NCCOS Project Explorer (NPE)

Aquatic Production and Research Core(2010)

Project Description:
The Aquatic Production and Research Core, Center for Human Health Risk at Hollings Marine Laboratory (CHHR) is designed to produce or hold organisms from plankton to fish (juvenile to adult) in the range of sizes and life stages required by the various research programs. The facility can be used in a production mode or to evaluate and develop culture technologies. The facilities can also be used for environmental tolerance studies, nutritional research, genetic evaluation and disease impacts or to hold organisms prior to use in other HML research activities. Current research includes finfish and crustacean nutritional studies looking to reduce the fishmeal component of aquaculture feeds thereby producing a safer and healthier aquaculture product for consumers. Study groups are provided feed containing varying amounts of fishmeal and replicated in independent culture systems. Additional ongoing studies include striped bass and red drum genetic projects and crustacean/molluscan disease response research.

Expected Outcome:
Feeding studies can lead to the development of new aquaculture feeds which will produce safer and healthier seafood for consumers and can potentially be of commercial importance because reducing fishmeal in diets has other economic and environmental benefits such as reducing stress on the natural bait fish populations. Disease response studies and genetic evaluation will help resource managers by providing a better understanding of organismic reaction to particular environmental stimuli.