Yan Li

Postgraduate Student

Contact Details

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Aquaculture
• Master of Science in Aquaculture

Research

Evaluating the impact of spawning on metabolism and immunocompetence of Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

Considering the periodical coincidence between summer mortality and spawning periods, I suggest that spawning may lead to the summer mortality of farmed oysters. It is believed that the fragile condition of Pacific Oysters at the time of spawning is attributable to the energetic cost of this process, therefore oysters often become more susceptible to opportunistic pathogens during and post spawning, especially in summer.

As oysters also provide a vehicle for monitoring environmental change, in addition to their economic importance, the immunology of oysters had been studied more than any other molluscan species. Although studies on mollusc immunology have been developed and have provided sensitive indicators for monitoring stress on the organism’s health, the impact of reproduction on the metabolic activity and immuno-competence of oysters is still unclear.

My PhD research focuses on oyster metabolic and immuno-competence and their performance during and after spawning. In order to further define an annual cycle of oyster energy reserves and the impact of the reproductive cycle, research has been conducted on site with Southern Yorke Oysters, Stansbury-Yorke Peninsula, to trace biological changes in oysters over a one year period. Another target is to quantify the differences between pre and post spawning oysters on metabolic and immune activities, and to study the oyster recovery period after spawning which is “critical” period. Except that, oysters are also submitted to starvation, bacterial challenge and heat shock to further evaluate the vulnerability of oyster and explore response mechanisms after spawning.

Combined with annual investigation and the recuperation study, all the information provided by this study will be useful for the oyster industry and to elucidate the relationship among reproduction, environmental stress and summer mortality.  The study on the impact of spawning will not only contribute to the understanding of the oyster defence system, but also improve our ability to predict or prevent the summer mortality.

Publications

• Yan Li, Jian G. Qin, Kirsten Benkendorff, Xiaoxu Li, Jim Mitchell. 2006. The impact of spawning on antibacterial activity of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. (in preparation)

• Yan Li, Xiaoxu Li and Jian G. Qin. 2006. Triploidy Induction in Australian Greenlip Abalone Haliotis laevigata (Donovan) with Cytochalasin B. (accepted by Aquaculture Research)

• Jian G. Qin and Yan Li. 2006. Optimization of the growth environment of Botryococcus braunii strain CHN 357. Journal of Freshwater Ecology. Vol. 21, no. 1, p. 169-176.

• Yan Li and Jian G. Qin. 2005. Comparison of growth and lipid content in three Botryococcus braunii strains. Journal of Applied Phychology.  Vol. 17, no. 6, p. 551-556.

Presentations

• Yan Li, Jian G. Qin, Kirsten Benkendorff, Xiaoxu Li. 2006. The impact of spawning on thermotolerance of the Pacific oysters in South Australia. Presented at the Australasian Aquaculture Conference 2006 in Adelaide. (It was awarded as Second Prize for student paper).

• Yan Li, Jian G. Qin. 2004. Effect of illumination, temperature and salinity on the growth of a hydrocarbon-rich alga Botryococcus braunii. Presented at Australasian Aquaculture 2004 in Sydney.

• Yan Li, Zeyu Zhang. 2002. Study on hybridization of algae (Undaria Pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringer and Costaria Costata (Turner) Saurders). Presented at World Aquaculture Conference 2002 in Beijing, China.

Supervisors

Dr Kirsten Benkendorff

A/Prof Jim Mitchell

Dr Xiaoxu Li (pdf) SARDI

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