Reproduction & Seed Production
Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research (IOLR),
National Center for Mariculture (NCM)

Contact
Dr. Hanna Rosenfeld
hannarosenfeld@gmail.com
Phone: +972-8-6361420
Cellular: +972-50-8895548

Address
Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research Ltd.
National Center For Mariculture
P.O. Box 1212 Eilat 88112
Israel

Group description
The Reproduction and Seed production group at the IOLR-NCM is formed by 5 scientists, 4 research assistances, 4 technicians and several Ph D and Master students. The group research interests are: (i) fish and marine invertebrate reproductive physiology, including mechanisms that control sex differentiation, environmental and hormonal cues that initiate and regulate sexual maturity and in vivo/ in vitro procedures that promote gamete maturation and fertilization; focusing on development of methodologies and technologies for efficient broodstock management of various invertebrates (e.g. sea urchins and sea anemones), and finfish (e.g seabream, sea bass, grey mullet, grouper and bluefin tuna); (ii) studies on the dietary and physiological requirement of essential fatty acids in marine fish larvae. In particular, the function and mechanisms of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) in the response to acute and chronic stress. Investigating the hormonal and dietary factors involved in the synchronization of metamorphosis of white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) larvae. Development and commercialization of a microdiet for marine fish larvae; (iii) nutritional programming by target directed epigenetic manipulations on protein and endocrine pathways during significant developmental windows. The IOLR-NCM researchers teach several subjects in the Marine Biotechnology Program at the Campus Ben – Gurion University in Eilat.

Main ongoing projects
(1) Sustained aquaculture and domestication of bluefin tuna, Thunnus Thynnus
(2) Development of single sex populations of grey mullets (Mugil cephalus) to improve production and the enhancement of egg roe
(3) Improving reproductive potential of the white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) for commercialization
(4) Production of rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus) through low-impact, and based mariculture

Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)
White grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) larvae

Grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) spawned eggs