The increasing contribution of aquaculture to human food production is a worldwide phenomenon

Oregon State University received a $307,468 Project Grant award from the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability (CFDA 10.200: Grants for Agricultural Research, Special Research Grants) effective September 15, 2025, through September 14, 2027. The grant supports the development and implementation of rapid predictive phenotyping technology for oyster larvae to enhance selective breeding programs across the United States. Specifically, the project will employ novel phenomics approaches—similar to advancements in crop agriculture—to improve the efficiency of detecting desirable traits, particularly survival and growth characteristics, in oyster aquaculture operations.

The primary deliverable is open-access granular phenotype data that will inform breeding decisions and improve industry practices in broodstock selection and farm site optimization. As aquaculture systems mature and genetic/genomic tools advance, this phenotyping research addresses a critical bottleneck in evaluating performance benefits of selective breeding programs, ultimately supporting the sector's role in global food production. The work will be conducted at Oregon State University's facility in Corvallis, Oregon.

As aquaculture systems mature, breeding programs to improve seedstock and livestock lines are being established. Availability and affordability of genetic/genomic tools used in selective breeding programs have advanced extremely rapidly. In contrast, evaluation of performance benefits of selective breeding remains a bottleneck, leading to development of the phenomics concept. Phenomics seeks to improve the efficiency with which desirable traits, generally survival and growth characteristics, are detected. Emulating advancements in crop agriculture, this project will employ a novel implementation of rapid predictive phenotyping of oyster larvae to bolster breeding programs across the US. Open-access granular phenotype data will refine breeding decisions and improve how industry selects broodstock and farm sites for their offspring.