Location: Animal Production and Protection
Project Number: 0500-00104-001-004-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 31, 2023
End Date: Nov 1, 2025
Objective:
Conduct research to optimize management strategies to meet the nutritional requirements of sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) throughout aquaculture production. Provide workforce training opportunities for conducting on-farm shellfish and finfish research.
Approach:
1. Research and Workforce Development in Sablefish Aquaculture Efforts:
Jamestown Seafood (JS) operates a sablefish grow-out operation in partnership with NOAA at NOAA’s Manchester, WA facility. The proposed effort would fund internships (high school and college undergraduate level) to assist with daily care activities and receive on-farm aquaculture research training from JS aquaculturists on staff as well as NOAA science staff.
Development and testing of late period grow out diets. Current practice involves the utilization of commercial salmonid diets to meet the nutrient requirements of these fish. Early research has shown that modification of these diets with higher lipid levels provides improved growth and feed conversion efficiency. We wish to expand those trials to the current cohort of sablefish as they reach the last six (6) months of their grow-out ( anticipated from March to September of 2024). Upgrades to water quality monitoring equipment, and weight/length sampling systems will improve regular data collection on growth monitoring.
2. Workforce Development in Tribal Shellfish Aquaculture:
JS operates state of the art shellfish hatcheries for Pacific oysters and geoduck clams in Point Whitney, WA and Kona, HI. JS will host student interns for two (2) research and production positions in the Spring and Summer of 2024. These positions are expected to be filled at the undergraduate or graduate student level and will run for 3-5 months depending upon student availability. Successful candidates would be expected to participate in daily care of aquaculture stocks and develop small research projects to examine specific aspects of the shellfish aquaculture at the facility(ies).
