Cryopreservation and germplasm repositories offer a variety of potential benefits to aquaculture industries. With repositories, farmers and hatchery owners can safeguard important genetic lines and easily transport breeding material to facilitate rapid genetic improvement. Despite these benefits, comprehensive cryopreservation and repository systems do not exist for any aquaculture species. One such species that could greatly benefit from the use of germplasm repositories is the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Many growers in the northern Gulf of Mexico are experiencing oyster mortality events, the exact causes of which remain unclear. Cryopreservation, repository storage, and selective breeding programs can offer solutions to the problem of high oyster mortality. Furthermore, high-throughput cryopreservation protocols already exist for this species, although protocol research has not yet resulted in commercial application. To address the gap between cryopreservation protocols and repository development in the oyster industry, this study created simulation models to evaluate oyster cryopreservation needs at three different scales of production. We analyzed the effects of high-throughput device options and key parameters such as Straws Frozen per Oyster and Number of Operators on production capacity, time, and costs. Recommendations were developed for building cryopreservation and repository systems at each scale of production.
In general, systems that used high-throughput device options were more flexible and less affected by greater production demands, such as the number of straws frozen per oyster (Figure 1). Furthermore, repositories operating at higher production levels benefitted from the economy of scale, and could purchase automated, high-throughput equipment and employ more operators without drastically increasing production costs. By harnessing the power of simulation modeling, repositories can be planned and integrated into oyster aquaculture, and be operated in an economical, non-disruptive, and sustainable manner.