As enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida, funds from the Florida Aquaculture Specialty License Plate can be used to:
- conduct scientific research on environmentally responsible and sustainable methods of farming freshwater and saltwater organisms such as fish, shellfish, and crustaceans for food; biomedical species for pharmaceutical and nutriceutical compounds; and marine ornamentals for the aquarium trade
- expand the institution's educational programs that include secondary school field experiences, college degree programs, and intensive courses in order to further the objective of increasing aquaculture's contribution to the state's economy
Research expenditures in 2008 ($225,638.52) supported the following projects:
Ongoing Projects
Project Title: Bivalve Molluscan Research Program*
Principal Investigators: Dr. John Scarpa, Research Professor and Dr. Susan Laramore, Assistant Research Professor, Center for Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement
Project Summary: The primary mission of the bivalve research program is to enhance productivity of cultured bivalves in Florida through research in specialized breeding programs, alternative species examination, and improvement of culture protocols. Bivalve ecological and physiological studies are supported by providing species of known age and parental lineage for field and laboratory research. Studies in bivalve ecology are undertaken to provide data for resource management policy decisions. Harbor Branch’s Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory provides the bivalve research program with disease, reproductive, and histological services that complement the overall studies.
*Florida Aquaculture Specialty License Plate funds supplement bivalve research supported by grants and contracts from federal, state, and county agencies as listed below:
Sunray Venus Clam as an Alternative Species for Culture: Nursery and Growout, Florida Sea Grant (2008-2010)
- Establish methods for land-based nursery culture of sunray venus clams
- Compare field culture methods for nursery and grow-out of sunray venus clams
- Determine salinity and temperature preference of nursery and grow-out sized sunray venus seed clams
Sunray Venus Clam as an Alternative Species for Culture: Broodstock, Hatchery and Market Acceptance, Florida Sea Grant (2006-2008)
- Identified methods for broodstock handling and spawning
- Established hatchery protocols for rearing embryos through larval metamorphosis
- Cultured sunray venus clams from post-set to commercial size using standard hard clam methods
- Characterized financial considerations of hatchery production
- Tested market perception of cultured sunray venus clams at wholesalers and restaurants
Hard Clam Hybridization, University of Florida (2006-2009):
Suminoe Oyster, Maryland Department of Natural Resources and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (2006-2009)
Evaluation of Triploid Clams for Florida Aquaculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Florida Sea Grant (2003-2008)
- Examined utility of triploid clams for increased survival and growth in Florida waters
- Supported two University of Florida M.S. students and one Florida Institute of Technology Ph.D. student.
Project Title: Developing Techniques to Culture Conch and Other Gastropod Pearls
Principal Investigators: Dr. Hector Acosta-Salmon , Assistant Research Professor, and Dr. Megan Davis, Research Professor, Center for Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement
Project Summary and Accomplishments: The Cultured Queen Conch Pearl Program at HBOI-FAU is focused on the development of techniques to produce high quality cultured pearls in the queen conch and other gastropods. Nucleated and non-nucleated pearls have been produced on a continuous basis. HBOI/FAU scientists were the first and are still the only group to develop techniques to culture queen conch pearls. These results have commercial potential for development and the techniques are the subject of a provisional patent application.
Projects Completed in 2008
Project Title: Temporal Variation in Growth and Survival of 18 Florida Fighting Conch Families: Implications for Stock Enhancement
Principal Investigators: Dr. Ellen Gerfsrud, Research Associate, and Dr. Megan Davis , Research Professor, Center for Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement
Project Summary: This project supported an 18-month post doctoral investigator. The research species was a Florida gastropod – Florida fighting conch – that is closely related to the important fisheries species, queen conch. The Florida fighting conch served as a model species for the queen conch. Studies were conducted throughout the breeding season to better understand variations in growth and survival of larvae and juveniles along with metamorphic success. Several families were raised separately throughout the year and it was determined that there were variations within and between families. Understanding these variations will assist in stock enhancement strategies for hatchery-cultured mollusks.
Project Title: Viral Research in Penaeid Shrimp
Principal Investigator: Dr. Susan Laramore, Assistant Research Professor, Center for Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement
Project Summary: White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) is a virus that infects a wide variety of crustaceans and results in up to 100% mortality for commercially important shrimp species. Seven geographic isolates of the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) from China (CH1995), Nicaragua (N2000), Honduras (H2000), Ecuador (2 strains -E-L1999, E-LT2002) and Mexico (2 strains - M-M2001, M-LP2001) were characterized, and differences in both virulence and genomic make-up were found. Genomic analyses indicated that the seven isolates are probably derived from at least three different origins. Although genomic differences could not be correlated with differences in virulence, this research is the first published evidence that both virulence and genomic variation does exist for WSSV, which will be useful for both epidemiological studies and vaccine research.
External Grants to Other Institutions (Funds Dispersed in 2008)
In addition to Specialty License Plate research supported at HBOI/FAU, grants were also made to other organizations:
Grant Title: Florida Aquaculture Association Education Outreach Project
Grant Amount: Total Award - $10,000; Funds Dispersed in 2008 - $1,820.99
Grant Summary: The aquaculture industry in Florida is valued at approximately $100 million per year. There are a wide variety of aquaculture plants and organisms grown in the state ranging from ornamental fish and plants, to food fish, shrimp, clams, and alligators. The Florida Aquaculture Association (FAA) represents the Florida aquaculture industry and provides its members with quarterly newsletters, events and meetings to help advance and share opportunities in aquaculture. FAA specifically used the Florida Aquaculture Specialty License Plate Funds to support educational and outreach activities related to newsletters and annual meetings. FAA promotes the Florida Aquaculture Specialty License Plate in their newsletters.
Contact Information/Organization: David Boozer, Association Headquarters, P.O. Box 1519, Winter Haven FL 33882, E-mail: dboozer1@aol.com
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