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R/A-03
A Novel Approach to Inducing Sterility in Farmed Fish: Disrupting the Early Establishment of the GnRH System
Principal Investigator:
Yonathan ZoharStart/End Year:
2003 - 2006Institution:
Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology InstituteTopic(s):
Description:
To develop a simple and generic treatment for inducing sterility in farmed fish, that is based on altering the migration pattern of GnRH neurons during early development using gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The hybrid striped bass will be the studied model. This goal includes the following objectives: I. Study the early development of the GnRH and GABA systems and of the gonads. II. Study the effect of GABA and agonists on the establishment and expression of the GnRH system. III. Study the effect of GABA and agonists, and of altered GnRH development patterns, on gonadal development, associated endocrine factors and growth rate. IV. Optimize and scale up a GABA-based treatment for the induction of sterility in hybrid striped bass and other farmed species.
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Featured Fellow
Leone Yisrael is a cephalopod-loving scuba diver, cook, and loves to try new activities. She conducts genetic analysis and fieldwork at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center through the Coastal Disease Ecology Lab.
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Mysids are important mesozooplankton prey for many species of fish in Chesapeake Bay and are an important link in transferring energy from lower to upper trophic levels. Mysids also serve as biological vectors for benthic-pelagic coupling due to their diel vertical migration and omnivorous prey-switching behavior, which makes mysids important regulators of food web architecture. Despite their central role in coastal food webs, surprisingly little is known about mysid ecology and dynamics in Chesapeake Bay.
