Genetically Modified Salmon Research Paper

The Use of Genetically Modified Salmon

Throughout history there has always been a need to produce large quantities of crops and livestock which contain the most desirable phenotype. Farmers select for these desirable traits on the most fundamental level employing techniques such as selective breeding and the use of fertilizers. However with the ever growing expansion of today's society the ability to produce sufficient resources using conventional agricultural methods is limited. The science of biotechnology has created a way to substantially increase the production of these limited resources. Biotechnology has allowed us to manipulate DNA leading to the creation of organisms expressing the most profitable traits. Aquatic biotechnology
In terms of natural selection and sexual selection, research by Foote explains the importance of size in the reproduction of wild type salmon. In the wild, females "defend a site where they usually construct and spawn in three to five successive nests. Males compete for temporary access to these females, with size being the major factor in such interactions" (Foote, p 722). So if size is the major factor in fitness and viability, then genetically modified salmon, who exhibit larger size, will be selectively favoured over smaller wild type salmon. This is shown in another experiment by Niiler, whose results showed that female Coho Salmon who were genetically modified with additional growth hormone matured faster and produced more eggs than their wild type counterparts. Additionally, male Coho salmon that were genetically modified with additional growth hormone matured faster and attracted four times as many mates at a younger age than wild type Coho salmon (Niiler). In other words, enhanced growth rate of genetically modified Coho salmon will allow them to reach sexual maturity faster and reproduce more often than wild type, while the enhanced size of genetically modified Coho salmon will allow greater chance of out competing wild type salmon in fertilization. These two factors result in earlier transfer of genes to the next generation and natural
In research by Cook et al., genetically modified salmon were shown to exhibit a 2.14 – 2.62 fold increase in overall body weight, as well as lower protein, energy and lipid levels. Additionally, Cook found that when genetically modified salmon were deprived of food for an extended period of time, they showed increased oxygen consumption, less body protein, and faster lipid and energy consumption rate than wild type salmon. This suggests that the likelihood of genetically modified salmon achieving a maximum growth size, or even surviving in habitats that have fewer resources, are much lower than the wild type of salmon. More importantly, differences in abdominal wall thickness, as well as muscle fibre width and height were observed by Hill et al. in a comparison of genetically modified salmon and wild type salmon. Observable differences in red and white muscle recruitment were also noted by Hill, with genetically enhanced salmon showing more red muscle recruitment and lower white muscle recruitment than the wild type. Red muscle fibres are considered to be fast twitch fibres, specializing in short, anaerobic and intense muscle activity movement. White muscle fibres are slow twitch fibres, which specialize in aerobic, repetitive,