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**Species Group: Physiology**

**Problem: Lack of Understanding Basic Developmental Physiology**

**Research Statement:**

-   ID physiological mechanisms of gender determination

-   ID physiological basis of critical life-history transitions

**Desired Outcomes (with measurable outcomes):**

-   More reliable gender control techniques

-   Increased productivity

-   Increased survival through critical life-history transitions

**Problem: Lack of Understanding of Interactions between Physiology and
Disease Resistance**

**Problem Statement:**

-   Growth & stress physiology

**Research Statement:**

-   Characterize Immune response

-   Characterize non-specific disease resistance

**Extension/Tech transfer Statement:**

-   Select for more disease resistant lines

-   Improved techniques for managing diseases

**Problem: Lack of reproductive techniques**

**Research Statement:**

-   Understand gamete quality

-   Non-invasive sexing and staging

-   Brood stock conditioning

-   Gender control and sterilization techniques

-   Approval of breeding aids

**Extension/Tech transfer Statement:**

-   Data base development

-   Increase numbers of viable, high-quality offspring

-   Increase number of improved breeding aids

-   Increase efficiency of reproduction

**Problem: Stress Impacts Growth**

**Research Statement:**

-   Identify stress factors that affect growth

-   Identify physiological responses to stressors

-   Reduce stress during transport, post-harvest, holding and slaughter

-   Effects of environmental contaminants

**Extension/Tech transfer Statement:**

-   New techniques for ameliorating and monitoring stress

-   Lower mortality

-   More efficient growth and appearance

-   Improved product quality

**Problem: Lack of Understanding of Basic Physiological Processes of
Feed Intake and Feed Assimilation**

**Research Statement:**

-   Physiology of attraction, selection and sorting of feed items

-   Physiology of digestion and assimilation

-   Better defined diets and guidelines for diet development

-   Better growth and survival

**Problem: A Basic Lack of Understanding of Energy and Nutrient
Partitioning**

**Research Statement:**

-   Identify internal and external factors that affect energy and
    nutrient partitioning

-   Develop physiological control mechanisms for specific life stages

-   Model energy partitioning in organisms

**Desired Outcomes (with measurable outcomes):**

-   Decrease time to harvest

-   Increase edible meat quality and quantity

-   Increase production efficiency

**Problem: Lack of Methods for Enhancement of Product Quality through
Physiological Manipulations**

**Research Statement:**

-   ID factors regulating muscle, shell and roe production and quality

**Desired Outcomes (with measurable outcomes):**

-   Better understanding

-   Improved lines and strains

-   New Techniques

**Problem: Identify the physiological constraints to and develop cost
effective alternative methods of live fish transport**

**Problem: Feeding and nutritional physiology (Physical processes of
capture and assimilation)**

**Problem: External and Internal control of energy and nutrient
partitioning**