# Presentation: 657655

## Alaska King Crab Research, Rehabilitation & Biology ProgramAn Introduction

- Alaska King Crab Research, Rehabilitation & Biology ProgramAn Introduction

- Presented by Celeste Leroux
- University of Alaska Fairbanks
- School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
- Alaska Sea Grant College Program

## The AKCRRAB Science Team

- Ginny Eckert	UAF/UAS
- Brad Stevens	U. Mass. Dartmouth
- Brian Allee		Alaska Sea Grant
- Jeff Hetrick		Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery
- Sara Persselin	NOAA NMFS
- Celeste Leroux	UAF/Alaska Sea Grant
- Ben Daly		Alaska Sea Grant
- Jim Swingle	Alaska Sea Grant

## Background – Red King Crab Fishery

## Background – Blue King Crab Fishery

## Early Enhancement Activities in Alaska

- 1992 International King Crab Rehabilitation and Enhancement Symposium
- 1990s-2000s Extensive research by Dr. Brad Stevens in Kodiak and Japan
- 2000s Continued research by NMFS Kodiak
- 2006 Alaska Crab Stock Enhancement and Rehabilitation Workshop

- Small scale experiment setup

- S. Persselin and B. Stevens, Kodiak AK

## AKCRRAB - Structure

- Steering Committee
- Science Team
- Partnerships
- Research collaborators
- Advisory Board

## Crab and Lobster Enhancement Initiatives-A Few Examples-

- Crab and Lobster Enhancement Initiatives-A Few Examples-

- Swimming crab, Japan

- Red King Crab, Japan

- American Lobster, New England

## Crab and Lobster Enhancement Initiatives-A Few Examples-

- Crab and Lobster Enhancement Initiatives-A Few Examples-

- Blue crab, Chesapeake Bay
- Excellent model for investigating feasibility of enhancement

- European lobster, Norway
- Commercial sea ranching very successful

## King Crab Life Cycle

**Prezoea**

**Crab Instar 1**

**Glaucothoe**

**Zoea 4**

**Zoea 3**

**Zoea 1**

**Zoea 2**

**Egg –Day 1**

**Egg – Day 395**

## King Crab Life Cycle

- Female with extruded eggs

- Mating behavior

- Juvenile ‘podding’ behavior

- Adult solitary behavior

## Broodstock Collection

- St. Paul, Pribilof Islands
- November 2006

- Alitak Bay, Kodiak
- July 2006

- Anchorage

- Seward

## Hatchery Setup

- Hatchery Setup

- Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery

- Seward Marine Center

## Hatchery Setup – Larval culture

- Larval Rearing Modules at APSH

-   Flow-through system
-   Conical bottom tanks
-   Circulation with air stones
-   Uniform lighting of tanks

## Larval Rearing – Food Production

- Algae production

- 24 hr. old *Artemia* nauplius

*Artemia* sp. production

*Isochrysis galbana* algae

***Artemia***** sp. (brine shrimp)**

**Algae**

## AKCRRAB 2007 Experiments 

- AKCRRAB 2007 Experiments

**Red King Crab**** **
- Larval diet study
- Larval density hatchery trials
**Blue King Crab **
- Larval diet/handling
- 	stress study
- Larval density study
- Juvenile trial rearing
- Water quality investigation

*P. Platypus* ZIs swim in Petri dish

## RKC Larval Rearing Diet StudyMarch 7, 2007 – May 3, 2007

- _Purpose:_
- To test effect of algae or diatom enrichment on RKC larval survival and growth to glaucothoe stage.
- _Diet Treatments:_
*	**Isochrysis galbana* Tahitian strian (T-ISO)
*	**Pavlova lutheri* (PAV)
- 	*Thalassiosira pseudonana* (3H)
- 	No enrichment, *Artemia* sp. only (Art.)

*P. camtschaticus* ZI

## RKC Larval Rearing – Survival

## BKC Larval Handling Stress/Diet studyMay 14, 2007 – June 12, 2007

- BKC Larval Handling Stress/Diet studyMay 14, 2007 – June 12, 2007

- _Purpose:_
- To test effects of live algae vs. algae concentrate as dietary enrichment and effect of handling stress on BKC larval survival and growth to the glaucothoe stage.
- _Treatments:_
**Diet:****	**Live T-ISO
-          	Concentrate T-ISO
**Handling:** Once per zoeal stage
-                   No handling

*P. platypus* ZIs

## BKC Larval Rearing - Survival

## RKC & BKC – Growth

## Slide 21

## Larval Rearing Survival - Discussion

| Concern | Course of Action |
| --- | --- |
| Water Quality | Monitor for hydrocarbons |
| Microbiological contamination | Monitor for Vibrio bacteria |
| Temperature fluctuation | Improve water system |
| Excessive aeration | Decrease aeration |
| Nutritional deprivation
 | Fatty acid analysis &
Further diet investigations |

## Other Hatchery Studies

- Larval rearing density studies
- Water quality investigations
- Juvenile trial rearing
- Pathology & Genetics
- Larval fatty acid analysis
- Larval growth measurements

- Ongoing Projects

## 2007 Research Findings Summary

- Hatchery scale red and blue king crab larval and juvenile rearing is possible.
- Tremendous accomplishment in areas of technology transfer, hatchery setup, preliminary research and baseline data.
- Need to refine setup in identified ways to improve survival, as expected.

*P. camtschaticus* glaucothoe

## AKCRRAB Long-term vision

- Artificial Propagation
- Habitat Studies
- Genetics & Pathology
- Goal: Assess biological & economic feasibility of red and blue king crab population rehabilitation through ocean ranching.

## Thanks

- Alaska Sea Grant College Program
- AKCRRAB Science Team & Steering Committee
- NOAA Aquaculture Program
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
- UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
- Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- United Fisherman’s Association
- Central Bering Sea Fisherman’s Association
- United Fisherman’s Marketing Association
- ...and all of our supporters nationwide

## Questions

- Red king crab (*P. camtschaticus*) eggs, Seward, Alaska