Development of molecular genetic mapping capacity for Chinook salmon: Assessment of pigmentation ability, growth, and maturation

Description

Chinook salmon farming in BC has been underway for more than 20 years and remains an important industry that provides significant commercial and social benefit to the Province. The future success of salmon farming as with all agricultural activities can benefit from continual application of science. In particular, application of emerging genomic methodologies has significant potential to facilitate the development and improvement of salmon strains in BC. For example, developing a molecular genetic map for Chinook salmon will allow the identification of genes involved in commercially important traits which can facilitate marker-assisted breeding programs. Similarly, application of microarray technology (large-scale gene expression analysis) has large potential for its ability to detect important genetic differences between strains of salmon with different phenotypic traits. The present proposal plans to utilize molecular mapping and gene microarray technology to enhance molecular genetic capabilities for Chinook salmon, focusing on carotenoid pigment deposition in flesh as a major trait system, but also monitoring growth rate, survival, and age of maturation within these experiments.

Program Name

Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

Year(s)

2008 to 2012

Ecoregion(s)

Pacific: Vancouver Island West Coast

Principal Investigator(s)

Robert Devlin
Email: Robert.Devlin@dfo-mpo.gc.ca