AQUATIC AND MARINE GENOMICS: A PARADIGM SHIFT IN AQUACULTURE

¹ GenoMar ASA, Oslo Research Park, N-0349 Oslo, Norway

Most aquaculture operators are working under medium to small margins with high investment and operation costs, with high risks due to inferior seeds and disease problems and with new challenges related to the emerging focus on food safety issues. The increasing demands for aquatic proteins together with enforced consumer and accident driven focus on food safety will require new solutions to improve both production efficiency and quality assurance systems. These challenges can all be met with genomics through e.g. genetic enhancement and traceability systems. The current rapidly developing fish genomics with Pufferfish (Fugu rubripes) genome sequence draft available and with more model fishes like Zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) and industrial fishes (e.g. tilapias, salmonids, cods, shrimps etc.) targeted for extensive genomic sequencing in the near future (2-5 years), will provide substantial new insight into genome evolution and elicit a quantum leap in breeding and various enhancement regimens in fish, a paradigm shift in aquaculture. Our assets and product lines are all genomics driven: a genetically advanced Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock, a divergent Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) mapping population (relict x cultured) which segregates highly contrasting phenotypes, a robust collection of genetic markers (microsatellites and SNPs) in several industrial important species, high resolution genetic map (3cM) and a QTL map in Nile tilapia for salt tolerance, body shape and colour and a differentially expressed sequence collection in Nile tilapia, especially related to salt tolerance. We have also developed salmon molecular vaccine prototypes and a genetic traceability system for (sea) foods. Our scientific network, as displayed on the web page (www.genomar.com), is also assisting us in further refined mapping and discovery of industrial important genes in tilapia and in salmon. This will be pursued through a concerted strategy, embracing breeding experiments, fine QTL mapping based on combined linkage and linkage disequilibrium, expression profiling and physical mapping approaches.