With the progress of science, breeding animals have become even easier. The process has become faster and efficient to breed cows that give milk, bigger pigs, and sheep with thick layers of wool. Katie Lotterhos, an assistant professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at Northeastern University, thought of applying the same method to breed oysters.
There has been an increased contribution of oyster hatcheries to breed oysters that are meatier or have a specific shell type. However, the briney bivalves of the oysters are facing a threat due to the warming oceans and various parasitic diseases. Even though the traits that can make the oysters melt in your mouth and survive in this environment are scarce, shellfish genetics is trying to make the oyster industry relive its vigour.
12 researchers from various institutions have opened a group called Eastern Oyster Breeding Consortium that specialises in breeding Crassostrea virginica, a special kind of oyster found from the Atlantic coast of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The group recently received a grant from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to guide hatcheries to breed the right kind of oysters. Lotterhos is also a part of this group of researchers.
Over the years, the researchers have come to the conclusion that the oysters have different adaptation grounds even when they are all of the same species. For example, oysters living in the mouth of the river might be adapted to less salty water, while those living in the south might be well adjusted to warm water.
Oysters are often referred to as spawners as they release eggs and sperms into the water when the timing is right and hoping that it works out. However, in these hatcheries, the oysters were provided with their respective adaptive environments for them to breed well. Lotterhos says, “Once you know which genetic markers contribute to certain traits, like disease resistance, you can use individuals that have those markers in the breeding process.”
These hatcheries aim to provide customers with the best quality adapters while adapting to the changing condition of the oceans. They hope that this research will provide a breathing chance to the oysters that are at the brink of extinction.
Subarna Basu