Location Funding Institution Principal Investigator(s)
Hawaii $300,000 Oceanic Institute of HPU Chatham Callan, Ph.D.

Overall Goals
The project’s overall goals are to improve the survival of Yellow Tang larvae during critical periods in development in an effort to increase the final yield of juveniles produced. Specifically, the high mortality at bottlenecks occurring around Day 7 and between Days 30-40 post-hatch will be addressed.  If successful, this improved production efficiency should lead to commercial production of this, and related, marine ornamental species.

Objectives
Year 1
1. Maintain robust Yellow Tang broodstock populations to ensure reliable, and year-round, supply of eggs for research (this will carry into subsequent years)
2. Evaluate the onset of maturation and assess reproductive performance in existing F1 generation Yellow Tang broodstock
3. Compare the hatchery performance of larvae from F1 broodstock to larvae from wild stocks
4. Determine the effects of light source, spectrum and intensity on feed incidence and survival to day 7 post hatch
5. Investigate alternative small, non-elusive prey items that may enhance feeding and survival post first feeding.

Year 2
6. Determine the optimal prey density (of most suitable prey) required for improving feed incidence and to increase survival to day 7 post hatch
7. Evaluate the early inclusion (Day 7 post hatch) of rotifers into the diet regimen for Yellow Tang larvae and compare the effects of several commercial enrichment products on Yellow Tang larval survival to day 14 post hatch.
8. Develop and test larval rearing regimens based on results from prior objectives.

Year 3
9. Determine the cumulative effects of those parameters tested early in larval period on development and survival through flexion to Day 40 post hatch
10. Evaluate the impacts of revised, or improved, protocols developed in a series of larger- scale, full-length hatchery runs to determine effects on final yield