ESTABLISHING METRICS OF BROODSTOCK AND OFFSPRING QUALITY IN ATLANTIC SALMON AQUACULTURE

Aim 1: Examine the metabolome and transcriptome of broodstock female salmon and determine their ability to predict broodstock and offspring quality.Broodstock selection and the control of egg quality is a critical aspect of any sustainable finfish aquaculture industry. Increasing our ability to select optimally performing broodstock, and improve our understanding of the regulation of reproductive processes will have significant improvements across the production process.Aim 2: Examine the metabolome and transcriptome of adult male Atlantic salmon and determine their ability to predict early maturation.Early male maturation results in a significant financial loss to the industry, as these males must be culled often after prolonged periods of culture (>1yr). The mechanisms of early maturation are poorly understood, and the ability to cull these males as early in the process as possible would result in significant cost savings. Moreover, there is an urgent need to increase our understanding of the factors governing the shift from normal to precocious maturation.Aim 3: Examine the utility of morphometrics and behavior as predictive indicators of cohort quality in embryos or yolk-sac fry.The ability to predict offspring performance as early in the process as possible (e.g. as embryos or young fry) would enable hatchery managers to more efficiently cull poor performing batches, and more accurately plan for the sale of surplus eggs. Further, the identification of biomarkers of quality may increase our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning performance.