Location Funding Institution Principal Investigator(s)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands $190,550 Northern Marianas College and Oceanic Institute of HPU Michael Ogo and Chatham Callan, PhD

Overall Goals
To facilitate capacity building for the expansion of marine finfish production technologies in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Western Pacific region. Specifically, this project aims to leverage the regional resources of CNMI, Palau, Marshal Isl. and Hawaii to improve hatchery survival of Forktail Rabbitfish through the use of copepods in the larval rearing process. We also seek to improve existing broodstock, hatchery, live feed, nursery and grow-out operations on the island of Saipan for increasing subsequent fingerling production of these highly important species throughout the USAPI region.


Objectives
Year 1
1. Refine and optimize broodstock holding systems and improve egg supply for captive propagation of Forktail Rabbitfish.
2. Continue broodstock diet evaluation effects on egg quality over multiple spawning cycles.
3. Provide training workshop on intensive copepod production and hatchery methods.
4. Refine production methods for improved Forktail Rabbitfish larval survival.

Year 2
5. Provide onsite copepod-based, Forktail Rabbitfish culture training at NMC CREES hatchery.
6. Refine production methods for improved Forktail Rabbitfish fingerling survival.
7. Conduct final workshop to review project accomplishments andfuture opportunities.