Acronym ΑΕΙΦΟΡΙΑ/ΦΥΣΗ/0609(ΒΕ)/02
Category
Fisheries
Title Genetic characterisation and the influence of aquaculture on native European seabass populations in Cyprus Programme Nat. Programme (supported by ESIF)
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator Despoina Miltiadou Coordinator email despoina.miltiadou@cut.ac.cy
Coordinator institution
CUT - Cyprus University of Technology (Cyprus)
Institutions involved
NA - Not available (Greece) ,
Start year 2011 End year 2014 Funding (€) € 130,926 Website http://www.marbigen.org/content/genetic-characterisation-and-influence-aquaculture-native-european-seabass-populations-cypru Summary The European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a key species in the Cyprus fisheries sector and has been produced locally in intensive aquaculture systems for over 30 years. The impact of large seabass aquaculture operations on wild populations is essentially unknown as there is little previous research on this subject. However, evidence from salmon aquaculture indicates that large numbers of escaped fish can lead to significant threats to the sustainability of wild populations and consequently marine biodiversity. The aim of this project is to use genetic markers to investigate the genetic profile of the wild seabass population in Cyprus and determine how they compare genetically to other Mediterranean populations. The frequency of cultured fish in the wild and the potential for interactions between wild and cultured fish will be examined using the genetic profiles of both wild fish and current aquaculture populations. Biological data on the wild population will also be collected to confirm the possibility of interbreeding between the two groups. Cyprus offers a unique opportunity to study such interactions due to the limited number of hatcheries producing seabass locally, the small size of the wild population and the potential for genetic differentiation from other Mediterranean populations. There have been very few genetic studies on fish populations in the Eastern Mediterranean and none in Cyprus' waters. This project will capture samples of wild fish over a large area of coastline and cooperate with aquaculture enterprises to sample farmed fish. A range of genetic markers will be employed to provide a high resolution power to distinguish between Cypriot and other Mediterranean seabass populations, as well as between wild fish and fish originating from local fish farms. This genetic information will provide evidence for the size and status of the wild seabass population, its relationship with other Mediterranean populations and evidence of the presence of cultivated fish in the wild. Samples of wild adult seabass will also be examined for evidence of sexual maturity and reproduction, to determine if wild seabass spawn in Cyprus' waters. Genetic data collected from seabass hatcheries will allow analysis of the geographic origin of the stocks, loss of genetic variation and the potential for developing genetic traceability schemes. The results of this project will assist in developing policies to protect livestock genetic resources in Cyprus by identifying genetic characteristics of wild fish and evaluating the level of interaction between wild and cultured seabass. Such interactions are a risk to marine biodiversity due to the genetic changes that can result from interbreeding and the poor fitness (survival and reproductive success) of farmed fish in the wild. The genetic information produced by the project will also provide important data to the Cyprus aquaculture industry for the future application of biotechnology.
The primary objective of the project is the provision of scientific information applicable to the sustainable management of fisheries resources in Cyprus. Conservation of genetic resources is a major theme in halting the loss of biodiversity and this project will focus on the concept of native fish populations as a genetic resource that needs to be protected and managed. The project will create a new research network in the field of marine biology and fisheries science between academic, governmental and industry partners. This will strengthen the research capacity in Cyprus and introduce innovative genetic technologies for fisheries research that have the potential to be widely used. The inclusion of industry partners in the project is intended to emphasise their position as stakeholders in marine environmental protection and to stimulate interest in academic research activities. The establishment of close links between industry and academic partners will support future cooperation and participation in research and teaching programmes. The project will create one full-time post-doctoral research position at the Host Organisation to ensure skills development for scientists in Cyprus and to encourage future research programmes in this field utilising genetic technologies. Specific objectives: (1) Development of a protocol for the rapid genotyping at 10 microsatellite loci and the methodology for combining mitochondrial DNA markers, to increase resolving power for identification of wild and cultured fish; (2) Collection of approximately 800 samples of wild fish caught in Cyprus waters (including approximately 100 mature adult fish to be collected during the spawning season); (3) Evaluation of breeding status and stage of sexual maturation from the gonad analysis of mature wild seabass and the confirmation of age using scale samples; (4) Collection of up to 400 samples from the breeding stock of two large seabass hatcheries; (5) Population genetic analysis of wild seabass in Cyprus and study of the relationships and level of genetic differentiation with other Mediterranean populations; (6) Population genetic analysis of cultured seabass in Cyprus and evaluation of the origin of fish, genetic diversity and inbreeding; (7) Identification of cultured fish in samples collected from the wild and evaluation of interbreeding between wild and cultured fish using several genetic data analysis techniques.
Keywords
Escapes;
Seabass;
Environmental impact;
Cage aquaculture;
Sustainability;
Fish;
Wild animals;
Genetic;
Marine Region
66
Cyprus Island (GSA 25)
1
Marine Region Map
