Another, conducted in the lab, will determine the differences in their ability to recognize and avoid predators. However, hatchery-reared flounder frequently show pigment defects that reduce both their market value and their fitness for release. The etiology of these defects is poorly understood, but appears strongly linked to larval diet. A widely cited hypothesis proposes that nutritional deficiencies in larvae cause retinal defects that result in the failure of a hormonal signal necessary for correct adult pigmentation. This project will measure the effect of larval diet on visual behavior and final pigmentation of hatchery-reared summer flounder and determine whether early larval behavior serves as a predictor of pigmentation.
Finfish aquaculture is a growing industry both locally and globally.
However, the high levels of nutrients wasted in fish farm effluent represent an economic loss for the fish farm and a problem for the environment. Their project should lay the groundwork for combining nori and finfish aquaculture, and eliminating both the economic loss and the environmental threat. The overharvesting of sea urchins has led to a decline in urchin recruitment and the collapse of what was a promising new fishery. This research team will seek to help save the fishery by developing a system to grow large batches of urchins from initial spawning through metamorphosis to a size at which they can be planted for stock enhancement or aquaculture. The emphasis will be on developing a system using natural plankton as a primary nutrition source and a microalgal film for juvenile grow out.