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Chris Pearce


Post-doctoral fellow : 2000 - 2002

Co-supervisor: Dr. Shawn Robinson, DFO St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada

Present occupation: Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC)

Chris Pearce Picture Chris Pearce on the Nanaimo coastal waters, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.

Description: Sea urchin fisheries have peaked or are in decline in most of the urchin producing nations. Since consumer demand remains stable, many countries are now examining the feasibility of urchin aquaculture to supply future markets. While sea urchin cultivation has been practised for decades by the Japanese, echinoid aquaculture is still in its infancy in most other countries and is primarily at the experimental stage. Research has focussed on two distinct forms of culture: (1) gonad enhancement where adult urchins are harvested from wild populations, maintained in captivity, and fed natural and/or prepared feeds in order to increase gonad yield and/or quality and (2) full life-cycle grow out where larvae are produced in hatcheries and juveniles grown to commercial size either in land-based tanks or at sea in some sort of containment system.

In collaboration with a local industry partner (Ross Island Salmon Ltd.), located on Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy, a multi-year project was initiated to examine gonad enhancement, larval production, and juvenile grow out of the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. Gonad enhancement research centred on the development of a prepared diet that optimised both gonad yield and quality (i.e. colour, flavour, texture, and firmness). Determining the effects of dietary changes in protein, binder, and pigment source/concentration on gonad development and feed stability was a major avenue of research. Work on juvenile grow out focused on optimising containment design (e.g. land-based tanks and raceways versus sea-based cages) and testing various natural and prepared diets for maximising somatic growth and survivorship.