King Crab Aquaculture, Research and Stock Enhancement in Alaska Presented by Sara Persselin UAS: Ginny L. Eckert, Ben Daly, Celeste Leroux, Jodi Pirtle, Miranda Westphal APSH: Jim Swingle, Jeff Hetrick NOAA: Sara Persselin, Al Stoner, Bob Foy ALASKA KING CRAB RESEARCH, REHABILITATION AND BIOLOGY PROGRAM (AKCRRAB)
Background Red King Crab Fishery
Background Blue King Crab Fishery
Early Enhancement Activities in Alaska 1992 International King Crab Rehabilitation and Enhancement Symposium, Kodiak 1990s-2000s Extensive research by Dr. Brad Stevens in Kodiak and Japan 2000s Continued research by NMFS Kodiak Small scale experiment setup 2006 Alaska Crab Stock Enhancement and Rehabilitation Workshop, Kodiak S. Persselin and B. Stevens, Kodiak AK
Diet Density Temperature Maternal effects Settling behavior Habitat preference Effects of hatch timing Effect of seawater acidification
AKCRRAB Long-range Scientific Plan to Evaluate the Feasibility of Stock Enhancement Artificial propagation and outplanting * Hatchery scale larval culture 2007/08/09 * Hatchery scale juvenile culture 2008/09 * Marking studies - 2009 * Field studies - 2009 * Outplanting
King Crab Life Cycle Zoea 2 Zoea 3 Zoea 4 Zoea 1 Mating Glaucothoe Female with extruded eggs Crab Instar 1
Hatchery Setup Seward Marine Center Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery
Broodstock Collection 2006 Anchorage Red king crabs collected from Alitak Bay, Kodiak Blue king crabs collected from Pribilof Islands 2007 & 2008 Red king crabs collected from Bering Sea Blue king crabs collected from Little Diomede Island ( 07 only)
Brine shrimp cultivation
AKCRRAB 2007/2008 Experiments Red King Crab Larval diet Larval density Temperature Blue King Crab Larval diet/ handling stress Larval density Water quality investigation P. platypus larvae swim in Petri dish
Low Survival in 2007 Experiments Leroux et al. Poster
Limited water flow caused temperature fluctuations Leroux et al. Poster
2007 RKC & BKC Larval Rearing Concern Temperature fluctuation Water quality Excessive aeration Nutritional deprivation Course of Action Improve water system Install carbon filters Decrease aeration Enrich Artemia
Small-scale Experiments 2008 Diet treatments Conducted in Kodiak and Seward 1) newly-hatched Artemia nauplii 2) newly-hatched Artemia nauplii and the diatom Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii Artemia nauplius Water source treatments Conducted in Seward 1) seawater from Resurrection Bay 2) seawater made with artificial sea salt (Instant Ocean ) Thallasiosira nordenskioeldii Resurrection Bay, Seward
Higher Larval Survival in 2008 10% survival to juvenile stage in Seward produced 40,000 juveniles *Better diet *Constant temperature Red king crab juveniles
Juvenile Studies 2008 Seward Diet, substrate, density Habitat choice Newport (NOAA)/Juneau (UAS) Predation on juveniles Fish predators Role of habitat
One-year old juvenile red king crab Nine-month old juvenile blue king crab
Larval Studies 2009 Seward Diet Temperature Density Kodiak Effect of light intensity on molting, survival and growth
Juvenile Studies 2009 Seward Effect of diet and substrate on juvenile coloration Newport Effect of temperature on molting Predation response Kodiak Seasonal change in habitat choice (field study) Change in habitat choice with growth (lab study) Effect of holding space on growth Assessment of Old Harbor crab habitat Juneau (UAS) Predation (field study) Molt hormones Physical tagging Genetic stock structure Genetic markers
Thanks Alaska Sea Grant College Program AKCRRAB Science Team & Steering Committee NOAA Aquaculture Program NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery Alaska Department of Fish and Game Industry & Community Partners: CBSFA, UFA, UFMA, GOACC, APICDA, NSEDC and more...