Chapter 7
Genomic Approaches in Aquaculture
and Fisheries
M. Leonor Cancela, Luca Bargelloni, Pierre Boudry, Viviane Boulo,
Jorge Dias, Arnaud Huvet, Vincent Laizé, Sylvie Lapègue, Ricardo Leite,
Sara Mira, Einar E. Nielsen, Josep V. Planas, Nerea Roher,
Elena Sarropoulou, and Filip A.M. Volckaert
Abstract Despite the enormous input into the worldwide development of fish and
shellfish farming in the recent decades, in part as an attempt to minimize the impact
of fishing on already overexploited natural populations, the application of genomics
to aquaculture and fisheries remains poorly developed. Improving state-of-the-art
genomics research in various aquaculture systems, as well as its industrial applications, remains one of the major challenges in this area and should be the focus of
well developed strategies to be implemented in the next generation of projects. This
chapter will first provide an overview of the genomic tools and resources available,
then discuss the application of genomic approaches to the improvement of fish and
shellfish farming (e.g. breeding, reproduction, growth, nutrition and product quality), including the evaluation of stock diversity and the use of selection procedures.
The chapter will also discuss the use of genomic approaches to study and monitor natural fish and shellfish populations and to understand interactions within their
ecosystems.
7.1 Introduction
Although initial efforts in genomics were more directed to humans and mammals as
biomedical model organisms, this has extended, among others, to a wide range of
fish species, in particular teleosts, which are known to occupy multiple, diversified
environments within aquatic ecosystems. Fish have also gone through diverse evolutionary changes, making them valuable experimental model organisms not only
because of their economical relevance but also because of comparative genomics,
providing new perspectives towards our understanding of molecular and organismal
M.L. Cancela (B)
Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR),
University of Algarve, P-8005-139 Faro, Portugal; Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences,
University of Algarve, P-8005-139 Faro, Portugal
e-mail: lcancela@ualg.pt
213
J.M. Cock et al. (eds.), Introduction to Marine Genomics,
Advances in Marine Genomics 1, DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-8639-6_7,
C
Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010
Genomic Approaches in Aquaculture
and Fisheries
M. Leonor Cancela, Luca Bargelloni, Pierre Boudry, Viviane Boulo,
Jorge Dias, Arnaud Huvet, Vincent Laizé, Sylvie Lapègue, Ricardo Leite,
Sara Mira, Einar E. Nielsen, Josep V. Planas, Nerea Roher,
Elena Sarropoulou, and Filip A.M. Volckaert
Abstract Despite the enormous input into the worldwide development of fish and
shellfish farming in the recent decades, in part as an attempt to minimize the impact
of fishing on already overexploited natural populations, the application of genomics
to aquaculture and fisheries remains poorly developed. Improving state-of-the-art
genomics research in various aquaculture systems, as well as its industrial applications, remains one of the major challenges in this area and should be the focus of
well developed strategies to be implemented in the next generation of projects. This
chapter will first provide an overview of the genomic tools and resources available,
then discuss the application of genomic approaches to the improvement of fish and
shellfish farming (e.g. breeding, reproduction, growth, nutrition and product quality), including the evaluation of stock diversity and the use of selection procedures.
The chapter will also discuss the use of genomic approaches to study and monitor natural fish and shellfish populations and to understand interactions within their
ecosystems.
7.1 Introduction
Although initial efforts in genomics were more directed to humans and mammals as
biomedical model organisms, this has extended, among others, to a wide range of
fish species, in particular teleosts, which are known to occupy multiple, diversified
environments within aquatic ecosystems. Fish have also gone through diverse evolutionary changes, making them valuable experimental model organisms not only
because of their economical relevance but also because of comparative genomics,
providing new perspectives towards our understanding of molecular and organismal
M.L. Cancela (B)
Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR),
University of Algarve, P-8005-139 Faro, Portugal; Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences,
University of Algarve, P-8005-139 Faro, Portugal
e-mail: lcancela@ualg.pt
213
J.M. Cock et al. (eds.), Introduction to Marine Genomics,
Advances in Marine Genomics 1, DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-8639-6_7,
C
Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010