Genetic basis of summer mortality in juvenile cupped oysters

The French project "Morest", coordinated by IFREMER, aims to understand the causes of the summer mortalities in Crassostrea gigas. In 2001, three sets of families were bred following a nested half-sib mating design. 17 half-sib families (HSF) were obtained in this first generation (G1) and reared in 3 sites. Significant differences in survival were observed among HSF, and some HSF showed high levels of mortality in all sites, clearly indicating a genetic basis for survival. In 2002, a second generation (G2), including divergent selection and inbred lines, was constituted. Monitoring of survival and growth of G2s were the same as in 2001. Significant differences in survival were found between the offspring of the "high" and "low" selected groups and between inbred lines. The high realized heritability for survival indicates that selective breeding programs could efficiently improve survival of juvenile oysters.