The potential of fish and shellfish production to feed a growing global population could be significantly enhanced through advances in genetics and biotechnology, say researchers at the University of Aberdeen.
The diverse gene pools of many species of fish and shellfish make them ideal candidates for selective breeding, according to the paper in Nature Reviews Genetics, with the benefits including improved growth, resistance to disease and robustness in varied farming environments.
“New genetic tools and technologies are being now developed that can be applied to farmed aquatic species,” said Professor Samuel Martin from the University of Aberdeen’s Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences. “Aquaculture is a major contributor of food to a growing human population ensuring food security. Genomic selection and biotechnology can speed up this process,” he added.
Insight into the genomes of species can enable careful selection of a farming population with desirable traits and monitoring genomic variation will help maintain genetic diversity as farm populations develop.
The review paper, in collaboration with the Roslin Institute and the universities of Stirling and Exeter, is an output of the AquaLeap consortium project. AquaLeap is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, in partnership with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Hendrix Genetics, Xelect, The National Lobster Hatchery, Tethys oysters, and Otter Ferry SeaFish.
