Assessment of the population genetics of wild and cultured cleaner fish in Atlantic Canada

Description

The effective management of sea lice continues to be a top priority for the Atlantic Salmon aquaculture industry and as such the use of cleaner fish has become an increasingly important alternative to chemical therapeutants. The aquaculture industry in Atlantic Canada has identified the need for research on cleaner fish (lumpfish and cunner) population genetics to assist with the continued development of broodstock lines and estimation of any potential ecological genetic effects on local populations with the use of these two species in salmon aquaculture.

The goal of this project is to provide genome-wide genetic screening and to use extensive sampling to identify stock structure among wild populations of lumpfish and cunner in the waters around Newfoundland and Labrador; directly compare wild and domestic aquaculture strains of lumpfish; and provide science advice on the geographic scale and nature of population structure in both species.

Program name

Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

Years

Three years: 2019-2022

Principal investigator

Ian Bradbury, research scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Newfoundland Region
Email: Ian.Bradbury@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Team members

Amber Messmer, aquatic science biologist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Newfoundland Region
Steven Duffy, aquatic science biologist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Newfoundland Region
Lorraine Hamilton, molecular biologist and laboratory manager, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Maritimes Region

Collaborators

Darrell Green, Research and Development Coordinator, Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association
Candice Way, Facility Production Manager, Grieg NL Seafarms Ltd.
Sheldon George, N.L. Regional Manager, Cooke Aquaculture Inc.
Aaron Craig, Broodstock and Cleaner Fish Manager, Mowi