Aquaculture and Fisheries Species Research

Responsible aquaculture practices help alleviate fishing pressures on wild populations while providing a sustainable food source for human consumption.  We are interested in how future ocean conditions will impact commercially important organisms, in both hatcheries and natural populations. 
Red sea urchins, Mesocentrotus franciscanus
As a valuable sushi organism, red urchins are commercially harvested for their roe, or uni. We are interested in how urchin embryos and larvae respond to different environmental conditions related to changes in ocean pH and temperature. 
Picture
Terence Leach selecting red urchins
Greenshell mussels, Perna canaliculus
In 2015, Dr. Hofmann worked with aquaculture scientists while on a Fulbright Fellowship to New Zealand. During this time, scientists at Cawthron Institute developed a collaboration to study early stage greenshell mussels in order to understand how early life events might influence health and productivity of mussels in the hatchery context. In addition, the team is also exploring transgenerational mechanisms; here, exploring how adult conditioning might lead to hardier offspring. 

​Garlic. Smoked. Barbecue. Teriyaki. If any of these terms are familiar to you... you know how delicious smoked mussels can be. Not only are they a great seafood item, but they are also culturally significant and are an important source of protein for many people. We are currently pursuing studies on this animal with our colleagues in New Zealand. 
Picture
Dr. Hofmann with the team at Cawthron Institute. Pictured from left to right: Jessica Ericson (Univ. Tasmania), Nicola Hawes (SPATnz/U. Aukland), Ellie Watts (Cawthron), Bridget Finnie, (Cawthron, previously Kono Seafoods), Dr. Samantha Gale (retired, previously Cawthron), Dr. Gretchen Hofmann (UCSB), Dr. Norman Ragg (Cawthron), Carol Peychers (Cawthron), Dr. Zoë Hilton (Cawthron)

​Affiliated Researchers

Gretchen Hofmann
Juliet Wong
Logan Kozal
​Jannine Chamorro
Relevant publications
  • ​Wong, J.M., J.D. Gaitán-Espitia, and G.E. Hofmann. Transcriptional profiles of early stage red sea urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) reveal differential regulation of gene expression across development. Marine Genomics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margen.2019.05.007.