AAC Conference

Aquaculture Canada 2025 is proud to welcome Dr. Amber Garber as this year’s keynote speaker. Amber is the lead Research Scientist of Breeding & Genetics at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre. With a career spanning over 25 years in aquaculture and wild fisheries research, her contributions to sustainable fish production have been instrumental in advancing the industry.

Amber completed her BSc from the Bowling Green State University (Ohio) which included taking summer courses at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory where she returned the following summers to work in their fisheries and histopathology departments. Her MSc from the University of Southern Mississippi focused on red snapper stock enhancement and population genetics in the Gulf of Mexico where she also obtained funding to complete additional work on wahoo. She then completed a PhD at North Carolina State University dedicated to improving hybrid striped bass aquaculture through selective breeding. Amber defended her dissertation and drove straight to New Brunswick to work on the Atlantic Cod Genomics and Broodstock Development Project at Huntsman Marine as a breeder. Amber has remained at Huntsman Marine to lead over 20 million in research project/program funding to date. She has adjunct status at the University of New Brunswick and the University of Prince Edward Island.

Her work at Huntsman Marine has been pivotal in developing and refining selective breeding programs, particularly in Atlantic salmon. In recognition of her leadership in the field, she was awarded the New Brunswick R3 Innovator Award in 2016 for her collaborative efforts with industry partner Northern Harvest Sea Farms (now Mowi Canada East). Her breeding initiatives have led to advancements in salmon broodstock related to various traits including: growth to harvest, fillet colour, deformities and abnormalities, temperature tolerance (acute and chronic), survival, and resistance to pathogens (sea lice, Saprolegnia, bacterial kidney disease). Amber’s research has also encompassed additional species, including rainbow trout, Arctic charr, lumpfish and sturgeon.

Amber’s efforts are supported by a highly skilled team at Huntsman Marine, whose technical staff brings decades of commercial production experience. The team plays a critical role in maintaining and assessing aquatic broodstock, conducting essential tasks such as PIT tagging, sex determination by ultrasound, and extensive harvest evaluations across various farm sites.

Attendees of Aquaculture Canada 2025 can look forward to an insightful presentation from Amber, whose expertise continues to drive innovation and sustainability in aquaculture breeding and genetics. Her work underscores the importance of science-driven advancements in aquaculture and the role of selective breeding in meeting the industry’s evolving challenges.

Join us at Aquaculture Canada 2025 to hear from Amber. This presentation will take us on an exploration of selectable traits measured directly from these species over the past couple of decades.