121 results

Population genomic assessment of Australian Blacklip Abalone for abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) resistance

Project number: 2018-057
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $165,700.00
Principal Investigator: Adam Miller
Organisation: Deakin University Warrnambool Campus
Project start/end date: 14 Jul 2019 - 29 Oct 2020
Contact:
FRDC

Need

AVG remains the greatest threat to the economic viability and stability of the abalone industry in south-eastern Australia. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for strategic research aimed at determining the likely vulnerability of fisheries to future AVG outbreaks and providing managers with the necessary tools for biosecuring wild and farmed stocks at regional, state and national scales.

The fact that some animals from AVG affected wild stocks survived the disease outbreak suggests they were either fortunate enough to have avoided coming into contact with the virus or are genetically resistant to the disease. A research program aimed at characterising AVG resistance in Australian wild abalone fisheries is expected to provide benefits to wild and farm fisheries at a national scale. If AVG resistance is present in wild abalone stocks, and its genetic basis can be characterised, there will be unique opportunities to:

1) Rapidly and cost-effectively screen stocks across all wild fisheries to determine the spatial prevalence of resistant genotypes and to gain an understanding of how biosecure wild abalone stocks are likely to be in the event of AVG re-emergence
2) Biosecure wild stocks through the movement of animals from ‘AVG resistant’ to ‘AVG vulnerable’ stocks as part of future restocking and translocation activities
3) Biosecure farm stocks across all states of Australia through the establishment of an AVG resistance breeding program

This project involves a direct partnership with AAGA, ACA and VFA and is expected to provide much needed insights into the vulnerability of abalone stocks to future AVG outbreaks, and the tools needed to bolster the biosecurity of wild and farmed abalone stocks. As a result, this project has the potential to dramatically improve the economic viability of this rapidly expanding industry.

Objectives

1. This project will leverage the support of the abalone wild harvest and aquaculture industries, and the Victorian state government to determine if genetic resistance to the AVG virus persists in Australian wild blacklip abalone fisheries. This project will adopt state-of-the-art population genomic technologies to contrast genomic profiles of 350 individual abalone distributed across AVG affected and unaffected blacklip abalone stocks from Victorian Western and Central zone fisheries. Genomic variants differentiating animals from AVG affected and unaffected source stocks are expected to be indicative of a selective sweep and AVG resistance. Genomic variants associated with AVG resistance will act as the necessary markers for surveying the virus resilience/vulnerability of wild fishing stocks, and biosecuring wild fishing and farm stocks by providing a basis for a future virus resistance breeding program.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-7300-0303-8
Authors: Adam Miller Madeline Toomey Owen Holland Larry Croft Collin Ahrens Craig Sherman Ary Hoffmann Nick Savva Dean Lisson Andrew Clarke
Final Report • 2021-05-01 • 9.55 MB
2018-057-DLD.pdf

Summary

Abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) remains a significant threat to the economic viability and stability of the Abalone industry in south-eastern Australia. Consequently, there is an urgent need for strategic research aimed at determining the likely vulnerability of fisheries to future AVG outbreaks and providing managers with the necessary tools for biosecuring wild and farmed stocks at regional, state and national scales. The fact that some animals from AVG  affected wild stocks survived the disease outbreak in the early 2000s suggests they were either fortunate enough to have avoided coming into contact with the virus or are genetically resistant to the disease. A research program aimed at characterising AVG resistance in Australian wild Abalone fisheries is expected to provide benefits to wild and farm fisheries at a national scale. If AVG resistance is present in wild Abalone stocks, and its genetic basis can be
characterised, there may be opportunities to:
1) Improve industry knowledge of the mechanisms for animal persistence in virus affected Abalone fisheries and on the resilience of Abalone fisheries to environmental change;
2) Screen wild fishing stocks across all wild fisheries to determine the spatial prevalence of resistant genotypes and to help identify stocks are likely to be resilient or vulnerable to AVG reemergence;
3) Explore options for biosecuring wild stocks through the movement of AVG resistant genotypes to ‘AVG vulnerable’ stocks as part of future restocking and translocation activities; and
4) Establish AVG resistant breeding lines for biosecuring farm stocks across all states of Australia.
In this study we performed a genome wide association study on the Blacklip Abalone (Haliotis rubra) using pooled whole genome re-sequencing data from 343 H. rubra specimens representing 14 Victorian fishing stocks varying in historical AVG exposure. Analyses identified approximately 25,000 SNP loci associated with AVG exposure, many of which mapped to genes known to be involved in herpesvirus response pathways and general virus-host interactions in Haliotids and other animal systems. Most notably, candidate loci mapped to 24 genes known to be associated with Haliotid herpesvirus-1 (HaHV-1)
immunity in the New Zealand pāua (H. iris). Experimental trials are now needed to validate if, and how much, resistance is determined by the candidate genotypes identified in this study before the industry can harness them for management purposes with confidence. This study provides the first line of
evidence of genetic changes and adaptive responses in AVG affected H. rubra fisheries. These findings have potential implications for future management which are discussed in detail but will require further investigation.
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-220
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Testing established methods of early prediction of genetic merit in abalone broodstock

This report provides an assessment of the utility of RNA/DNA ratio as a method for early prediction of high performing abalone broodstock. The study was carried out on farmed Greenlip Abalone (Haliotis laevigata) whereby families were produced and resulting progeny were reared using commercial...
ORGANISATION:
James Cook University (JCU)
Industry
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-051
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Seafood CRC: Extending biotoxin capability and research in Australia through development of an experimental biotoxin contamination facility to target industry relevant issues

A short-term experimental biotoxin contamination facility was set up at Roseworthy, South Australia, to examine the uptake and depuration of marine biotoxins from one of the most toxic dinoflagellates known, Alexandrium catenella. Over the period of one year, SARDI’s Seafood Food Safety group...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-417
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

National People Development: Membership of PIEFA to support and encourage the teaching and learning in Australian schools of information related to the Australian Fishing Industry

PIEFA was established in 2007 with bipartisan government support following an extensive series of roundtables and working party meetings supported by the federal Minister of Agriculture. PIEFA became operational in April 2010 with support from the government, education and industry sectors. The...
ORGANISATION:
Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA)

Management of Australian Abalone Growers Association's RD&E portfolio

Project number: 2016-415
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $190,000.00
Principal Investigator: Nicholas Savva
Organisation: Australian Abalone Growers Association Inc (AAGA)
Project start/end date: 30 Oct 2016 - 29 Jun 2020
Contact:
FRDC

Need

FRDC has recently devolved responsibility for strategic priorities and direction to industry. Consequently the functions described in this application are needed to plan and manage AAGA's RD&E portfolio in partnership with FRDC to ensure that research continues to provide results that address
key priority areas of the industry. Specifically the functions needed to achieve this are:

a) Develop collaborations with R&D agencies to assist development of RD&E projects needed to address issues described in the AAGA Strategic Plan 2015-2020, including:
(i) Sustainable development of the industry;
(ii) Maintaining and enhancing biosecurity and abalone health;
(iii) An emphasis on abalone health via nutrition;
(iv) Increases in production efficiency and profitability;
(v) Enhanced market development of quality abalone products;
(vi) Improved human capacity, safety and training

b) Ensure effective and rapid dissemination, extension and uptake of the outcomes of R&D to AAGA members.

c) Identify alternative sources of funding that can be accessed through co-investment in additional RD&E projects to achieve greater outcomes for the farmed abalone industry.

Objectives

1. Coordinate development of RD&E projects in line with AAGA/FRDC IPA.
2. Publish an annual industry report and distribute to AAGA members
3. Manage communications with AAGA members.
4. Organise an annual industry workshop and other special topic workshops as required.
5. Review and update the AAGA RD&E strategic plan.
6. Promote the industry's viability and sustainability and social licence to operate.

Final report

Author: Nicholas Savva
Final Report • 2021-01-01 • 1.11 MB
2016-415-DLD.pdf

Summary

This report describes the outcomes from a five-year Industry Partnership Agreement (IPA) between Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the Australian Abalone Gowers Association (AAGA). The project was led by AAGA Executive Officer, Nicholas Savva with assistance from members of the AAGA management committee. The primary objective of the IPA was to coordinate R&D related to abalone farming funded through FRDC and other sources. To ensure involvement of members in the development and running of that R&D. And extension to members for uptake of research outcomes.
During the five years 15 abalone and related R&D projects were conducted with $853,000 contributed via the IPA and considerably more from research institutions and in kind from farms and other participants including feed manufacturers. Projects supported by the IPA were consistent with the priorities in the AAGA Strategic Plan 2015-2020. Ten of the 15 projects are now complete, or near completion. All the projects have delivered benefits to the industry.
Nutrition has long been and will continue to be a focus for AAGA R&D.
Knowledge of abalone genetics including the genetic pool on farms and the nature of abalone responses to AVG and to higher summer water temperatures will aid selective breeding.
Improvements to biosecurity and vigilant surveillance has resulted in robust on farm biosecurity plans and no disease outbreaks on farms.
During this project AAGA developed a new strategic plan that will guide research in a new IPA to cover the period from 2020 – 2025 was completed. Significant outcomes from the new Strategic Plan include:
• The need for stronger links between nutrition and genetic selection especially in response to warming waters.
• The need to develop and embrace AI and mechanisation to improve labour efficiencies and invest in our labour force to provide improved quality employment opportunities.
• Recognition that additional funding for R&D will need to be sourced.
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