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This project helped to develop mackerel hydrolysates, both soluble and insoluble, into value-added products that can be commercialized into the nursery and seed industries.   This successful project resulted in three manuscripts published or accepted for publication and two more manuscripts in preparation.  In addition, the investigators' other previous work over the past three years consisting of three refereed publications and two patents has provided a strong foundation for value-added applications of fishery byproducts in general into the nursery and seed industries.  The investigators' work from this project has clearly identified that the proline, proline analog (hydroxy proline), and proline precursors (glutamic acid and arginine) in the fishery hydrolysates are involved in improving plant propagation efficiency and seed vigor beyond the general nutrient value of fishery byproducts.  This efficiency can be improved with some synergistic phenolics.  Based on this, the investigators have preliminary results that elite clonal extracts of oregano with natural phenolics can show improved seed vigor and improved propagation efficiency with fishery hydrolysates.  Based on the above solid and successful conceptual foundation, the investigators are proposing a strategy to commercialize mackerel and other fishery byproducts for the nursery and seed industries.   In order to accomplish this, the investigators have brought together a fishery byproduct producer (Connolly Sea Foods) and the University of Massachusetts to produce a spin-off company, PhytoBioSystems, to develop a commercial formulation that can be marketed into the U.S. nursery and seed industries.