** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ACROSS ALL OF AQUACULTURE THERE IS A GROWING AND URGENT REALIZATION THAT WE MUST PROTECT GENETIC RESOURCES TO SUPPORT EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE THROUGH GERMPLASM PRESERVATION AND RELATED REPOSITORY DEVELOPMENT. DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FARMED AQUATIC SPECIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN US, THE RED SWAMP CRAWFISH (PROCAMBARUS CLARKII) HAS NO GERMPLASM PRESERVATION OR RELATED REPOSITORY DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION TO THEIR DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE, CRAWFISH ARE ECOLOGICALLY AND BIOMEDICALLY IMPORTANT. THE CRAWFISH INDUSTRY HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY PRONE TO DISEASE, AND IN RECENT YEARS TO INVASIVE SPECIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. IN 2023 LOUISIANA CRAWFISH PRODUCERS AND HARVESTS WERE CRIPPLED BY A SEVERE PROLONGED DROUGHT RESULTING IN HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LOST REVENUE AND RESOURCES. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH THE FOUNDATION FOR A GERMPLASM REPOSITORY TO PROTECT THE GENETIC RESOURCES THAT WOULD SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FARMED AND WILD-CAUGHT CRAWFISH AQUACULTURE. THE UTILITY OF GENETIC AND GENOMIC RESEARCH CANNOT BE FULLY EXPLOITED WITHOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF GERMPLASM THAT CAN BE DIRECTLY USED TO PRODUCE ANIMALS FOR AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION AND CONTROLLED DATA THAT CAN BE LINKED BACK WITH THE REPOSITORY INFORMATICS TO FACILITATE FURTHER BREEDING. THIS PROPOSAL DIRECTLY ADDRESSES MAJOR CONSTRAINTS TO THE US AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY THROUGH THE PROGRAM AREA PRIORITIES: 1) GENETICS OF COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE SPECIES, AND 4) DEVELOPMENT OF CLIMATE RESILIENT TECHNOLOGIES AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE SPECIES, AND INDIRECTLY SUPPORTS PRIORITIES 2) CRITICAL DISEASE ISSUES IMPACTING COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE SPECIES, AND 3) DESIGN OF ENVIRONMENTALLY AND ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.