OUR FACILITIES
Pacific Hybreed operates hatchery and nursery facilities at the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center Research Station in Manchester, WA and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) in Kona, HI. These facilities support innovative commercial culture and conservation techniques to enhance hatchery efforts for increasing shellfish seed supply and provide technical expertise across commercial and conservation activities.
NATURAL ENERGY LABORATORY OF HAWAII AUTHORITY
Bio-secure Breeding Station at NELHA
Building for the Future
Pacific Hybreed’s next phase development includes a biosecure breeding station at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) in Kona, HI, and expanded capacity in the Puget Sound region.
The NELHA facility is ideal for aquaculture breeding programs. There are strict procedures to ensure safety and security, and there is minimal shellfish farming in local waters which reduces the possibility for the spread of disease. Deep-sited pumps pull cold, nutrient-rich waters to the facility, which can be mixed as required with warmer, nutrient-free, surface waters. This, with plenty of sunlight, creates the ideal artificial eco-system for growth at all stages of the breeding/growth cycle.
MANCHESTER, WASHINGTON LABORATORY
Hatchery and Nursery Operations at Manchester, Washington
Algae cultures to feed larval/juvenile shell fish
Broodstock oysters, being conditioned for spawning
The state-of-the-art, Manchester laboratory is capable of supporting both small and large scales of shellfish hatchery and nursery production. In contrast to the large-scale culture methods typically used in shellfish production hatcheries, breeding programs require small-scale culture methods, in order to raise a few thousand individuals, each from scores of families. Capacity is currently established to produce 100, single-cross families until they reach a size for transfer to Pacific Hybreed’s offsite FLoating UPwell SYstem (FLUPSY). Here they are protected and nurtured until they reach a seed size that can be placed on farms and grown to maturity in the ocean.
Adult Pacific oyster
Biopsy from the gonad of an adult oyster
Inspecting biopsy to determine sex of oyster
Oocytes (eggs) from adult female
Spat bottles to rear small juveniles
Juveniles with 2-4mm shells
Juveniles transferred to FLUPSY
Seed oysters ready for planting
Real World, Commercial Environments to Evaluate Broodstock
At Manchester, Pacific Hybreed is producing limited quantities of hybrid larvae or seed. A portion has been planted at Thorndyke Bay, in collaboration with Baywater Shellfish Farms – a Pacific Hybreed shareholder owned and family operated by Pacific Hybreed CEO, Joth Davis. Sections of Baywater Shellfish Farms are being utilized for growing the seed to maturity, assessing resilience and comparing the yield. Similar arrangements with early-adopting growers will provide other real-world environments to test, prove and refine the breeding program.
Pacific Hybreed will eventually license improved broodstock (reproductively mature adults) to commercial hatcheries for propagation and sale of improved seed for farmers, under arrangements to share the additional value of hybrid seed among growers, hatcheries and Pacific Hybreed.