Blue mussels are one of the major aquaculture crops around the world and in the United States; about 80% of mussels consumed are grown through aquaculture. Mussels are typically harvested when their gonads are ripe but before they spawn. Spawning is triggered by various temperature, chemical and tactile cues, and is currently not optimized for a year-round marketable supply.
In this project, researchers have developed a new approach to create “triploid” mussels, which have an extra set of chromosomes compared to wild mussels. Because triploid mussels are sterile and cannot transmit their genes back into the wild, this variety of mussels will reduce concerns about genetic contamination of wild populations. Further, because these mussels remain ripe for three to four months, farmers will be able to greatly extend their harvesting window and the amount of product they can bring to market.
Past methods to create triploid mussels in the lab led to populations that are 20% diploid. In this project, researchers studied an alternate method to produce triploid larvae: by first creating mussels with four sets of chromosomes (tetraploid), which can more consistently produce triploid larvae when crossed with wild (diploid) stock. After several spawning experiments, the method proved successful. Aquaculture grounds have been permitted and leased at AltaSea, a scientific accelerator at the Port of Los Angeles, where a mussel system has been built.
Sergey Nuzhdin