. The revised project outlines are then
included in a POW that is submitted to USDA. Upon approval by USDA, the Center issues
subcontracts to the funded work group members. TIME FRAME Program Planning meeting: early winter. Workshops: late-spring, early summer. Project outlines developed over the summer by work group members who participated in the workshops. These project outlines are then submitted to the Center in the fall and peer reviewed. The Board of Directors at the following year's Program Planning meeting selects the projects to be funded. Project outline revised and submitted to the Center by May. Revised projects are then submitted in June as a POW (or an
amendment to a POW) to USDA for approval. Once approved by USDA subcontracts are let by
the Center with a start date of September 1. By following this procedure, it takes approximately 18
months from the time of identifying a priority area until inception of a project to
address the issue in question. WORKSHOPS The purpose of the workshops is to bring together those who are best qualified to work on project objectives by virtue of a demonstrated record of expertise and access to facilities required in the project. These people form a work group for the purpose of writing a project outline to address the problem in question. The following criteria typically apply to those projects that are funded by NCRAC. Involves participation by two or more states in the North Central Region; requires more scientific manpower, equipment, and facilities than generally available at one location; approach is adaptable and particularly suitable for inter-institutional cooperation resulting in better use of limited resources and a saving of funds; will complement and enhance ongoing extension and research activities by participants, as well as offer potential for expanding these programs; is likely to attract additional support for the work which is not likely to occur through other programs and mechanisms; is sufficiently specific to promise significant accomplishments in a reasonable period to time (usually up to 2 years); can provide the solution to a problem of fundamental importance or fill an information gap; can be organized and conducted on a regional level,
assuring coordinated and complementary contributions by all participants. The NCRAC program pays no overhead to participating
institutions nor tuition remission, has no brick-and-mortar money, and relies on in-place
salaried personnel, equipment, and facilities to carry out the projects. Due to the
collaborative and cooperative nature of these regional projects, no one individual or
institution receives a significant portion of the total project funds. PROJECT REPORTING As indicated in Table 1, the Center has funded a number of
projects for many of the project areas. For example, there have been five separately
funded projects in regard to Extension and six for Walleye. Project outlines have been
written for each separate project within an area, or the project area itself if only one
project. These project outlines have been submitted in POWs or amendments to POWs for the
grants as indicated in Table 1. Many times, the projects within a particular area are
merely continuations of previously funded activities; while at other times they are
addressing new objectives. Presented below are Progress or Termination Reports for all
projects that were underway or completed during the period September 1, 1995 to August 31,
1996. All publications, manuscripts, or papers for all funded NCRAC project areas are listed in Appendix A. Table 1. North Central Regional Aquaculture Center funded projects.
PROJECT TERMINATION OR PROGRESS REPORTS EXTENSION Progress Report for the Period May 1, 1989 to August 31, 1996 NCRAC FUNDING LEVEL: $328,923 (May 1, 1989 to August 31, 1996) PARTICIPANTS:
PROJECT OBJECTIVES (1) Strengthen linkages between North Central Regional
Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) research and extension work groups. (2) Enhance the North Central Region (NCR) extension
network for aquaculture information transfer. (3) Provide in-service training for Cooperative Extension
Service, Sea Grant Advisory Service, and other landowner assistance personnel. (4) Develop and implement aquaculture educational programs
for the NCR. (5) Develop aquaculture materials for the NCR including
extension fact sheets, bulletins, manuals/guides, and instructional video tapes. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS The NCRAC Extension Work Group will promote and advance commercial aquaculture in a responsible fashion through an organized education/training outreach program. The primary benefits will be: increased public awareness through publications, short courses, and conferences regarding the potential of aquaculture as a viable agricultural enterprise in the NCR; technology transfer to enhance current and future production methodologies for selected species, e.g., walleye, hybrid striped bass, yellow perch, salmonids, and sunfish, through hands-on workshops and field demonstration projects; improved lines of communication between interstate aquaculture extension specialists and associated industry contacts; and an enhanced legal and socioeconomic atmosphere for
aquaculture in the NCR. PROGRESS AND PRINCIPAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS OBJECTIVE 1 Due to the efforts of aquaculture extension personnel in
the NCR, NCRAC's Board of Directors formally adopted guidelines for extension's
involvement in all NCRAC-funded projects. These guidelines integrate research and
extension activities so that extension service personnel can better serve their clientele
groups. In addition, aquaculture Extension Work Group members have: Served as extension liaison, if not an active researcher, for every funded NCRAC project. Assisted in writing and developing the NCRAC Walleye Culture Manual that was edited by Bob Summerfelt of Iowa State University. Assisted with the planning, promotion, and implementation of the hybrid striped bass, walleye and yellow perch workshops held throughout the region. Helped conduct a survey of crayfish producers in the NCR and completed a report on Orconectes immunis for inclusion in the Crayfish Work Group report. Provided the NCRAC Economics and Marketing Work Group with information relevant to that group's efforts to develop cost of production budgets and expected revenues for the commercial production of food-sized hybrid striped bass, walleye, and yellow perch in the NCR. Participated as Steering Committee members for a regional public forum regarding the National Aquaculture Development Plan of 1996. Assisted NCRAC in obtaining information on the 1995 status of aquaculture in the NCR. The information will be used to develop NCRAC's regional aquaculture situation and outlook (S&O) report. Extension specialists often coordinated the effort to develop a cover letter, prepare a mailing list and send the survey out and to follow up to assure a high response rate. Conducted educational programs for the Wisconsin
Aquaculture Association on non-indigenous aquatic nuisance species and implications for
aquaculture as well as participating in the annual meeting of the Great Lakes Fish Health
Committee providing input as it relates to aquaculture. OBJECTIVE 2 The demand for aquaculture extension education programs
cannot be met by the few specialists in the NCR (4.0 FTE). Networking of specialists and
Cooperative Extension Service (CES) designated contacts has maximized efficiency of
education programs and minimized duplication. The NCRAC Extension Project is designed to
assess and meet the information needs of the various clientele groups through cooperative
and coordinated regional educational programming. In fact, individual state extension
contacts often respond to 10-15 calls per month from outside their respective state as
well as interacting with colleagues with mutual concerns related to developing aquaculture
activities. Prior to mid-1994 little coordination of international
aquaculture information sharing existed. National and international agencies producing
information could only be obtained by contacting the respective sources of this
information. Also, individual CES personnel relied heavily on information produced by
individual states or through regional cooperative projects. As Internet access extended
beyond educational institutions and governmental agencies, a clear need developed to
utilize the Internet to reach a much broader audience. In the age of an "information
overload" the need for a centralized gateway to the ever increasing number of
aquaculture resources in electronic format was apparent. The development of the Aquaculture Information Network Center (AquaNIC) has been instrumental in reaching the public with valuable and timely information. It has been funded, in part, by NCRAC and has currently over 4,000 contacts per month from more than 50 countries to this web site. AquaNIC receives direction from a national steering committee from public and private sector aquaculture. AquaNIC began on a Gopher Server in July 1994 and moved to a World Wide Web server in January 1996. AquaNIC (http://ag.ansc.purdue. edu/aquanic/) houses more than 1,650 extension publications, governmental documents, image files, comprehensive e-mail lists, newsletters, calendars, job announcements, and résumés. In addition, AquaNIC has 190 pointers to other aquaculture and fisheries related web sites. Ongoing promotional campaigns through mouse pads and access information cards has increased the level of awareness of this new resource available to the world aquaculture industry. It is the gateway to the world's electronic resources in aquaculture including the Regional Aquaculture Centers. AquaNIC also serves as the home of NCRAC's web site (http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/aquanic/). purdue.edu/aquanic/ncrac.htm) which was developed in
conjunction with NCRAC administrative staff and the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program.
The web site provides electronic versions of NCRAC extension publications, directories,
operations manuals and newsletters. Aquaculture handbooks have been developed and distributed
to each NCRAC designated aquaculture extension specialist and selected CES and Sea Grant
field staff member. As with any organization, there have been changes in NCRAC
extension personnel since the inception of the project. Landkamer was the primary
aquaculture extension contact for Minnesota. However, he left the university and
Kapuscinski became the primary contact person until 1992 when Gunderson assumed that
responsibility. In 1994 there were two changes: in Kansas, Neils replaced Henderson and in
Illinois, Kohler replaced Selock. There continues to be changes in NCRAC extension
personnel since the inception of the project; Hochheimer has replaced Ebeling in Ohio
while Lee replaced Neils in Kansas in 1996. OBJECTIVE 3 In-service training for CES and Sea Grant personnel and
other landowner assistance personnel have been held in most of the states in the region.
Training has been in the areas of basic aquaculture and safe seafood handling including
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). OBJECTIVE 4 A number of workshops, conferences, videos, field-site
visits, hands-on training sessions, and other educational programs have been developed and
implemented. There have been workshops on general aquaculture, fish
diseases, commercial recirculation systems, aquaculture business planning, crayfish
culture, pond management, yellow perch and hybrid striped bass culture, rainbow trout
production, in-service training for high school vocational-agricultural teachers and
polyploid induction in sunfish held in the region. Two North Central Aquaculture Conferences (NCAC) have been
held. The first in Kalamazoo, Michigan was held in March 1991. The second was held in
February 1995 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These regional meetings were attended by hundreds
of individuals including persons from Canada. The next conference is scheduled for
February 1997 in Indianapolis, Indiana. On April 10, 1993, over 700 viewers from 35 states and
Canada watched the first national interactive teleconference on aquaculture,
"Investing in Freshwater Aquaculture," that was broadcast from Purdue
University. It was a televised satellite broadcast for potential fish farmers. The program
consisted of 10 five- to seven-minute video tape segments which addressed production
aspects of channel catfish, crayfish, rainbow trout, hybrid striped bass, tilapia, yellow
perch, baitfish, and sportfish. A set of course materials was available prior to the
program. Three times during the program, a question and answer period was available to the
audience through a toll free telephone number. Questions not answered during the program
were answered by mail afterwards. The entire teleconference is available as a videotape
from NCRAC's Publications Office as well as two other videotapes by the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln that are reprises of the broadcast. OBJECTIVE 5 Numerous fact sheets, technical bulletins, and videos have
been written or produced by various participants of the Extension Work Group. These are
listed in the Appendix. WORK PLANNED Efforts will continue in regard to strengthening linkages
between research and extension work groups as well as enhancing the network for
aquaculture information transfer. Participants will also continue to provide in-service
training for CES, Sea Grant, and other landowner assistance personnel. Educational
programs and materials will be developed and implemented. This includes development of a
sunfish culture guide, yellow perch culture guide and videos, hybrid striped bass culture
guide, a publication on fee-fishing (sunfish), tilapia culture information packet and a
publication on yellow perch culture in flowing water systems. Additional workshops developed and hosted by state
extension contacts will be advertised in surrounding states to take advantage of the NCRAC
extension network and the individual expertise of Extension Work Group participants. Several additional NCRAC fact sheets, technical bulletins,
and videos will be developed by various Work Group members. IMPACTS In-service training for CES and Sea Grant personnel has enabled those professionals to respond to initial, routine aquaculture questions from the general public. Development of aquaculture education programs for the NCR has provided "hands-on" opportunities for prospective and experienced producers. Approximately 5,000 individuals have attended workshops or conferences organized and delivered by the NCRAC Extension Work Group. Clientele attending regional workshops learned of aquaculture development strategies in other areas of the country and acquired information which was of direct use to their own enterprises. Education programs also created situations where problems encountered by producers were expressed to extension personnel who later relayed them to researchers at NCRAC work group meetings for possible solutions through the research effort. Fact sheets, technical bulletins, and videos have served to inform a variety of clients about numerous aquaculture practices for the NCR. For instance, "Making Plans for Commercial Aquaculture in the North Central Region" is often used to provide clients with initial information about aquaculture, while species specific publications on walleye, trout, and catfish have been used in numerous regional meetings and have been requested by clients from throughout the United States. Publications on organizational structure for aquaculture businesses, transportation of fish in bags, and others are beneficial to both new and established aquaculturists. In a 1994 survey, NCRAC extension contacts estimated that NCRAC publications were used to address approximately 15,000 client questions annually. NCRAC extension outreach activities have helped to foster a better understanding and awareness for the future development of aquaculture in the region. In the brief time since AquaNIC began more than 25,000
people from 49 countries have chosen to use AquaNIC as an alternative to or in conjunction
with traditional means of obtaining information. Primary users by countries are: U.S.
(40%), Canada (5%), Australia (3%), and the United Kingdom (2%). As a gateway to
electronic resources in aquaculture, AquaNIC has increased the timeliness and variety of
information available to outreach educators, governmental agencies, and individual users
while more effectively utilizing existing personnel resources. AquaNIC can be accessed
anytime and, therefore, alleviates the challenges associated with office hours, time zones
or weekends. Several groups have recognized the benefits AquaNIC provides to the world
aquaculture industry and have established long-term partnerships with AquaNIC to assist
them in distribution of their resources. Key groups using AquaNIC to house their web sites
include: the World Aquaculture Society, NCRAC, Indiana Aquaculture Association, and the
Illinois Aquaculture Industry Association. PUBLICATIONS, MANUSCRIPTS, WORKSHOPS, AND CONFERENCES See Appendix A.SUPPORT
ECONOMICS AND MARKETING Progress Report for the Period September 1, 1993 to August 31, 1996 NCRAC FUNDING LEVEL: $40,000 (September 1,
1993 to August 31, 1996) PARTICIPANTS:
PROJECT OBJECTIVE Develop cost of production budgets and expected revenues
for the raising of yellow perch, walleye and hybrid striped bass (HSB) on farms in the
North Central Region (NCR). ANTICIPATED BENEFITS The overall goal of this collaborative project was to
enhance walleye, yellow perch and HSB production by developing enterprise budgets for
various production systems for these species in the NCR. This supports the mission of the
North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC), especially by conducting research
"for the enhancement of viable and profitable commercial aquacultural production in
the United States for the benefit of producers, consumers, and the American economy."
The cost of production and budgeting components of this
project offer the potential to help in identifying production systems for walleye, yellow
perch and HSB most likely to be commercially viable in the NCR. Information on production
costs is quite limited for these species, especially walleye and yellow perch. Enterprise
budgets for real and prototype systems will enable producers or potential producers to
assess the expected costs for their own operation, for a new operation, or for increased
production in their present operation in an objective and comprehensive manner. This project will benefit the aquaculture industry in the NCR in several ways, even though there are some limitations in using these budgets given the "emerging" status of the industry and the small number of commercial producers in these three species: First, objectively developed cost information is typically more accurate than subjectively developed cost information or no information on costs at all. These budgets will give producers an idea of how enterprise budgets should be organized, what types of data need to be collected, and why good record keeping is essential. The production values and relationships upon which the cost structure are based, while not standardized in the industry, should serve as a rough rule-of-thumb by which aquacultural producers can gauge their management skills. Second, enterprise budgets are an excellent management tool and are the cornerstone for financial analysis of aquaculture operations for producers and investors. These budgets may stimulate potential and current aquacultural producers to put together budgets and analysis for their own unique enterprises. Third, enterprise budgets are also the cornerstone for sensitivity analysis (yet another management tool). Undertaking sensitivity analysis will enable economists, producers and potential producers to better understand the relative importance of cost and production items in the budget and the impact on profitability. Finally, realizing that the budgets produced under the
auspices of this project will not be the final, definitive budgets for production of these
species in the NCR, they will serve as a solid starting base from which to better
understand the potential profitability of alternative species, production systems, life
stages, etc. In a more indirect way, the enterprise budgets will accomplish two other important things. One, the budgets may help guide research and extension decisions concerning HSB, walleye and yellow perch by NCRAC work group participants, the Industry Advisory Council (IAC), the Board of Directors (BOD), and the supporting committees. Second, the budgets will provide an opportunity for the
economists and other personnel developing the budgets to interact with aquaculture
producers, researchers, and extension personnel in the NCR. This type of interdisciplinary
interaction is vital for the improved understanding and communication of all vital aspects
of aquaculture in the NCR. Economic feasibility analysis will help producers evaluate
technical advances in fish production. This contribution is critical as a guide to future
research funding in the various species and production systems suitable for commercial
production. The distribution of research results from this project will provide a
structured and objective framework for profitability and financial analysis of HSB,
walleye and yellow perch aquaculture systems for producers, financial institutions, and
others. PROGRESS AND PRINCIPAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS HYBRID STRIPED BASS Kohler has compiled a review of the literature on HSB
production and production costs. The literature reviewed is summarized in an annotated
bibliography. This bibliography will be available to anyone needing the information. Kohler has developed HSB cost of production estimates based
on six recent published reports on HSB production. These estimated production costs were
presented at the NCRAC Hybrid Striped Bass Workshop in November 1995. WALLEYE O'Rourke and Illinois State University graduate students
continued an extensive walleye production and culture literature review. The primary focus
of the literature review was to evaluate research findings that might be useful in
ascertaining the cost of production for walleye fingerlings and food-sized fish under
intensive and extensive culture regimes. Very little economic research was found and even
less was found that was documented well enough to be useful. Work has advanced on identifying and analyzing the cost of
production for food-sized walleye in intensive culture systems. The second M.S. thesis on
walleye to come from this project was officially finished in December 1995. It reported on
an economic feasibility analysis of a tank based intensive food-sized walleye system. YELLOW PERCH Riepe's analysis of yellow perch production in ponds and
cages is reported in NCRAC Extension Fact Sheet #111 and NCRAC Extension Technical
Bulletin #111, both ready for release. While developing cost estimates for yellow perch
aquaculture, Riepe investigated feed and fingerling prices and procurement with various
suppliers. A fact sheet on managing feed costs was developed and is in final review by
Riepe as a NCRAC Extension Fact Sheet. WORK PLANNED The distribution of research results from this project is
proceeding, primarily for the walleye species. The research on cost of production in tank
culture systems for fingerlings and food sized walleye will be organized in fact sheet or
technical bulletin format for release to producers, financial institutions and others. Riepe will complete the review of the fact sheet on
managing feed costs. This is expected to be published as a NCRAC Extension Fact Sheet. IMPACTS Kohler and O'Rourke presented the review of HSB production
costs as well as profitability and volume-cost business analysis tools at the NCRAC Hybrid
Striped Bass Workshop in November 1995. The information developed and presented is
anticipated to be directly useful to the attendees (producers and potential producers) as
they consider their own operations and intentions in light of the cost data and analytical
tools presented. This project has already benefited the aquaculture industry
in the NCR through the workshop presentations. As a result of this NCR project, economists
have been able to develop and deliver presentations on economic issues in aquaculture
production to current and potential aquacultural producers. These presentations and the
publications which follow may reduce the impacts of uninformed investment decisions by
current and potential aquaculture entrepreneurs. PUBLICATIONS, MANUSCRIPTS, AND PAPERS PRESENTED See Appendix A.SUPPORT
YELLOW PERCH Progress Report for the Period September 1, 1993 to August 31, 1996 NCRAC FUNDING LEVEL: $257,086 (September 1, 1993 to August 31, 1996) PARTICIPANTS:
PROJECT OBJECTIVES (1) Continue to improve larval rearing techniques by
developing and evaluating different starter diets in relation to size at transfer to
formulated feeds under selected environmental conditions. (2) Continue to improve pond fingerling production through
examination of in-pond feeding techniques using physical/chemical attractants and improved
harvesting strategies for different sizes of fingerlings from various types and sizes of
ponds. (3) Continue development of extension materials and
workshops emphasizing practical techniques coinciding with production events to meet the
needs of established and potential yellow perch culturists through on-site presentations
at two or more locations in different parts of the region. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS This project addresses priority needs identified by the
North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) Industry Advisory Council (IAC) for
advancing yellow perch aquaculture in the North Central Region (NCR). The IAC has
indicated that one major constraint that presently limits perch aquaculture is the lack of
reliable methods of producing perch fingerlings habituated to formulated feeds. In
addition, there is a continuing need to provide producer training on key aspects of perch
aquaculture, and to transfer advances in perch culture technology to the public sector. The information generated by these projects will greatly
assist perch producers in their efforts to reliably raise the large number of perch
fingerlings needed by the industry. Improvements in pond fingerling techniques will
immediately increase the availability of fingerlings to the industry because almost all
fingerlings currently available are produced in ponds. Research on the effect of spawner
size on larval size and on starter diet formulation for yellow perch will improve
intensive fry rearing techniques and decrease the dependence on live feeds. Laying the
foundation for use of one of the more potent and proven legal flavor additives for fish
requires quantifying two critical nutritional requirements for yellow perch; the total
sulfur amino acid and choline requirements. These values alone are beneficial in terms of
developing a diet for yellow perch and provide the foundation for evaluation of betaine as
a flavor additive in diets. Extension activities will continue to promote and advance
yellow perch culture through expanded outreach, education, and training programs.
Additional extension materials (bulletins, fact sheets, audiovisual materials) developed
by the NCRAC Yellow Perch and Extension Work Groups and a series of hands-on workshops and
field demonstrations will transfer current technology to established and potential fish
farmers, and increase public awareness of the potential of yellow perch aquaculture as a
viable agricultural enterprise in the NCR. In addition, this project will develop improved
technologies for certain key facets of yellow perch aquaculture. Finally, the results of
experiments incorporated into this proposal will immediately help fish farmers improve the
production efficiency of yellow perch. PROGRESS AND PRINCIPAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS As an integral component of this project, private producers
have cooperated by providing facilities, fish, feed, day-to-day husbandry, and routine
data collection. At its inception, this project included the participation of eight
different private fish farms in various parts of the NCR. Participating university
researchers provided project oversight on experimental design, advice or direct assistance
with the technical set-up of any specialized experimental systems, supervision and
assistance on critical end-point data collection, and analyses of results. In Year 1 of the project (September 1, 1993 to August 31,
1994), significant progress was made at certain sites at testing selected research-based
production technologies. Accordingly, from an extension perspective, the project is
successfully building and/or expanding working relationships between NCRAC researchers and
certain regional fish farmers, testing various research-based technologies under practical
production conditions, transferring knowledge from academia to the private sector, and
identifying private producers who are both capable and willing to sustain a collaborative
technology evaluation and demonstration effort. Several of the original private-sector
collaborators have either met or have worked hard to meet their project commitments. OBJECTIVE 1 Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) directed
their efforts in 1996 towards studying the effects of female spawner size on the size of
eggs and fry. Spawning stock were collected from the outer Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron and
transported to Bay Port Aquaculture, West Olive, Michigan. Bay Port workers held the fish
until they could be manually spawned. Eggs were sampled from females divided into six size
classes in 25 mm (1 in) increments from 200 to 350 mm (7.8 to 13.8 in). Subsamples of eggs were collected from the ends and center
of each ribbon. Approximately one gram of eggs from each subsample was weighed and fixed
in Stockard's solution for subsequent measurements. The ribbon segments were fertilized
and placed into specially designed incubator trays and incubated in well water at 11.5C
(52.7F). Nine days after fertilization, measurements of larval mouth gape (height and
width) and total length were taken using a dissecting microscope in conjunction with the
Optimas imaging system, BioScan. The data is currently being analyzed. Preserved egg
samples were used to determine the number of eggs/g and 25 eggs were measured along the
long axis of the egg outer diameter and the yolk membrane. Preliminary evaluation of egg
size indicates a positive relationship with the length of the maternal parent. A sulfur amino acid requirement study is underway at Purdue
University (Purdue) and should be completed by December 1996. Through four weeks, fish fed
1.0% methionine are growing better than fish fed lower concentrations in the diet. Studies at Ohio State University (OSU) have been designed
to evaluate the use of pancreatic enzymes and a digestive tract neurohormone, bombesin, in
the diets offered to 0.6 g (0.02 oz) yellow perch. Perch fry were raised initially in
ponds (Ohio Valley Fisheries, Inc.) and were transferred to an indoor facility and
accustomed to an artificial commercial diet (Ziegler). Studies on three experimental diets
and one commercial diet fed to triplicate groups of yellow perch are being conducted using
40 L (10.6 gal) glass tanks at OSU. Experimental diet 1 is supplemented with either
pancreatic digestive enzymes (PD), diet 2 with bombesin and PD, and diet 3 with nothing.
Results indicated no significant differences between treatments. However, all experimental
diets resulted in better growth of yellow perch than the commercial salmonid starter. An accompanying study using the same batch of fish, the
same commercial diet, and three different experimental diets was conducted at the Piketon
Research and Extension Center. Four groups per treatment were used and a semi-purified,
casein-gelatin diet (#l) was tested along with diets based on krill and squid meals (#2)
or fish meals (#3). In a trial in Piketon, four weeks of feeding resulted in significantly
lower growth rate of perch fed a semi-purfied diet (gain 70±8%) than both experimental
diets (105±11 - 115±15%) or a commercial diet (104±7%). OBJECTIVE 2 An experiment was conducted by University of
Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) researchers at Coolwater Farms, LLC, to determine key
parameters for producing yellow perch fingerlings habituated to formulated feeds and
reared in ponds for an entire growing season, and to compare the performance of two types
of pond lighting and feeding systems. Ponds are currently being harvested and production
data are being collected. Observations made by Coolwater Farms culturists indicate that
improvements in pond lighting and feeder design markedly reduced the labor needed for
husbandry and system maintenance. In the late spring and early summer of 1996, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) investigators compared the utility of different lighting systems,
combined with a specially designed trap-net, to harvest photopositive young-of-the-year
(YOY) yellow perch on a large scale from ponds. Previous research using similar capture
gear had demonstrated that up to 38,000 young yellow perch could be captured per 30-min
effort from heavily stocked, shallow (<1.25-m; 4.1-ft) earthen ponds of 0.4 ha (1 acre)
surface area or less. The 1996 trials compared the utility of different
configurations of lights arrayed on rafts that could be easily pulled from an opposing
pond shoreline to the trap-net. Trials were conducted at the Calamus State Fish Hatchery
(near Burwell, Nebraska), in two plastic-lined 0.2-ha (0.5-acre) ponds that when full have
an average depth of well over 1.25 m (4.1 ft). Both ponds were stocked with about 225,000
yellow perch fry, and managed by standard procedures used by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission. Harvesting trials were initiated when the fish in each pond reached 19 mm (0.7
in) total length. Two light-raft systems were tested. The lights on both
could be turned on or off by remote control. One raft was equipped to broadcast a total of
250 W of omnidirectional light below water. The second was equipped to broadcast a total
of 910 W of omnidirectional-submerged, directional-submerged, and directional
above-surface lighting. The directional lighting on the latter system was broadcast
forward of the raft as it was pulled through the water. The trap-net was fitted with a string of five 75 W
submerged lights that were turned off sequentially to draw fish into an open-top harvest
pot, designed to facilitate the low-stress crowding and capture of small fish. The design
of this trap-net has been proven effective at capturing large numbers of photo-positive
young fish when used in combination with a variety of lighting systems in shallow earthen
ponds. The results of the 1996 UNL trials were that the 910 W
light raft effected the capture of significantly greater numbers of yellow perch (about
5,000 fish per 30-min capture effort) than the 260 W light raft (about 3,800 fish per
capture effort). The number of capture efforts made with each system were 14 and 17,
respectively. One particularly noteworthy observation was that the numbers of yellow perch
captured per unit effort in 1996 was significantly down from previous years (typically
10,000-20,000 fish per capture effort). This was attributed primarily to the fact that the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission added AquaShade® to the ponds to prevent excessive
algae growth, and possibly to the greater depth of the ponds used in 1996. AquaShade® is
a commercially available product that reduces light transmittance in water. Extremely poor weather conditions, combined with budgetary
shortfalls, precluded UNL testing of this or similar harvesting equipment at sites other
than the Calamus State Fish Hatchery. Three years of research by UNL investigators on the
use of light to harvest YOY yellow perch indicate that it is a very useful tool but can
yield highly variable results, depending on a number of factors, e.g., pond depth and
area, plankton concentrations, presence of aquatic vegetation, size and age of fish. OBJECTIVE 3 During 1996, two "Intensive Aquaculture of Yellow
Perch in Conjunction with Recirculating Aquaculture Systems" workshops were sponsored
by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, which included NCRAC Extension and
Yellow Perch Work Group members. Alpine Farms (Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin) personnel
participated as aquaculture industry cooperators to provide their practical experience
with, and knowledge of, yellow perch rearing in their recirculating aquaculture system
(RAS) technology. The program for the first workshop included a morning
session with lecture presentations and an afternoon poster session during which small
groups of attendees had the opportunity for direct contact with the presenters, having
their specific questions answered and problems solved. In order to maximize personal
contact with the presenters, the number of attendees at this workshop was limited to 75. ln the weeks following this workshop, small groups of workshop attendees were given the opportunity for additional direct hands-on advisory service concerning the technology for intensive rearing of yellow perch. These on-site activities were conducted at the University of Wisconsin System Aquaculture Institute in Milwaukee, and at
Alpine Farms where they observed demonstrations on the intensive aquaculture of yellow
perch in conjunction with a RAS. A second one day workshop on the intensive culture of
yellow perch with RAS was held in June 1996. The agenda for this workshop included lecture
presentations on RAS operation and technology, water quality management in RAS, relevant
aspects of yellow perch biology under intensive rearing, and the economic and business
aspects of yellow perch culture. The format of this workshop was designed to focus on the
most important topics and maximize the interaction between workshop attendees and
aquaculture experts during an extended question/answer session. Eighty-five people
attended this workshop. Kayes of UNL conducted a workshop in Nebraska, part of
which covered methods of harvesting yellow perch in ponds. In addition, progress was made
on producing a videotape on the small-scale processing of yellow perch, in cooperation
with videographers at Kansas State University. WORK PLANNED OBJECTIVE 1 Preliminary studies were conducted at MSU to develop larval
rearing tank designs similar to those that have been used successfully in raising larval
walleye and mahi mahi. The initial design will be improved in 1996-97 and used in feed
acceptance studies. Also in 1996-97, MSU researchers will use their findings from 1995-96
to select spawners from size classes that produce favorable hatchability and mouth size
traits in their fry. The fry will be used for nutritional studies comparing live and
formulated dry diets. After completion of the methionine requirement at Purdue,
the dietary choline requirement will be quantified, then the ability of betaine to supply
part or all of the choline requirement will be determined. Work at OSU will continue to
evaluate the use of pancreatic enzymes and a digestive tract neurohormone, bombesin, in
the diets offered to young yellow perch. OBJECTIVE 2 A second experiment on pond fingerling production will be
conducted by UW-Madison researchers at Coolwater Farms, LLC. This experiment will evaluate
strategies to maximize fingerling survival and crop uniformity in perch cultured
throughout a growing season. Nearly all the NCRAC funds allotted to UNL for research on
Objective 2 were exhausted in 1996. In 1996-97, UNL investigators will evaluate and
compare the data collected over the past three years on harvesting YOY fish using light in
preparation for submitting the findings to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, and as
part of a NCRAC project termination report. OBJECTIVE 3 A workshop demonstrating key facets of fingerling
production and grow-out is being planned by UW-Madison researchers for June 1997. The "Intensive Aquaculture of Yellow Perch in
Conjunction with RAS Technology" workshops presented by University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1996 provided the framework for the presentation of a hands-on
workshop to be organized and presented in 1997. They intend to install a demonstration RAS
at the University of Wisconsin System Aquaculture Institute in Milwaukee that can be
directly used for hands-on participation and training of workshop attendees. A NCRAC-sponsored conference and two workshops on yellow
perch aquaculture will be held in Nebraska in 1996-97. Also, the videotape on the
small-scale processing of yellow perch, which was proposed by Kayes of UNL, should be
completed. IMPACTS Defining critical nutritional requirements for targeted
species reduces feed costs and overall cost of production. These data will be important
pieces of information for manufacturers of feed. This research provides strong evidence
that commercial diets for salmonids need to be modified to meet nutritional requirements
of yellow perch. These new diet formulations may significantly improve growth rate of
yellow perch fry. Further, definite use of legal flavor additives may alleviate the
problems of poor feed acceptance by larval and growout perch. Studies on pond fingerling production by UW-Madison
researchers have shown that research based production strategies can be used on a
commercial scale to produce large numbers of yellow perch fingerlings at a relatively low
cost. Lights and automatic feeders used to habituate fingerlings to formulated feeds while
they remain in ponds can be used throughout the first growing season, eliminating the need
for a separate feed-training phase of production. Improvements in feeder design may
increase reliability and decrease capital and operational costs. The field trials conducted by UNL investigators have
demonstrated both the utility and the limitations of using light to harvest YOY yellow
perch. Present indications are that light is being used by increasing numbers of fish
farmers to harvest young yellow perch (as well as other species) in several states
including Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Workshops done on yellow perch aquaculture in the NCR have
stimulated increased interest in this species among established fish farmers, potential
fish farmers, and the general public. In the past year, requests for information on yellow
perch aquaculture have increased significantly; for example, requests for yellow perch
culture information from Kayes at UNL have increased by about 500%. PUBLICATIONS, MANUSCRIPTS, AND PAPERS PRESENTED See Appendix A. SUPPORT
aSea Grant/USDC/NOAA bUSDI, Bureau of Indian Affairs cEPA HYBRID STRIPED BASS Project Component Termination Report for the Period September 1, 1993 to August 31, 1996NCRAC FUNDING LEVEL: $258,270 (September 1, 1993 to August 31, 1996) PARTICIPANTS:
REASON FOR TERMINATION The objectives of this project were completed. PROJECT OBJECTIVES (1) Develop larval diets and economically feasible
techniques to convert hybrid striped bass young from zooplankton to prepared diets. (2) Develop intensive hatchery production techniques for
white bass and to "domesticate" white bass by producing brood stock originating
from induced spawns. (3) Improve methods for storage and transport of striped
bass and white bass gametes. PRINCIPAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS In a comparative study conducted at Southern Illinois
University-Carbondale (SIUC), hatching rates for embryos incubated in Heath trays (28.2%)
were equivalent to tannic acid-treated (150 mg/L water) embryos incubated in Heath trays
(22.9%) or McDonald jars (22.4%). Facilities to intensively rear larval white bass were
established at Ohio State University (OSU), SIUC, and the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UW-Milwaukee). White bass larvae from three separate spawning trials
were shipped by overnight freight to OSU and UW-Milwaukee. Attempts to rear larval white
bass were minimally successful. Less than 1% survival rates were obtained by day 122 at
UW-Milwaukee, day 45 at OSU, and day 24 at SIUC. A group of white bass sac-fry shipped from SIUC to
UW-Milwaukee was introduced evenly by volume into twelve 60-L (15.9-gal) flow-through
aquaria. Each aquarium contained approximately 300 sac-fry. These fish were offered
"green tank" water and the three experimental diets that were provided by Purdue
University (Purdue). The length of the cylindrical food particles ranged from
approximately 0.5 to 1.7 mm (0.02 to 0.07 in) and the diameter was 420-595 m. White bass
sac-fry are approximately 3.5 mm (0.14 in) in total length. The cross sectional diameter
of the feed approximated the width of the entire head (550-630 m) of white bass sac-fry,
and was outside of the range of the width of the mouth. UW-Milwaukee researchers ground
portions of the diets in a mortar and pestle and sieved it through a 150 m mesh to obtain
more suitable-size particles. From May 26-31, 1995, each of the three ground and sieved
diets was offered to fry in triplicate aquaria along with "green tank" water.
The controls received only "green tank" water. No feeding activity or interest
by the fry in the formulated diets was observed. Mortality of the sac fry was heavy in all
the tanks and by May 31 (within 6 days), less than a dozen fry were observed in any of the
aquaria and more than half of them had only one or no living fry. At this point the trial
was terminated. Researchers at SIUC found that both hybrid striped bass
crosses at a 2-5 g (0.07-0.18 oz) size range readily convert from zooplankton to
formulated feed. Over 90% of the fish converted to formulated feed within two days as
compared to 70-85% after seven days for largemouth bass which were trained in a
"side-by-side" study. Preliminary results indicate that white bass and
reciprocal-cross hybrids are equivalent in this regard and can make the switch between day
21 and 28 after hatch. Original cross hybrids can generally be switched at day 7 after
hatch. A problem facing hybrid striped bass aquaculturists is that
hybrid fry are not always available. Gametes must be obtained from two species that may
not be spawning simultaneously or are located in different geographical areas. Therefore
to facilitate hybrid production, viable Morone semina need to be readily
available when ripe eggs are available. To aid in the solution of this problem, procedures for
reliable short-term (refrigerated) and long-term (cryopreservation) storage of striped
bass (Morone saxatilis) semina were developed. Initially, the characteristics of
high quality spermatozoa were examined to determine methods for assessing sperm quality
and developing effective sperm handling techniques. This led to the formulation of
extenders for short-term (less than 21 days) refrigerated (1C; 33.8F) storage. The quality
of stored seminal samples was tested by determining sperm motility percentages and
developing a sperm quality index (SQI). Refrigerated extended seminal samples were
routinely stored for 14 days with 50% sperm motility. Cryopreservation procedures were developed and sperm
quality of cryopreserved seminal samples of striped bass were assessed. Fertility tests
with these samples were performed with white bass (M. chrysops) eggs and results
were compared to those results when using (fresh) white bass semen. Ten media containing dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were used to
cryopreserve striped bass spermatozoa. Although all media successfully cryopreserved
spermatozoa, the best motility (SQI 2.3: about 50%) was obtained with samples
cryopreserved in the five media containing 4% DMSO. Using the criteria for high quality
semen, the samples cryopreserved in media containing 4% DMSO with or without trehalose and
bovine serum albumin gave the best motility results and were used in fertility tests with
white bass eggs. Straws of the cryopreserved samples were transported from Florida to SIUC
packed in dry ice. These were then stored in liquid nitrogen until used in fertility
tests. Striped bass spermatozoa were cryopreserved with relatively simple methods. This
may partially be because of the small size of the sperm, causing damage by the freezing
process to be minimal since the cryogenic medium penetrates the whole cell very rapidly
and the actual freezing may be rapid enough to prevent damaging ice crystal formation. In the hybrid cross, the study was pursued until the hatch
of normal larvae. Although success with cryopreserved spermatozoa has previously been
reported for striped bass results were determined on the basis of cleavage, which does not
necessarily indicate the normal development of diploid embryos. Fertility was tested using
striped bass semen cryopreserved in cryogenic media and white bass eggs. The percent
fertilization based on the number of hatched, normal larvae was 6.2 % for the
cryopreserved semen and 2.5% for the eggs fertilized with fresh control white bass semen
(dead and abnormal larvae were excluded). This represented a 251.2% hatch from
cryopreserved semen related to control semen. No development was found in control eggs
(unfertilized eggs) tested for parthenogenesis. The motility intensity of thawed and activated
cryopreserved spermatozoa was roughly equivalent to that of seminal samples activated
after 14-21 days of refrigerated storage, indicating that cryopreservation of striped bass
semen may be the best option when storage time exceeds 21 days. Emphasis was also focused on developing refrigerated and
frozen storage methods for white bass spermatozoa. Evaluations of sperm motility and
nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used as measures of success in developing
methodologies. NMR was used to measure the availability of high energy phosphorus
compounds to power flagellar movements in spermatozoa. Sperm quality was best when seminal samples were extended
prior to shipping and when they were transported in tissue-culture flasks which provided a
larger air space than the microcentrifuge tubes which were also tested as shipping
containers. Extenders with simple formulations, including one that was essentially only a
saline solution, were as good or better than a more complex extender solution for
maintaining sperm quality during refrigerated storage at 1C (33.8F). The simple saline
solution extender maintained good sperm quality for up to one month of refrigerated
storage. Declines in high-energy phosphorus compounds and increases
in their breakdown product, as measured via NMR, corresponded with declines in sperm
motility over time during refrigerated storage of semen. However, NMR detected differences
in stored energy in spermatozoa among seminal samples when no such differences in sperm
motility were detected, indicating that NMR may be a more sensitive measure of sperm
quality. It was found that a cryogenic solution consisting of a
simple extender and DMSO as the cryoprotectant performed as well as more complex cryogenic
media in sperm motility tests. Fertility was somewhat reduced using cryopreserved semen,
as compared to semen which had been extended and stored at 1C (33.8F) for about one week.
Cryopreservation reduced white bass sperm motility to 5 to 25% of motility in fresh semen
samples, a reduction similar to that found in seminal samples which are extended and
stored under refrigeration for about four weeks. It is recommended that refrigerated
storage be used for white bass semen if storage times of one month or less are
anticipated. Cryopreservation is the better option, if sperm storage is to exceed one
month. IMPACTS Studies by the Hybrid Striped Bass Work Group demonstrate that: Improvements in hatching rates allows for increased hatchery production or reduction in brood stock needs. Improvements in larval rearing techniques of white bass will allow "true" domestication. Improvements in switching hybrid striped bass fingerlings from zooplankton to formulated feeds will increase production efficiency. Morone semen which is to be stored should be kept cold at all times subsequent to stripping. White bass injected with hCG once per month and held at 15C (59.0F) produced 2 to 3 times as many spermatozoa as compared to those either given hCG once per week or no hCG but otherwise treated similarly--using this approach allowed semen to be obtained from each fish once per week for several months. Semen should be diluted with an extender prior to shipping and transported on ice. Relatively simple extender solutions (saline solutions) are effective for refrigerated storage of Morone semen. Tissue culture flasks proved to be better than microcentrifuge tubes for shipping white bass semen--this difference was attributed to the oxygen in the larger air space of the former. Morone semen can be extended and stored at 1C (33.8F) and good motility can be retained for 3 to 4 weeks. Initial evaluations indicated that changes in NMR spectra of seminal samples are consistent with changes in sperm motility; however, NMR may provide a more sensitive measure of semen quality. Cryo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||