AquaIMPACT had a total of 5 presentations in the International Symposium on Genetics in Aquaculture (ISGA) in Chile, Puerto Varas 27th November – 2nd December 2022. ISGA provides a forum for the industry and academy to share the latest research on breeding and genomics of sustainable aquaculture. It is one of the most important international events for this topic.

One of the presentations was on the improvement of production efficiency of gilthead sea bream by genomic selection.

Genomics enable more accurate selection in the nucleus broodstock
The sea bream broodstock of a breeding company is held in the land-based biosecure nucleus, but the commercial on-growing is in sea. Despite the presence of genotype-by-environment interaction between sea bream reared at sea and land-based tanks, it is possible to select the broodstock fish for improved performance at sea. The DNA analysis of the fish and the accompanied genomic estimation of breeding values makes breeding more effective because it allows to identify the broodstock fish held inland, via their DNA profile, that are superior for sea production traits.

In other words, the breeding nucleus stays safe while the production animals are more adapted to their production environment, which makes the sea bream farming less risky and more profitable.

“Genomic selection enables more gain on sea performance” says Anastasia Bestin.

Across country co-operation between companies and researchers
This output was possible thanks to the partnership with SYSAAF and the French commercial hatchery and selective breeding company Fermes Marines du Soleil, and research institutes Ifremer, INRAE, the Roslin Institute and Wageningen University.

The company partner FMDS (Jean-Sébastien Bruant and Frédéric Massieu) created the experimental batches from their breeding nucleus, reared the fish (in tank and sea cage), and co-organized and participated to the phenotyping in both environments (with SYSAAF, INRAE, Ifremer). The data analysis was conducted by SYSAAF (Jonathan D’Ambrosio and Anastasia Bestin) and needed frequent brainstorming sessions with Marc Vandeputte (INRAE), François Allal (Ifremer), Mathieu Besson and Pierrick Haffray (SYSAAF).

Results were presented for the first time
Results were presented to the international audience for the first time by Anastasia Bestin in the International Symposium on Genetics in Aquaculture (ISGA):
CAN GENOMICS IMPROVE THE SELECTION EFFICIENCY OF SEA BREAM (SPARUS AURATA) CANDIDATES REARED IN SANITARY PROTECTED RAS WHEN GXE EXIST WITH THE PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT IN OPEN-SEA CAGES?

Bestin, A., D’Ambrosio, J., Besson, M., Massieu, F., Vergnet, A., Clota, F., Morvezen, R., Delpuech, E., Bruant, J.-S., Haffray, P., Allal, F., Vandeputte, M.

Other AquaIMPACT presentations at ISGA were:

EFFECT OF 10 GENERATIONS OF SELECTION ON GROWTH, FEED EFFICIENCY, PROCESSING AND LIPID TRAITS IN RAINBOW TROUT FED A STANDARD OR A “FUTURE” FISH-FREE, SOY-FREE DIET

Vandeputte, M., Corraze, G., Doerflinger, J., Enez, F., Clota, F., Terrier, F., Horat, M., Larroquet, L., Petit, V., Imarazene, B., Haffray, P., Skiba-Cassy, S., Dupont-Nivet, M.

IMPACT OF IMPUTATION STRATEGIES ON GENOMIC PREDICTION FOR THREE COMMERCIAL TRAITS IN ATLANTIC SALMON

Fraslin, C., Boison, S., Gonen, S., Houston, R.D., Norris, A., Robledo, D.

3D IMAGE ANALYSIS TO OBTAIN INDICATOR TRAITS FOR FILLET FAT% AND FILLET YIELD IN GILTHEAD SEABREAM (Sparus aurata)

Gulzari, B., Mencarelli, A., Komen, H., Roozeboom, C., Bastiaansen, J.W.M.

EFFICIENCY OF GENOMIC SELECTION BY IMPUTATION IN SEA BASS AND SEA BREAM TO IMPROVE PROCESSING TRAITS AND RESISTANCE TO VIRAL NERVOUS NECROSIS

D’Ambrosio, J., Bestin, A., Besson, M., Morvezen, R., Bajek, A., Bruant, J.-S., François, Y., Morin, T., Haffray, P., Allal, F., Vandeputte, M.