Genetic Broodstock Characterisation


Dear EuroShrimp Community Members,

Happy New Year!

With this newsletter, we would like to inform you about a new research project that will help us all to better understand and optimize the breeding and production of shrimps in Europe.

The recently approved Joint Development Activity (JDA), with its full title “Broodstock characterisation for pedigree management in whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei” has commenced activities. The partnership between the Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center (ARC), Ghent University and the Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics (LBEG), KU Leuven primarily intends to genotype broodstock families as presently kept by European shrimp producers and aims to provide a service for a sustainable breeding strategy for the emerging European aquaculture sector.

In order to support the JDA we would like to address the European shrimp farmers and research institutions in particular and ask for their support to achieve the goals set in the project. Therefore, we forward you the request of Mathieu Wille who is in charge of the project at Ghent University.

Dear Shrimp breeder,

We are collecting fresh samples of whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) for the European EMBRC project Genaeus, which aims to characterize whiteleg shrimp currently used in European aquaculture with genomic methods (using a high-density SNP panel). This will serve as a background to advise on pedigree management in the future.

In order to successfully implement our project, we however depend on you for the collection of morphological (phenotypic) information and high quality tissue samples of shrimp from your stocks. You can find more information on the euroshrimp.net website and download the sampling protocol. We would like to collect the samples by the spring of 2022. We will gladly assist in sending materials or advice whenever necessary. The service is completely free of charge.  Apart from an overall report on the genetic background of European P. vannamei populations, you will receive the genotypes of your animals by fall 2022. Information of individual farms will of course be treated anonymously. We hope you are willing to support this effort to the benefit of the European shrimp sector. Feel free to contact Mathieu or EuroShrimp in case you have questions.

We hope to have aroused your interest and would be pleased about a lively participation in this study.

Kind wishes and all the best from The EuroShrimp Team

P.S.: Please feel free to get in contact if you have any news, questions or information you would like to share via the EuroShrimp network. You contact us via the euroshrimp.net website, the new Forum or send an Email to euroshrimp@awi.de

Proposed by ALFRED-WEGENER-INSTITUT    |    Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research | Section of KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER    |    AQUACULTURE RESEARCH GROUP

Categories: Newsletter-2022