OCEANIX KLH™ Protein
Oceanix Biotechnology Corporation represents Canada’s first non-governmental fully integrated Giant Keyhole Limpet as well as Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) research and development company.
Through our pioneering hatchery and aquaculture techniques, we are proud to be first successful producer of KLH from a controlled land-based aquaculture system in Canada.
Project Overview
Giant Keyhole limpet, a purplish animal that looks like abalone, with a hard shell but a soft mental tissue, is one of those marine snails which has a specific blood structure with a particular significant protein that is called KLH. Today, the role of this unique blood protein (KLH) in immune system pharmaceutical researches is looking promising.
However, the Keyhole limpet is only found in southern California and it is harvested routinely for extraction its blood which means there is a limited supply of them.
Unfortunately getting limpets to grow in captivity is not easy task. In this regard, since good water quality is vital for obtaining a good aquatic animal health, in Oceanix aquaculture facility with taking advantage of a sea water recirculation system technology, we pump a nutrient rich water to the limpets’ culture tanks. In addition, Oceanix scientists and technicians by having a good knowledge and understanding of Giant Keyhole limpet biology, physiology, ecology and also maintain a regular sampling program for monitoring and recording water quality parameters makes a suitable environment such as its natural habitat condition for limpets breeding, culturing and growing.
And eventually, our team with developing a none-leaked blood extraction method from the mentioned animals knows how to take their blood without killing them and therefore, this is another aspect of sustainable development in Oceanix unique aquaculture medical laboratory site which is our ultimate aim.
Production
Our Gian Keyhole Limpet culturing and husbandry facility sits along the Fraser River in Delta, British Columbia, and features a state-of-the-art water recirculation system that reuses 99 percent of the salt water in the system through various complex cleaning and re-oxygenation technologies.
Unlike traditional aqua-culturing methods of raising animals in outdoor ponds and raceways, or in flow-systems that uses water once before it is discarded, our specialized filtration and recirculation system provides an environmental friendly alternative that ensures both sustainable and healthy growth of our animals.
Constant monitoring by our specialists is required as our Keyhole Limpets must be supplied with all the conditions necessary to maintain healthy growth.
New water from our reservoir is only added to the system to compensate for evaporation or whenever we need to flush out waste material to ensure the health and safety of our animals. While a continuous supply is essential to the vitality of the animals, our husbandry specialists must also maintain water temperatures, and check factors like dissolved oxygen content or ammonia concentration, all of which can be extremely hazardous to our animals if left unchecked.
To ensure fast growth and high survival amongst our animals, a custom-made nutritionally– complete feed is prepared on a daily basis by our specialists and is carefully fed to the animals. A specialized biofilter purifies and detoxifies the recirculating water as well as removes any uneaten feed and harmful waste products contained in the water.
Nursery Stage
Feeding the early juveniles is a major challenge for commercial aquaculture development of Giant Keyhole Limpet. In marine environment the post-settled larvae/juveniles of Giant Keyhole Limpet depends on benthic bio-films (natural assemblages).
Selected benthic diatom algae (including Amphora and Navicula) and micro-warms (eg. Nematodes) could be a potential cocktail but resilient diet for nursery operation of this animal.
The present activities and trial aimed to develop a mass culture system of microorganisms that could help to fulfill the nutritional requirement of early juveniles of limpet.
