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Optimizing Water Temperature For Live Transport of Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) Eggs
Location: 43
Mentor: Dr. John Stieglitz
With the growth of the aquaculture industry globally there has been increased interest in optimizing transport methods for early life stage seedstock of cultured organisms. The transport of live fish eggs across vast distances and time spans is an increasingly common component of many modern-day aquaculture operations. There is a need to assess strategies for improving life fish egg transport. The present study investigated water temperature impacts on the development time of Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) eggs in an effort to explore whether hypometabolism could be employed as a strategy to extend the duration of the egg stage of the embryo prior to hatch. The project evaluated three temperature conditions (21°C, 17°C, and 13 °C), all of which fall within the range of temperatures that have been utilized for other life-history stages of this marine finfish species. The experiment used 400 mL of seawater in replicated beakers, each of which was stocked with 20 embryos for each temperature group. These were all kept in a dark environment for the duration of the study. Embryo development was monitored twice a day (8:00 AM and 2:00 PM) and daily temperature and dissolved oxygen level measurements were obtained. Results indicate that embryonic development was extended in the colder temperature treatments, and the impacts of water temperatures on hatch rate success will also be presented and discussed.
