Atlantic Aqua Farms in P.E.I., Canada awarded $3.4 million for mussel breeding research

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A Prince Edward Island-based blue mussel grower will be kickstarting a $3.4 million genetic selective breeding research program for triploid mussels. Atlantic Aqua Farms will work to develop Canada's first-ever genomic selective breeding project to produce more naturally resilient triploid mussels that are faster growing with improved meat quality. "Triploids are known to struggle with heat stress, and this tendency is potentially problematic in some areas of P.E.I. where water temperatures are already on the high side for mussel cultivation and the warming trend is expected to continue with climate change," said Ramón Filgueira, project co-investigator. "We believe that this issue can be mitigated using genomics to inform selective breeding in the triploid mussel seed." Read more Destructive freshwater Zebra mussels officially found in Atlantic Canada Invasive zebra mussels found along Edmunston, N.B. hydroelectric dam This process would require ...