Our facilities
Hatchery and nursery operations on two coasts
Pacific Hybreed operates facilities at the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center Research Station in Manchester, WA and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) in Kona, HI — supporting innovative commercial culture and conservation techniques for shellfish seed supply.
Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i
Bio-secure breeding station at NELHA
The NELHA facility is ideal for aquaculture breeding programs. Strict procedures ensure safety and security, and minimal local shellfish farming reduces the possibility of disease spread.
Deep-sited pumps pull cold, nutrient-rich waters that can be mixed with warmer surface waters. Combined with plentiful sunlight, this creates an ideal artificial ecosystem for growth at all stages of the breeding cycle.
Manchester, Washington
Hatchery and nursery operations
The Manchester laboratory supports small- and large-scale hatchery and nursery production. Breeding programs require small-scale culture methods to raise a few thousand individuals from scores of families.
Capacity is established to produce 100 single-cross families until transfer to Pacific Hybreed’s offsite Floating Upwell System (FLUPSY), where they are nurtured until seed size for farm placement.
Inside the Manchester lab
Real-world commercial environments
At Manchester, Pacific Hybreed produces limited quantities of hybrid larvae or seed. A portion has been planted at Thorndyke Bay in collaboration with Baywater Shellfish Farms — assessing resilience and comparing yield in commercial conditions. Pacific Hybreed will eventually license improved broodstock to commercial hatcheries for propagation and sale of improved seed.