Improvement of cotton fiber properties is necessary to stay competitive in today's world market. Upland genotypes, Gossypium hirsutum, were mated with Sea Island genotypes, Gossypium barbadense, in an effort to integrate new allelic combinations for fiber qualities and agronomic traits. Initial crosses were made in 1999. The F₃ generation was grown at College Station in a spaced nursery in 2002 with individual plant selections based on apparent yield potential and fiber traits. A preliminary performance trial was grown in 2004 with selected lines advanced in 2005. Interspecific lines ranged in lint production from 377 kg/ha^-1 to 734 kg/ha^-1, lint fraction from 31.9 % to 40.1%, micronaire (units) from 3.5 to 4.5, length (mm) from 28.7 to 31.8, strength (kNm/kg) from 273.6 to 333.4, length uniformity ratio from 81.4 to 84.4, and elongation (%) from 2.5 to 5.6. These lines produced excellent fiber properties suggesting introgression from G. barbadense and should be good parental material for fiber enhancement.