Summary of completed projects

• Selective breeding of farmed abalone to enhance growth rates I
• Adaptation of nutritional technologies developed for greenlip abalone for the production of suitable manufactured feeds for blacklip abalone
• The potential for antibiotic use in abalone for disease control
• Quality assurance programs for abalone farms
• Development of an integrated management program for the control of spionid mudworms in cultured abalone
• Early life history of abalone: Settlement, survival and early growth
• Environmental requirements of abalone
• Manufactured diet development
• Formulated feeds for newly settled juvenile abalone based on natural feeds (Diatoms and crustose coralline algae)
• Optimisation of essential lipids in artificial feeds for Australian abalone
• Artificial food development, system design and performance

2000/201 — Selective breeding of farmed abalone to enhance growth rates I

Principal Investigator

Dr Xiaoxu Li

(South Australian Research and Development Institute, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, SA 5022)

Project Objectives

1. To develop a practical selective breeding protocol for commercially desirable traits in abalone
2. To develop a genetic evaluation system
3. To develop a research and development genetic business plan
4. To establish and maintain the desired number of abalone family lines in each state participating

Outcomes achieved

The primary aim of this 18-month project was to assess the practicality of establishing an industry-based selective breeding program where families are produced and maintained on-farm. This was shown to be achievable with 14 blacklip families produced in Victoria and 12 greenlip families established in South Australia in the 2000/2001 spawning season.

The success of the breeding program will depend on the establishment of at least 100 families in each state within a few spawning seasons. It is recognised by the industry that a long-term commitment is required from all parties involved in the project.

A commercialisation paper was produced as part of this project that offers a staged approach to moving towards developing a commercial business using the superior breeding stocks. It was proposed that initially the breeding program has an essentially research based character (Stage One) but at some time it will move to one that essentially involves commercially based breeding (Stage Two). At some point as Stage One matures it is expected that simple production economies will take over to the point where the proven value of the breeding program (measured essentially in terms of on farm profits to the industry participants) is such that farms will be able and willing to pay the costs of developing new family lines with the characteristics they desire. This will be the appropriate time to establish a commercial business plan.

Status

The final report is due July 2002.

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 8 - 9
• Final report

2000/203− Adaptation of nutritional technologies developed for greenlip abalone for the production of suitable manufactured feeds for blacklip abalone

Principal Investigator

Ms Meegan Vandepeer

(South Australian Research and Development Institute, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, SA 5022)

Project Objectives

1. To determine the digestibility of nutrients from a range of feedstuffs to be used in artificial diets for blacklip abalone in comparison with existing data on greenlip abalone.
2. To determine the optimal digestible protein:energy ratio for growth of blacklip abalone.
3. To develop nutritional specifications for blacklip (for different age classes) leading to new diets that outperform current greenlip diets).

Outcomes achieved

Provision of nutritional data to the feed companies who can use the information to manufacture diets specifically formulated to meet the digestibility capacity of blacklip abalone.

Provision of the optimal digestible protein:energy ratio of blacklip abalone to feed companies who can use the information to formulate diets to match this ratio.

Status

Final report submitted to the FRDC.

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 8 - 9
• Final report

2000/205 — The potential for antibiotic use in abalone for disease control

Principal Investigator

Dr Judith Handlinger

(Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, Marine Research Laboratories, Nubeena Crescent, Taroona, TAS, 7053)

Project Objectives

1. To confirm the potential for antibiotic control of bacterial infections in abalone.
2. To determine which antibiotics are most suitable for use in abalone aquaculture and the most appropriate mechanism of delivery.
3. Coincidentally to increase understanding of factors affecting V. harveyi infections in abalone, and provide tools for further research into its control.

Outcomes achieved

• Knowledge of whether antibiotics can effectively be administered to abalone on aquaculture facilities and retain adequate in vivo activity, and which mechanisms of delivery (in water, in feed) provide appropriate antibiotic tissue levels.
• Initial indications of safety (acute toxicity), efficacy, speed of residue clearance, and the effect of temperature on these at the dose rate tested.
• An infection model for Vibrio harveyi infection for further study of the disease and formal verification of antibiotic efficacy for Minor Use Permit or registration for use in abalone.
• Techniques for measuring antibacterial factors of abalone tissues and preliminary data on changes of the level of these during the development of this disease and/or with heat stress, which will provide a better understanding of their relative importance for disease prevention and health assessment.
• Preliminary data on the role and importance of stress in disease development. This may direct research into alternate means of disease control, such as boosting non-specific defences, or management changes such as altered feeding are required.

Status

The final report is due mid 2002

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 8 - 9
• Final report

2000/246− Quality assurance programs for abalone farms

Principal Investigator

Dr John Sumner

(M&S Food Consultants P/L, Foreshore Rd, Deviot, TAS 7275)

Project Objectives

1. To provide abalone farms with hard and electronic copy of a quality system appropriate to their individual needs. There will be some on--line hep to enable each enterprise to receive 3^rd party accreditation with the certification system of choices.

Outcomes achieved

• Identied the hazards and risks associated with abalone farming.
• Established quality programs to ensure that risk communication and risk management strategies are in place.
• Established critical limits for each hazard, set up monitoring and checking systems, and established corrective actions and verification systems.

The project assisted nine farms in establishing quality systems tailored to their specific operations. A generic manual is available to adapt the system to any farm. It identifies the hazards and risks associated with all production stages of abalone farming, and includes a quality system for shelling and processing abalone.

Status

Completed

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 7
• Manual

1998/307 - Development of an integrated management program for the control of spionid mudworms in cultured abalone

Principal Investigator

Dr Judith Handlinger

(Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, Marine Research Laboratories, Nubeena Crescent, Taroona, TAS, 7053)

Project Objectives

1. In general, to develop methods for the control of mud worms in farmed abalone, bases on the principles of sustainable aquaculture.
2. To thoroughly investigate the ecology and reproductive biology of spionid mud worms and their interaction with abalone, through monitoring, field and laboratory experiments.
3. To gather long term data on the efficacy of the chemical treatment(s) (including antifoulants) throughout the production cycle. Note: that air drying of abalone was found to be a superior treatment option to chemical immersion so long term efficacy focused on this. Antifoulant paints supplied by the CRC for biofouling were tested but lacked a suitable application method for abalone. Thus long term testing was not conducted.
4. To develop a protocol of chemical treatment within the production cycle to optimise the efficiency of chemical control in relation to abalone survival, growth and marketability, cost and responsible chemical use. Note: as above air drying rather than a chemical treatment was used.
5. To gather information on the epidemiology of mud worm infestation in relation to ecological and hydrodynamic characteristics of sites, cage design and deployment and stock husbandry.
6. To use information collected to refine culture methods so as to minimise the level and consequences of mud worm infestation, preferably without the use of chemical treatments.

Outcomes achieved

The major knowledge outputs are that mudworm infestations can be substantially avoided in the first instance and treated if necessary. The major project outcome from this knowledge and a new sense of perspective regarding the risk of severe infestation has been a rise in investor confidence leading to renewed interest in sea based abalone farming. This has contributed to the development of at least three new sea based abalone farms in Tasmania. Project findings have been made available directly to industry and specific discussions held on risk minimisation with some individual farms.

Status

The final report is due July 2002

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 4 — 8
• Australian Abalone Mudworms: A Farm Manual
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• Final report

1998/306− Early life history of abalone: Settlement, survival and early growth

Principal Investigator

Dr Sabine Daume

(Department of Fisheries (Western Australia), 1 Fleet St, Fremantle WA 6160)

Project Objectives

1. To test performance of different settlement inducers at both the laboratory and commercial scale.
2. To improve the rate and consistency of abalone larval settlement.
3. To compare different microalgal diets for their nutritional value in terms of digestibility and growth.
4. To quantify the suitability of different microalgae for their ease of use, both for maintaining mass cultures and ability to recolonise settlement surfaces post grazing.
5. To increase growth and survival for the first two months of post-larval life at a commercial scale.

Outcomes achieved

1. Improvement of recruitment at week 8 to 30-35% using a 9-10 day old Ulvella lens biofilm at settlement.
2. The use of Ulvella lens has allowed the farms to extend the spawning season, using the nursery plates twice in a season and reducing their densities back to 50 juveniles/plate. They are doing this rather than culturing diatoms as the extensive infrastructure in the nursery does not allow an adequate control of the copepod populations and overgrowth of competitive algae.

Status

The final report is due July 2002

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 4 — 9
• Final report

Download the Non Technical Summary here.

• Master’s thesis

• CD-ROM on Algal Culture Methods

1997/323− Environmental requirements of abalone

Principal Investigator

Dr Greg Maguire

(University of Tasmania, Department of Aquaculture, Po Box 1214, Launceston, TAS 7250)

Project Objectives

1. Overall objective is to provide the information needed for industry to reduce its operating costs (water exchange) or increase production (through higher stocking densities) in a manner that does not compromise the health of the abalone through inadequate water quality.
2. Specifically, we aim to establish safe operating levels for a range of water quality variables.
3. We also aim to identify stress-specific changes in the structure or biochemistry of abalone in relation to particular water quality problems. This will improve the diagnostic tools available to veterinary staff.
4. Finally, we plan to convey this information in a prompt and user-friendly form for industry.

Outcomes achieved

As a consequence of this research, the effects of the majority of water quality variables on greenlip and blacklip abalone are now known. This has direct and indirect benefits for all involved in maintaining abalone; whether at commercial abalone farms, research institutions or restaurant aquaria all will all find it easier to maintain live and healthy abalone. The knowledge on the environmental requirements for abalone gained in this project, together with earlier studies, will enable the rational development of commercial abalone aquaculture. In consideration of water quality, industry now has sufficient information to properly site farms and design tank systems to maximise production while controlling operating costs, particularly of water supply.

Status

Completed

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 3 - 6
• Final Report

• Objectives
• Outcomes
• Non Technical Summary
• Principal Investigator and contact details

• PhD thesis

• Published papers

1996/385− Manufactured diet development

Principal Investigator

Dr Patrick Hone

(South Australian Research and Development Institute, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, SA 5022)

Project Objectives

Diet Project

1. Ingredient Evaluation And Diet Formulation
   1. To evaluate the nutritional value of a variety of local and cheap ingredient alternatives
   2. To develop a database of the full nutritional contribution of ingredients.
   3. To formulate new diets based on information derived from all nutritional projects and evaluate under controlled conditions
   4. To understand the link between diet composition and water quality and how this interacts with growth.
   5. To determine the nutritional processes, if any, by which algal supplements improve the production performance of artificial feeds.
2. Manufacturing Processes
   1. To manufacture diets using different manufacturing methods and evaluate their performance.
3. Diet Evaluation Using A Variety of Commercial Farming Methods

1. To evaluate diets at commercial farms using a variety of growout technologies.
2. To better understand the relationship between diet performance and growout systems.

Outcomes achieved

1. Database on alternative ingredients that are locally available and cheap for inclusion in manufactured diets for abalone.
2. Investigation into various processing methods prior to inclusion to determine whether the nutritive value of ingredients can be improved.
3. Commercial evaluation of diets at various farms have identified the role that system design and individual farm facilities plays in influencing feeding rates and behaviour throughout a 12 month cycle. An important outcome of this work has been the development of farm-specific feeding strategies that has reduced the amount of feed that farmers use.
4. A fuller understanding of the mechanism by which manufactured feed can impact on water quality.

Status

Research completed. Final report pending.

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 5 - 7
• Report on Objectives 1a) — 1c), 2a)
• Report on Objective 1d)
• Report on Objective 3)
• PhD Thesis

• Final Report

Pending

1996/386− Formulated feeds for newly settled juvenile abalone based on natural feeds (diatoms and crustose coralline algae)

Principal Investigator

Mr Graeme Dunstan

(CSIRO Division of Oceanography, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7001)

Project Objectives

1. Use information of the nutritional and attractant factors present in natural food items to develop a variety of recipes for formulated feeds for very young juvenile abalone (<15mm).
2. Manufacture and evaluate the feeds for water stability and palatability for the different feed delivery mechanisms including gels, pellets, pastes, adhesion feeds (on plates) and others.
3. Produce formulated diets of high nutritional value which produce high growth rates in very young abalone (<15mm), as verified by growth rate trials.
4. Provide information to the groups in the FRDC subprogram involved in the formulated feed development, so as to improve the existing formulated feed used for the "grow out" phase (15mm+).
5. Identify the nutrients incorporated into the actively growing tissues of abalone fed diatoms by assessing fatty acid metabolism and carbon and nitrogen retention in juvenile abalone using stable isotopes.

Outcomes achieved

The planned outcome of the research was to provide hatcheries with an alternative to using cultured diatoms as the only food source for rearing small (<15 mm) abalone. A secondary outcome was to advance knowledge about the dietary essentiality of fatty acids and their metabolic fate in small abalone.

Outputs of the research include several dietary formulations that under experimental conditions appear equal or superior to cultured diatoms as food for small abalone. The essentiality and metabolic fate of dietary fatty acids in small abalone were determined. Industry uptake of this research would be facilitated if large-scale commercial studies were carried out to validate the experimental findings.

Status

Draft final report completed.

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 5
• Final report

  The final report will be available soon from the FRDC.

  Download the Non Technical Summary here.

1994/085− Optimisation of essential lipids in artificial feeds for Australian abalone

Principal Investigator

Mr Graeme Dunstan

(CSIRO Division of Oceanography, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7001)

Project Objectives

The project aims to reduce the production costs for Australian abalone farmers, through optimisation of the diets they use at the various stages of growth. This will be done by identifying the specific lipid requirements of the abalone as detailed below.

1. Baseline data

   Determine baseline lipid class, essential fatty acid and sterol composition data of the local abalone (from the wild). This baseline data from wild stocks can be compared to data from feeding trials of cultured animals.

2. Essential lipids

   Examine the amounts and proportions of nutritionally important lipid components of the abalone diet through growth rate bioassays. Isocalorific diets will be manipulated with respect to fatty acid composition and w3/w6 ratio and the effects on abalone muscle composition and growth rate will be monitored. The feasibility of using radioactivity-labelled precursors will also be examined as a means of examining uptake and possible bioconversion into biochemically-important compounds.

3. Commercial sources of lipids in artificial feeds

Outcomes achieved

1. Demonstrated that feeds formulated with lipid levels less than 4% dry weight would improve growth and maintain the lipid content of abalone flesh similar to that of wild caught abalone.
2. Demonstrated the importance of maintaining adequate dietary concentrations of the long chain w3 PUFA (from appropriate fish oils) to ensure high growth rates in abalone.
3. Provided recommendations to feed companies on the amount and type of various lipids in manufactured diets.

Status

Completed

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 1 — 5
• Final Report

• Objectives
• Non Technical Summary
• Principal Investigator and contact details

1993/224− Artificial food development, system design and performance

Principal Investigator

Dr Patrick Hone

(South Australian Research and Development Institute, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, SA 5022)

Project Objectives

1. Develop an artificial food suitable for use in tank systems.
2. Develop a tank design suitable for use with artificial food.
3. Quantify the environmental requirements for abalone grown in intensive tank culture.

Outcomes achieved

1. Rapid development of more cost-effective land-based tanks for abalone growout. This work was undertaken by farmers themselves, with the subprogram providing the scientific methodology and rigour. The outcome of this work provided the basis for the continual development of growout tanks that has occurred since. Today there are a range of growout tanks that are commercially available to farmers.
2. A reliable diet source was the greatest barrier to the expansion of an abalone aquaculture in Australia in 1993. The development of a manufactured diet broke this barrier between 1993-96 and produced a diet demonstrated to be world class.
3. The cost of ingredient inclusion in the manufactured diet was reduced from $2.40/kg in 1993 to $1.30 in 1996 (it has continued to decrease to $<1.00/kg in 1999). The cost of feed for the farmer has reduced from $5.50/kg (1993) to $3.50 (1993) (to $2.00-3.00/kg in 2000) representing a 50% cost reduction. Feed accounts for approximately 30% of costs, therefore this has saved farmers approximately 15% of total production costs.
4. Basic husbandry techniques have been improved at commercial facilities through a better understanding of abalone environmental requirements. Their particularly high sensitivity to various wastes common in growout tanks has meant that farmers are far more aware of the importance of maintaining strict feeding regimes and good husbandry techniques. The preliminary work done in this project was continued and expanded in 1997/323− Environmental requirements of abalone.
5. Due to improved diets and growout systems, now farmers are able to achieve annual average growth rates between 70-100 m m/day. This is a significant improvement on the average of 30-85 m m/day achieved in 1993. The improved growth rates have meant that animals can be reared to market size in 3.5 to 4 years rather than the 4 to 5 years it took in 1993.

Status

Research completed. Final report pending.

Related Documents

• Proceedings No. 1 — 4
• PhD thesis

• Final Report

  Pending