Abalone (Haliotis asinina), locally known as lapas, may appear modest compared to oysters (talaba) or mussels (tahong), yet it is among the most valuable marine resources due to its flavorful meat and iridescent shell.

In the Philippines, abalone commands the highest market price among shellfish, ranging from Php 300 to 600 per kilogram locally and USD 12 to 120 per kilogram internationally. Belonging to the diverse mollusk family, which also includes scallops, oysters, mussels, squids, and octopuses, abalones have faced severe population decline from overharvesting driven by market demand.

Overharvesting, driven by high demand, has severely reduced its wild populations. To address this issue, the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute-Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center (NFRDI-MFRDC) initiated a project to refine hatchery production techniques and improve aquaculture productivity for abalone.

Enhancing abalone hatchery science

Launched in January 2024, the three-year research project titled “Refinement on Hatchery Techniques for Abalone (Haliotis asinina) for Enhanced Fertilization, Growth, Development, and Survival” aims to optimize existing hatchery protocols to increase production for both conservation and livelihood purposes.

This initiative is jointly implemented by NFRDI-MFRDC and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional Office VIII – Guiuan Marine Fisheries Development Center (BFAR RO8–GMFDC), which originally developed the abalone hatchery protocol in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. The abalone seed production technology, meanwhile, was developed by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD).

This collaboration is timely and relevant, as the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) identified abalone as one of the focus rural industries in 2024, alongside cacao and cassava, under the Technical Working Group on Targeting the Appropriate Technological Maturity of Rural Industries of the Special Concerns Program.

The project consists of two main components: 1) refinement of breeding techniques to improve spawning and fertilization; and 2) induction of triploidy, a genetic approach to enhance growth and survival, through controlled caffeine exposure.

Breeding studies and findings

In the breeding component, researchers separated male and female abalone breeders during spawning to test various sperm-to-egg ratios and identify the optimal conditions for fertilization and larval development. Traditionally, both sexes are spawned together in one container. However, following earlier innovations by MFRDC Center Chief Nonita Cabacaba, researchers found that separating males and females helped minimize polyspermy (fertilization by multiple sperm), which often causes low hatching rates and abnormal larvae.

The study further revealed that abalone could still spawn when placed in separate containers sharing the same water medium, even without chemical cues, especially during full or new moon phases when natural spawning occurs.

Optimal fertilization and larval development were achieved at a sperm concentration of 100,000 cells per milliliter, resulting in nearly half of the eggs successfully developing into trochophore larvae. These locally validated results support earlier global findings and provide valuable reference data for hatchery refinement. From January to April 2025 alone, the project produced over 16,000 juvenile abalones, many of which were released into Manapag Reef, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, as part of stock enhancement efforts to rebuild wild populations.

Triploidy induction using caffeine

The project’s second component focused on triploidy induction, the process of producing organisms with three sets of chromosomes, which are typically sterile but exhibit faster growth and higher survival rates. To achieve this, fertilized abalone eggs were exposed to varying concentrations of caffeine solutions for controlled durations.

Initial trials using a 5 mM caffeine solution for five minutes yielded encouraging results. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed cells containing approximately 1.5 times the DNA of normal diploid cells, indicating successful triploidy induction. The study demonstrated that caffeine can serve as a cost-effective and environmentally safer alternative to common chemical inducers such as 6-DMAP and cytochalasin B, which are more expensive and may pose environmental and health risks. Notably, the researchers successfully used commercial, food-grade caffeine instead of laboratory-grade chemicals, offering a practical and replicable innovation.

From laboratory to livelihoods

Beyond scientific advancement, the abalone research project reflects NFRDI-MFRDC’s commitment to translating marine research into tangible socioeconomic benefits. By refining hatchery techniques and improving broodstock, the center contributes to enhancing seedstock availability for both aquaculture and restocking programs.

The partnership with GMFDC ensures that the developed technologies are transferred to local stakeholders. Hatcheries under GMFDC distribute juvenile abalones to marine protected areas and fisherfolk groups for livelihood support and conservation.

“The seeds we produced through our experiments and hatchery operations were distributed to beneficiaries of NFRDI’s AquaBiz School and Technology Business Incubation (ABS-TBI) program,” said Cristan Campo, one of the project’s researchers.

“As part of our research support, we provided agricultural inputs for the nursery and grow-out phases. Since we lack sufficient space for a tank-based nursery, we turned over the stock to the ABS-TBI beneficiaries to carry out ocean-based nursery operations,” he added.

Through sustained collaboration and innovation, MFRDC’s work contributes to the recovery and sustainable management of abalone resources. Each juvenile released and seedstock shared represents a step toward restoring this valuable marine species and strengthening the livelihoods of coastal communities. ### (Cyrenes Moncawe)