Aquatic species represent billions of dollars of societal investment in establishment and characterization of biomedical animal models, global production of more than 110 million tons of food, and employment for more than 60 million people. The genetic resources of these species are typically maintained as live populations that are susceptible to disease, environmental degradation, and catastrophic events. Germplasm repositories with samples cryopreserved in a repeatable, controlled fashion with all the necessary associated information ensure recovery success years after collection, and they offer much-needed capability to preserve valuable genetic resources. The AGGRC has decades of experience in cryopreservation and repository development and more than a decade in pioneering of open hardware for these needs. The ‘Cajun Ejector’, an inexpensive device created for reproducible freezing using a standard shipping dewar, is an example of this type of work. This device was designed and prototyped in multiple versions, and it has been tested by aquatic biomedical stock centers and other users through workshops and direct interaction. Unfortunately, continued development and dissemination of such devices will not flourish without emergence of an open-source ecosystem. Such systems would maximize the reach and application of open hardware, and they would build communities of users leading to makers and developers.
A well-informed strategy to establish an Open Hardware Ecosystem is necessary to avoid obvious pitfalls. Plans can be based on the principles of business development by identifying the needs for resources and personnel. In addition, platforms will need to be developed to distribute fabrication files, training curriculum, user manuals, data collection worksheets, database structure, and other information necessary for users to interact with repositories. Specific needs are to: 1) determine the potential and constraints for transition of current germplasm repository users along the path of users-makers-developers; 2) evaluate size and characteristics of the target sector to determine the suitability of expanding current communities to new users and sectors; 3) develop process maps and simulation modeling for analysis of open-source environments specifically designed for open hardware distribution, collaboration, and training, and 4) develop a plan to establish a sustainable distributed infrastructure to support user training and operation of open hardware including file storage and sharing, workflow standards, design for open fabrication, licensing, and overall continuity of the open hardware environment. Organizational plans to ensure sustainability of open hardware platforms should consider a broad range of possibilities including fee-based distribution and memberships. Licensing systems such as Creative Commons can be used, and traditional patenting and licensing would enable open sharing of advanced technologies while maintaining protection of intellectual property. Open hardware will allow stock centers, laboratories, academic institutions, aquaculture producers, and conservation agencies to follow standardized and repeatable processes that can be linked to collection of relevant data. This will reinforce community-level solutions to longstanding problems, and it will ensure essential long-term preservation of genetic diversity.