ARS | Publication request: CRYOPRESERVATION ACTIVITIES AND NEEDS AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR COOL AND COLD WATER AQUACULTURE

Submitted to: Aquaculture America Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 30, 2005
Publication Date: February 10, 2006
Citation: Silverstein, J. Cryopreservation activities and needs at the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture. Aquaculture America Conference. Aquaculture America Book of Abstracts 2006, pg 287.

Technical Abstract: I am representing the USDA/ARS National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture. We work primarily with rainbow trout. My facility has been in operation since August 2001. We typically rear up to 2000 broodfish (approximately 6000 kg total) for spawning each year and an additional 6000 kg of rainbow trout for various research projects. We employ 11 scientists, 3 post-doctoral researchers, and 15-20 technical and facilities maintenance staff in addition to administrative and IT people. Currently, in conjunction with the ARS National Animal Germplasm Program, we use cryopreservation to insure that valuable brood fish stocks are backed up. It is an imperfect back-up because our success in fertilizing eggs and generating fish from cryopreserved sperm is around 30%. Ultimately cryopreserved sperm will be a frozen backup for our broodstock, and a tool for making sperm from elite males available over long distances and long time periods. The potential for storing germplasm from many stocks to preserve genetic variation is another important consideration. The specific needs to attain these goals are techniques to improve fertilization success with cryopreserved sperm and developing a distribution capability.