CINEMar/Open Ocean Aquaculture Annual Progress Report for the period 1/01/05 through 12/31/05

Principal Investigator: L. Buckley, D. Berlinsky, T. Bradley

I. Accomplishments

A. Scheduled Tasks
1) Produce high-quality haddock eggs between November and May of

2) Optimize husbandry practices and environmental conditions to enhance culture of larval and early juvenile haddock

3) Produce six thousand 1 gm juveniles.

B. Progress on Tasks
We have made substantial progress on all three objectives. Fifty-nine adult haddock were acquired form the long-line fishery out of Chatham, MA and added to our existing haddock broodstock. At the end of 2005 we currently hold 34 adult haddock split between two large tanks. One broodstock has been on a prepared diet since the summer; the other is fed cut fish and squid. Temperature and photoperiod was manipulated to initiate early spawning and to extend the period of spawning.

For the 2004-2005 spawning season we had a single broodstock that was fed cut fish and squid supplemented with vitamins. Egg production began in December and extended through July. While egg production was very high, the proportion of viable eggs as indicated by the fraction of buoyant eggs to total egg production (FBE) was low through much of the season. FBE was highest early in the year. In midwinter spawning was interrupted by cold water temperatures (<3°C). When the water warmed and spawning resumed, egg production again was very high, but egg viability was low for the remainder of the season. We have identified nutrition and minimum water temperatures as two factors that may have contributed to the low RBE. However, without the ability to hold multiple broodstocks under different conditions it is difficult to positively identify the source of the problem. Our standard cut fish and squid diet supplemented with vitamins has proven very effective in Atlantic cod for long-term maintenance of broodstock and viable egg production (Buckley et al. 2000). Haddock grew well on the standard diet and egg production was high, but RBE was very low. Discussions with several culturists have suggested that haddock may have more specific nutritional requirements that are not met by our standard diet. After the 2004-2005 spawning season, we switched to a new vitamin mix produced in Canada that is more specifically tailored to the requirements of haddock. Also, we have established a second haddock broodstock that has been fed a prepared diet formulated for marine broodstock (Fish Breed-M, INVE). In the 2005-2006 spawning season we also will limit the minimum water temperature to 4°C to avoid any problems possibly associated with lower minimum water temperatures.

During the 2004-2005 spawning season, we produced about 2,5500 juvenile haddock from a single pilot-scale production run. Larvae and juveniles were provided to researchers at URI and UNH and juvenile haddock were provided to several public aquaria for display. Using these fish, David Berlinsky (UNH) validated a whole-body steroid extraction protocol to measure corticosteroids in juvenile haddock < 25 g and completed experiments on the effect of an acute stressor on plasma cortisol levels in 45 g haddock and on whole-body corticosteroid levels in 3 gm juvenile haddock. He also initiated an experiment on the effect of water temperature on plasma cortisol following the net stressor. These data suggest that juvenile haddock may take longer to recover from a single acute stressor when compared to many other teleosts. Kate Larkin (URI graduate student) initiated studies of metabolic rate in larval haddock.

Egg diameter, hatch and viable hatch were monitored through the spawning season. We completed a fifth experiment on the effects of light intensity, photoperiod and food availability on growth and survival of haddock larvae.

C. Important Results or Findings
Results from experiments on the effects of light intensity, photoperiod and food availability have helped to establish optimal conditions for culture of haddock. Using an optimized rearing protocol, we were able to produce 2,500 juvenile haddock in a single pilot production run. Some of these fish were used in several experimental studies and others were provided to public aquaria for display (New England and Woods Hole (MA), Newport (RI), Mystic and Norwalk (CT)).

D. Difficulties Encountered
We lost more adult haddock than expected after collection from the field. Haddock is known to be a difficult species to get into captivity, but we have enjoyed very high survival rates in past years. A variety of factors may have contributed to the lower success rate including depth of capture, distance run, water temperature and handling on shipboard. The low egg viability during the 2004-2005 spawning season was unexpected, given the apparent good heath of the broodstock.

E. Anticipated Success in Meeting Project Objectives on Schedule
We anticipate meeting project objectives.

F. Reports, manuscripts, and presentations resulting from the project
Lough, R.G., L.J. Buckley, F.E. Werner, J.A. Quinlin, and K. Pehrson Edwards. (2005) A general biophysical model for larval cod (Gadus morhua) growth applied to populations on Georges Bank. Fish. Oceanogr. 14:241-262.

Peck, M.A., Buckley, L.J., and Bengtson, D.A. (2005) Effects of temperature, body size, and feeding on rates of metabolism in young juvenile haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus. J. Fish Biol. 66:911-923.

Peck, M.A., Buckley, L.J., and Bengtson, D.A. (accepted). Effects of temperature and body size on the swimming speed of larval and juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): implications for individual-based modeling. Env. Biol. Fish.

Buckley, L.J., J.-D. Dutil, and T. Marshall. (submitted) Cod Growth Chapter, ICES Cod and Climate Change working Group. Cod in a changing Climate. IGBP Book Series.

Peck, MA, A Temming, LJ Buckley, DA Bengtson, and J-P Herrmann (submitted) Modeling routine metabolism in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae, juveniles and adults: Ontogenic changes in the effects of body size and temperature.

Peck, M.A. and L.J. Buckley. (submitted) Measurements of routine metabolism in larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): Implications for individual-based modeling. J. Fish. Biol.

II. Tasks and Activities for Next Reporting period

A. Tasks for the next reporting period
Tasks for the next period are organized around the same three objectives:
1) Produce high-quality haddock eggs between November and May.
2) Optimize husbandry practices and environmental conditions to enhance culture of larval and early juvenile haddock
3) Produce six thousand 1 gm juveniles.

B. Brief work plan to accomplish tasks
We currently hold about 34 broodstock fish in two tanks. We will augment both broods with additional fish after the first of the year when the fishermen move into shoaler water. Work on hormone induction of spawning in conditioned and wild fish will continue. Experiments on temperature and salinity will be completed to establish optimal rearing conditions. Larval and juvenile production will commence in February.

C. Anticipated concerns or difficulties
None anticipated.

III. Expenditures
Expenditures were within the expected range.