Research - Aquaculture, Physiology/Reproduction, and Nutrition

The Woods lab has been involved in fish reproductive physiology for the past 25 years. Exposure of captive or domestic fish to common laboratory and hatchery conditions may negatively impact gonadal size, gamete quality, and reproductive efficacy in general. The Woods lab is investigating potential solutions to problems related to the development of quality gametes by captive and domestic fish. Biotechnical advances are used in the development of protocols that will allow for successful in vitro fertilization or cryopreservation of gametes produced by wild, captive and domestic fish species such as the striped bass, American shad, and Atlantic sturgeon.

Teaching

• ANSC 255: Introduction to Aquaculture

Awards and Honors

• Received Gamma Beta Phi Fellowship Award, 1971, Murray State University
• Inducted into Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, 1981, North Carolina State University
• Certified (1986) as a Fisheries Scientist by the American Fisheries Society’s Board of Professional Certification. Re-certified in 2001
• Appointed (1992) Lead Scientist for the University of Maryland Aquaculture Advisory Delegation to post-USSR Russia
• Received Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, 1995, Office of Economic and Cooperative Development

Publications

• Woods III, L.C., S. He and K. Jenkins-Keeran. 2008. Cryopreservation of striped bass Morone saxatilis spermatozoa. Pages 421-426 in Cabrita, E., V. Robles, and P. Herraez, editors. Methods in Reproductive Aquaculture: Marine and Freshwater Species. Protocols for the cryopreservation of sperm from marine and freshwater species. CRC Press. Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
• Guthrie, H.D., L.C. Woods III, J.A. Long and G.R. Welch. 2008. Effects of osmolality on inner mitochondrial transmembrane potential and ATP content in spermatozoa recovered from the testes of striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Theriogenology. 69:1007-1012.
• Woods III, L.C., D.D. Theisen, and S. He. 2008. Efficacy of Aqui-S® as an anesthetic for market-sized striped bass, Morone saxatilis. North American Journal of Aquaculture. 70:219-222.
• He, S., K. Jenkins-Keeran and L.C. Woods III. 2004. Activation of sperm motility in striped bass via a cAMP-independent pathway. Theriogenology. 61:1487-1498.
• He, S. and L. Curry Woods III. 2004. Effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and glycine on cryopreservation induced damage of plasma membranes and mitochondria to striped bass (Morone saxatilis) sperm. Cryobiology. 48:254-262.
• He, S. and L.C. Woods III. 2004. Changes in motility, ultrastructure and fertilization capacity of striped bass Morone saxatilis spermatozoa following cryopreservation. Aquaculture. 236:667-686.
• He, S. and L.C. Woods III. 2003. The effects of osmolality, cryoprotectant and equilibration time on striped bass (Morone saxatilis) sperm motility. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 34:255-265.
• He, S. and L.C. Woods III. 2003. Effects of glycine and alanine on short-term storage and cryopreservation of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) spermatozoa. Cryobiology. 46:17-25.
• Jenkins-Keeran, K. and L.C. Woods III. 2002. An evaluation of extenders for the short-term storage of striped bass milt. North American Journal of Aquaculture. 64:248-256.
• Jenkins-Keeran, K. and L.C. Woods III. 2002. The cryopreservation of striped bass semen. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 33:70-77.

Grants

Project	Funding Source	Amount
Improving striped bass and hybrid striped bass farming via selective breeding. 2002-2005.	USDA - Smal Business Inovation Research	$274,119
The effects of stress on sexual maturation in male striped bass brood stock. 2003-2005.	MAES Competitive Grant	$56,000
Adapted flow-cytometric analysis of sperm quality in striped bass. 2004-2005.	UMD Graduate Research Board Award	$2,975
Development of large-scale sperm cryopreservation techniques for striped bass aquaculture. 2005-2007.	USDA/SBIR Phase-II Award.	$299,241
Controlling activation of striped bass spermatozoa for short term storage and cryopreservation. 2007-2008.	MAES Competitive Grant	$25,000