Sperm Repository for a Breeding Program of the Eastern Oyster <i>Crassostrea virginica</i>: Sample Collection, Processing, Cryopreservation, and Data Management Plan

Huiping Yang; Yuanzi Huo; Jayme C. Yee; Scott Rikard; William C. Walton; Eric Saillant

doi:10.3390/ani11102836

Animals (Sep 2021)

Sperm Repository for a Breeding Program of the Eastern Oyster <i>Crassostrea virginica</i>: Sample Collection, Processing, Cryopreservation, and Data Management Plan

Huiping Yang,
Yuanzi Huo,
Jayme C. Yee,
Scott Rikard,
William C. Walton,
Eric Saillant

Affiliations

Huiping Yang: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
Yuanzi Huo: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
Jayme C. Yee: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
Scott Rikard: Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Dauphin Island, AL 36849, USA
William C. Walton: Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Dauphin Island, AL 36849, USA
Eric Saillant: Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center, School of Ocean Sciences and Technology, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102836
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 10
p. 2836

Abstract

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The Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (Family Ostreidae) is one of the most important fishery and aquaculture species in the U.S. and is a keystone species for coastal reefs. A breeding program was initiated in 2019 to support the fast-growing aquaculture industry culturing this species in the Gulf of Mexico. Oysters from 17 wild populations in embayment along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast from southwest Florida to the Matagorda Bay, Texas were used as broodstock for the program to maximize genetic diversity in the base population. A sperm repository of the broodstock was established to support the breeding project. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the sperm sample collection, processing, cryopreservation, and the data management plan involved in the establishment of a sperm germplasm repository of base populations. The supporting objectives were to: (1) develop a data management plan for the sperm repository; (2) streamline the procedure for sample collection, processing, and cryopreservation; (3) incorporate sperm quality analysis into the procedure, and (4) archive the cryopreserved samples as a repository for future use in the breeding program. This sperm repository included a total of 102 male oysters from the 17 collection sites (six oysters per site). A data management plan was developed with six categories, including sample collection, phenotype, fresh sperm, genotype, cryopreservation, and post-thaw sperm, as guide for data collection. Sperm collection was accomplished by strip spawn, and fresh sperm production, motility, and fertility were recorded for quality analysis. Cryopreserved sperm samples were sorted, labelled, archived, and stored in liquid nitrogen for future use. Post-thaw motility (1–30%) and plasm membrane integrity (15.34–70.36%) were recorded as post-thaw quality parameters. Overall, this study demonstrated a streamlined procedure of oyster sperm collection, processing, and cryopreservation for establishing a sperm repository that can serve as a template for construction of oyster germplasm repositories for breeding programs.

Published in Animals

ISSN: 2076-2615 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture: Veterinary medicine; Science: Zoology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals/

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