Breeding Better Shellfish for Future Generations
Higher Yielding, More Resilient Farmed Shellfish for a Growing Global Industry
As the world population reaches 10 billion by the year 2050, a growing demand for the protein in our global food system will require innovation and the latest technologies to meet the needs of a hungry world. Modern terrestial agriculture practices cannot be scaled without irreparable harm to our planet. Farmed wild fish, shellfish and seaweeds are extremely susceptible to climate change, ocean acidification, and emerging diseases, leaving us ill-prepared for the needs ahead.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Hybreed is establishing the first commercial shellfish breeding programs for the benefit of U.S. West Coast aquaculture, and beyond. Our mission is to meet the growing demand for farmed shellfish by creating tools and strategies to improve the yield and resilience of farmed shellfish and helping to advance the science of shellfish genetics. Our proprietary breeding programs for Pacific oysters, Manila clams, Kumamoto oysters and other species will help secure a stable and sustainable supply of shellfish in the face of global climate change and the threat of emerging shellfish diseases. Pacific Hybreed’s advanced breeding methods will enable the commercial development of high-performing shellfish to supply regional, national, and global shellfish aquaculture markets.
Pacific Hybreed's Scientific Mission
- Provide disciplined commercial shellfish breeding programs, initially for the U.S. West Coast shellfish industry and then on a global scale.
- Improve the yield, resilience, and biosecurity of farmed shellfish through advanced breeding approaches that include crossbreeding, selection, and induced polyploidy.
- Help family farms meet the growing demand for quality product by optimizing hybrids for local growing conditions, thereby increasing yields on existing farm footprints.
- Enable the commercial development of high-performing shellfish to provide premium products for regional, national and global markets.
- Provide solutions to the challenges of global climate change, emerging shellfish diseases, ocean acidification, and other existential threats and challenges to the shellfish industry.
- Secure a stable, sustainable supply of shellfish as an alternative to ‘boom and bust’ production cycles that threaten the supply of shellfish around the world.
IMPROVING YIELD AND ENHANCING RESILIENCE
Joth Davis
Co-Founder/Chair of the Board
Dennis Hedgecock
Co-Founder/Chief Science Officer
A Comprehensive, Proprietary Breeding Program
Pacific Hybreed was founded by Joth Davis and Dennis Hedgecock – both internationally recognized scientific experts in shellfish biology and genetics. Their depth of research, and practical experience in commercial shellfish farming, enable Pacific Hybreed to make vital contributions to the shellfish industry’s approaches to the challenges of the future..
Pacific Hybreed’s business model leverages the founders’ world-class expertise in crossbreeding and polyploidy into proprietary broodstock development programs. The business capitalizes on decades of university-based research demonstrating the efficacy of crossbreeding to enhance yield and resilience. Pacific Hybreed’s breeding and production programs also reflect decades of experience with shellfish aquaculture and strong relationships with shellfish farms and industry professionals.
Thinking Globally, Acting Locally
Pacific Hybreed will become the global reference source for shellfish genetics and related science – bringing both expertise and products to an international community. However, the underlying spirit is local, born from a tight community of stakeholders on the West Coast, with a variety of roles in and perspectives on the industry, who have dedicated their lives to shellfish aquaculture. Pacific Hybreed will support our local shellfish aquaculture environment and culture, working waterfronts, and multi-generational family farms.
Collaborations
