Artemia is the most widely used live feed in aquaculture and one of the best-studied model organisms for aquaculture research. Safeguarding its biodiversity is of great importance for both research and the aquaculture industry. To this end, two complementary Artemia gene banks have been established in Asia and Europe.
The Asian Regional Artemia Reference Center (AR-ARC), located at Tianjin University of Science and Technology, maintains more than 300 population samples from across China and Central Asia. These collections include native and introduced strains, cryopreserved and vacuum-packed, and are characterized through cyst quality traits, nutritional profiles, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing, and SNP fingerprinting. This resource provides a solid foundation for Artemia conservation, genetic research, and aquaculture application.
The Artemia Reference Center (ARC) at Ghent University hosts one of the longest-standing Artemia collections worldwide, established over four decades ago. It includes extensive strain archives, selective breeding lines, and ecological datasets. ARC has contributed significantly to Artemia research in live feed production, microbial management, nutrition, bioassays, and molecular conservation approaches, including gene databanking.
This joint initiative between AR-ARC and ARC illustrates the value of international collaboration to safeguard Artemia biodiversity. Integrating the databases and expertise of both centers will not only protect Artemia resources but also ensure sustainable access to high-quality live feed for aquaculture development worldwide.
Keywords: Artemia, gene bank, biodiversity, aquaculture, conservation, live feed