**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** STURGEON CAVIAR IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE AQUACULTURE PRODUCT IN THE WORLD. ABOUT 25% OF ADULT FEMALE STURGEON'S WEIGHT IS FROM EGGS AT HARVEST. A LARGE SPECIES MAY PRODUCE 22KG OF CAVIAR WITH A VALUE OF BETWEEN $70K-$175K, SUGGESTING THAT RELATIVELY SMALL FARMS CAN BE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. SO WHY IS CAVIAR PRODUCTION NOT A MORE SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE AMERICAN AQUACULTURE ECONOMY? EACH YEAR, THE AMOUNT OF CAVIAR PRODUCED IN THE US FAILS TO MEET THE TOTAL CONSUMER DEMAND; THUS, OUR ECONOMY IS A NET IMPORTER OF CAVIAR. US STURGEON AQUACULTURE SUFFERS FROM INEFFICIENCIES ACROSS THE VALUE CHAIN. THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR VALUE CHAIN R&D TO HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON GROWING THE AMERICAN CAVIAR INDUSTRY RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT PROFIT YIELDS. THE BARRIER TO FARMERS GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS HIGHLY PROFITABLE FISHERY, WHERE DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY, IS THE LONG-TERM INVESTMENT NEEDED BEFORE STURGEON ON THE FARM MATURE ENOUGH TO BE PROFITABLE. FEMALES TAKE A DECADE OR MORE TO REACH SEXUAL MATURITY AND PRODUCE VALUABLE EGGS. HOWEVER, JUVENILE STURGEON CAN TAKE 5-6 YEARS TO BE SEXUALLY DIFFERENTIABLE. SO, PRODUCERS PAY TO FEED AND HOUSE THE NON-PRODUCTIVE MALES, 50% OF EACH COHORT, FOR 5-6 YEARS WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL REWARD. WHO WOULD INVEST IN SUCH A VENTURE OR TRUST SOMEONE WITH THEIR PASSIONS AND PROMISES TO TURN PROFITS?1 THE EARLIER THE MALES CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE PRODUCTION PROCESS, THE GREATER THE PROFITS FOR THIS INDUSTRY. URGENTLY NEEDED BY THIS ARTISAN FISHERY IS A RAPID SEX IDENTIFICATION TOOL, RESULTING IN DOUBLING CAVIAR CAPACITY, DRAMATICALLY IMPROVING PRODUCTION EFFICIENCIES, INCREASING PROFITABILITY, AND STIMULATING GROWTH. WHEN THE START-UP COSTS CAN BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED BECAUSE THE REARING POPULATION WILL COMPRISE ONLY VALUABLE FEMALES, THE DOOR WILL OPEN FOR NEW ENTREPRENEURS TO VENTURE INTO THE CAVIAR PRODUCTION MARKET. A FIELD-BASED SEX DETERMINATION BIOSENSOR FOR STURGEON AQUACULTURE, WITH POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR OTHER COMMERCIAL FISH FARMS AND STURGEON CONSERVATION RESEARCH, CAN BE A GAME-CHANGER.

Mote Marine Laboratory, Inc.

Investigators