Life Sciences Commons^™

Biophysical Factors Affecting Habitat Suitability For Crassostrea Virginica, Jason D. Tilley

Dissertations

Oyster reefs provide a variety of important ecosystem services. However, the mortality rate of eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, the dominant species that produces oyster reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico, is increasing at an alarming rate due to a variety of abiotic and biological factors. I examined how biophysical factors, including the less-studied fatty acid profiles of the suspended particulate matter on which oysters feed, influenced morphometric condition of C. virginica.

I sampled suspended particulate matter (SPM) and oysters in-situ in the western Mississippi Sound, which historically supported the majority of oyster production in Mississippi waters. Sampling …

The Sociocultural Significance Of Maine's Oyster Based On Media Coverage Analysis, Syeira Clark

Honors College

Throughout the last decade, the oyster aquaculture industry in Maine has boomed, with 6 million pounds of oysters being harvested in 2021, about the amount that was harvested in 2016 (Cough, 2022). According to the founders of the Maine Oyster Trail, there are over 150 oyster farms currently operating on Maine’s coast, which is about twice as many as there were in 2016 (Maine Sea Grant). With this boom in the industry has come a wave of opportunity, as well as news coverage about the shellfish. This study examines the socio-cultural significance to the state of Maine. While the oyster …

Integrating Germplasm Repositories Into Oyster Aquaculture Systems At The Pathway, Center, And Network Levels, Sarah R. Bodenstein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Germplasm repositories offer many potential benefits to commercial farm operations, including preserving genetic resources and increasing production capabilities. Aquaculture industries have yet to take advantage of repository storage despite decades of research evaluating cryopreservation protocols. Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), for example, are a useful research species when addressing this problem. Oysters are an economically important aquaculture species and a high-throughput cryopreservation method for oysters already exists. To address the gap between protocol research and commercial application a different approach is necessary that can analyze the requirements of repository development at multiple organizational levels. The goal of this dissertation was to …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Silverlip Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Maxima) Resource, K. A. Smith, S. Brown, A. M. Hart, A. Bissell

Fisheries research reports

In August 2022, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fishery and aquaculture operations that access the Western Australian (WA) Silverlip Pearl Oyster (Pinctada maxima) resource (Resource).

The ERA considered the potential ecological impacts of the WA commercial Silverlip Pearl Oyster Fishery and related aquaculture activities including hatchery and seeding operations. The assessment evaluated the impact of each activity on all relevant retained and discarded species; threatened, endangered and protected species; habitats and the broader environment. Risks associated with aquaculture activities were also considered, including genetic impacts on …

Abundance Of Shell-Boring Polychaete Worms And Other Fouling Organisms In Aquacultured Oysters From Maine Used For Reef Restoration In Great Bay, Nh, Haleigh Wright

Honors College

Restoration projects on the oyster reefs in Great Bay, NH have been active since 2009 with the most recent involving the transfer of oysters from Maine oyster farms into the Bay. In an attempt to prevent the transfer of non-native species from oyster farms to the reefs, samples of oysters from each farm were inspected for shell-boring polychaete infestations. Polydora websteri, a common shell-boring species worldwide, was in high abundance in reference samples from oyster farms in Great Bay and in samples from the restoration grounds, themselves. A second shell-boring species, provisionally identified as P. onagawaensis, is present on oyster …

Crassostrea Gigas Invasion In Southern California: Macrofaunal Diversity And Local Community Impacts Of Ecosystem Engineers On Estuarine Habitats, Noah Jansen-Yee

Theses

Many marine ecosystems are facing the growing threat of biological invasions. These invasions can have a variety of different impacts on ecosystems and their inhabitants. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is currently in the relatively early stages of invasion in San Diego estuaries. Crassostrea gigas is a large, filter-feeding bivalve that forms dense oyster beds on hard substrate. These oysters are known to outcompete native counterparts and drastically alter habitats where they are present. Crassostrea gigas is an ecosystem engineer that, through shell creation and formation of a dense oyster matrix, impacts ecosystems in a variety of direct and indirect …

The "Challenge" Of Depletion: Why The Oyster Fishery Is Not Self-Regulating, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Leanne M. Poussard

Faculty Publications

© 2020 National Shellfisheries Association. All rights reserved. The possibility that the economics of the oyster fishery impose a self-limitation on overharvesting has been proffered on occasion. The inefficiency of harvesting by the fishery has been evaluated and estimates of the exploitation rate permissible under conditions of maximum sustainable yield have been obtained in previous studies. The question becomes to what extent does the inefficiency of harvest interact with the economics of the fishery to compromise ready detection of overfishing? This study explores the possibility that the constraint of economics on the fishery occurs at oyster exploitation rates that are …

The “Challenge" Of Depletion: Why The Oyster Fishery Is Not Self-Regulating, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Leanne M. Poussard

CCPO Publications

The possibility that the economics of the oyster fishery impose a self-limitation on overharvesting has been proffered on occasion. The inefficiency of harvesting by the fishery has been evaluated and estimates of the exploitation rate permissible under conditions of maximum sustainable yield have been obtained in previous studies. The question becomes to what extent does the inefficiency of harvest interact with the economics of the fishery to compromise ready detection of overfishing? This study explores the possibility that the constraint of economics on the fishery occurs at oyster exploitation rates that are higher than maximum sustainable yield, leading ineluctably to …

Assessment Of Off-Bottom Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Aquaculture Techniques On Biofouling In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Ellis Chapman

LSU Master's Theses

Although off-bottom oyster aquaculture is a rising industry in the northern Gulf of Mexico, it is susceptible to biofouling, the accumulation of organisms on industry surfaces. Biofouling creates problems for commercial growers by increasing the costs of labor associated with biofouling management. The most used off-bottom production techniques involve aerial exposure. OysterGro™ 6-slot off-bottom oyster cages were used in this project to test aerial exposure frequency, antifouling coatings and bag position on mortality, growth rates, shell ratios and condition indices on four sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Aerial exposure of floating cages was performed in increments of once …

A History Of Oysters In Maine (1600s-1970s), Randy Lackovic

Darling Marine Center Historical Documents

This is a history of oyster abundance in Maine, and the subsequent decline of oyster abundance. It is a history of oystering, oyster fisheries, and oyster commerce in Maine. It is a history of the transplanting of oysters to Maine, and experiments with oysters in Maine, and of oyster culture in Maine. This history takes place from the 1600s to the 1970s.

Transforming Lives In Coastal Communities Through Economic Development: Breeding Crassostrea Virginica For Alternative Oyster Culture, Brian Randall Callam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation helped address the commercialization of triploid Crassostrea virginica production and develop tetraploid C. virginica broodstock in Louisiana by addressing triploid commercialization and tetraploid broodstock development. This was done by: 1) developing regional breeding plans for diploid and tetraploid C. virginica targeted at the Gulf Coastal Region, 2) assessing the effect of chromosome set manipulation on gonadal development in diploid, triploid, and tetraploid C. virginica, 3) quantifying the variation of commercially important hatchery traits in triploid C. virginica larvae from different tetraploid parents, 4) developing an up-to-date remote setting manual for the Gulf Coastal Region for industry use, …

The World Is Your Oyster, Aliya Uteuova

The Catch

No abstract provided.

Remote Sensing For Oyster Aquaculture In Maine, Jordan Snyder

Miscellaneous Publications

No abstract provided.

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries occasional publications

No abstract provided.

Oyster Planting Protocols To Deter Losses To Cownose Ray Predation, Roger L. Mann, Robert A. Fisher, Melissa Southworth, James Wesson

Reports

No abstract provided.

Maine's Oyster Renaissance, Catherine Schmitt

Catherine Schmitt

This feature article in Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine profiles Eric Horne and Valy Steverlynk, proprietors of Flying Point Oysters in Freeport, Maine.

Maine Oyster Cult, Catherine V. Schmitt

Catherine Schmitt

Read about the natural history of Maine's oyster populations, and how the University of Maine and independent aquaculturists have brought these native shellfish back to coastal waters--and tables--in Maine. This story appeared in the March 2008 issue of Maine Boats, Homes, & Harbors magazine.

2012 Cultchless (Single Seed) Oyster Crop Budgets For Virginia User Manual, Karen Hudson, Dan Kauffman, Thomas J. Murray, Alexander Solomon

Reports

No abstract provided.

Initial Market Assessment Of The Cultured, Non-Native Oyster C. Ariakensis, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.

Pilot-Scale Production Economics Of C. Ariakensis Oysters Summary Of Virginia Seafood Council Industry Grow-Out Trials (2003-2005), Thomas J. Murray

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Impacts Of Aquacultured Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791) On Water Quality And Sedimentation: Results Of A Mesocosm Study, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

To determine effects of aquacultured oysters Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) on the overlying water column, a mesocosm study was performed at the Marine Ecosystem Research Laboratory (MERL) from June to October, 2000. The MERL facility is located adjacent to Narragansett Bay and consists of fourteen 13,000-l mesocosm tanks designed to simulate the Bay environmental conditions. Two hundred oysters (c35 mm valve height; nominally filtering about 55 l/day/individual) were placed into three mesocosms, and three mesocosms were maintained without oysters as controls. Experiments were run with varying rates of water exchange in the tanks ranging from 0% to 100% per day …

Modeling The Msx Parasite In Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Populations. Iii. Regional Application And The Problem Of Transmission, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Susan E. Ford, Eileen E. Hofmann, Stephen J. Jordon

CCPO Publications

A model of transmission for Haplosporidium nelsoni, the disease agent for MSX disease, is developed and applied to sites in Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay. The environmental factors that force the oyster population- H. nelsoni model are salinity, temperature, food, and total suspended solids. The simulated development of MSX disease was verified using 3 time series of disease prevalence and intensity: 1960 to 1970 and 1980 to 1990 for Delaware Bay, and 1980 to 1994 for Chesapeake Bay, and for a series of sites covering the salinity gradient in each bay. Additional simulations consider the implications of assumptions made …

A Profile Of The Oyster Industry Northeastern United States, Douglas Lipton, James Kirkley

Reports

This is a critical period for the future of the east coast oyster industry. This report documents the dramatic decline in industry output which has been the impetus for a publicly funded program to "revtalize" the industry. Oyster biologists argue over the severityy of the decline and the cause, and also the potential remedies. Should non-native oysters, specifically Crassostrea gigas, be introduced into the region to replace the native oyster production? Are there ways to manage around the devastating oyster diseases MSX and Dermo? Will large populations of oysters significantly improve the water quality in currentiy degraded areas?

While these …

Restoration Of The Virginia Oyster Fishery The Alternative Species Strategy, Dennis Taylor

Reports

No abstract provided.

Observations On The Pearl Oyster Fishery Of Kuwait, S. M. Almatar, Kent E. Carpenter, R. Jackson, S. H. Alhazeem, A. H. Alsaffar, A. R. A. Ghaffar, C. Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The pearl oyster fishery of Kuwait was monitored daily from January 1989 to May 1990. Landings of pearl oysters in 1989 totaled 287 tons with a market value of U.S. $1.0 million. Commercial pearls (>3 mm) were estimated to be present in one of every 4200 oysters. Most of the pearl oysters landed were new recruits with hinge lengths between 40-56 mm. There was a curvilinear relationship between total weight and size of oysters (length) and the sex ratio approached 1:1. Spawning occurs throughout the year, with a spat settlement peak in early fall. Over the size range examined …

A Comparison Of Methods For Calculating Condition Index In Eastern Oysters Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791), Julia S. Rainier, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

A number of techniques have been reported to estimate condition index in oysters and other bivalve molluscs. We report and compare condition index, estimated by three different methods, for oysters collected from a single reef in the James River, Virginia over a four week period in the summer of 1987. Two indices express condition as a ratio of dry meat weight to shell cavity volume, but differ in methods of estimating shell cavity volume. A third method expresses condition as a ratio of dry meat weight to dry shell weight. Within the size range 36-96 mm length there is no …

Effects Of Perkinsus Marinus Infection In The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica: Ii. Disease Development And Impact On Growth Rate At Different Salinities, Kennedy T. Paynter, Eugene M. Burreson

VIMS Articles

In order to assess the impact of Perkinsus marinus infection on oyster growth and mortality, oysters were raised in floating rafts at six sites around Chesapeake Bay. The sites were comprised of two low salinity sites (8-10%0), two moderate salinity (12-15%0) sites and two high salinity sites (16-20%0). Oyster growth was monitored biweekly along with various water qualities including temperature and salinity. Condition index was measured monthly and disease diagnosis was perfonned bimonthly. Oyster growth was initially greatest at the high salinity sites but was subsequently retarded by Perkinsus infection at both the moderate and high salinity sites (where the …

The Decline Of The Virginia Oyster Fishery In Chesapeake Bay Considerations For Introduction Of A Non-Endemic Species, Crassostrea Gigas (Thunberg, 1793), Roger L. Mann, Eugene M. Burreson, Patrick K. Baker

VIMS Articles

The Chesapeake Bay oyster fishery for Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) is in a state of continuing decline. Two diseases, Haplosporidium nelsoni and Perkinsus marinus have effectively eliminated oysters from many sections of the Bay. Despite over 30 years of disease activity the native oysters have developed neither tolerance nor absolute resistance to these diseases, and do not exhibit any recovery in disease endemic areas in Virginia. Repletion programs have completely failed to recover to permanent production areas lost to disease. Present fishery management activities are limited to a controlled retreat away from the disease in an arena where disease distribution is …

Settlement Patterns Of Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791) Larvae In Relation To Tidal Zonation, G. Curtis Roegner, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

Experiments were conducted to determine the settlement distribution of the oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) in relation to tidal zonation in an area where adult populations are largely confined to the intertidal zone. Hatchery-reared pediveliger larvae were interned in PVC tubes positioned at known tidal heights. The influence of non-tidal factors was limited: mesh covering the ends of the tubes prevented loss of larvae to dispersal or predation, the settling substrate was not colonized by competitors, and the effects of light and horizontal currents were minimized. Settlement was found to occur throughout the intertidal zone but predominated at the bottom of …

Effect Of Decreasing Oxygen Tension Of Swimming Rate Of Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791) Larvae, Roger L. Mann, Julia S. Rainer

VIMS Articles

Four sizes of Crassostrea virginica Gmelin larvae (mean lengths 76.8, 118.1, 139.7 and 290.2 [Lm) were exposed to ·stepwise decreases in oxygen concentration from I 00% saturation (5 .38 mill at 22°C and 22 ppt salinity) to as low as 10% saturation and their swimming rates (net vertical movement per unit time) were recorded at each oxygen concentration. No cessation of swimming was observed and in only two conditions, that of 76.8 [Lm larvae at 10% saturation and 290.2 j.Lm larvae at 21% saturation, was swimming rate significantly lower than that of the same size larvae at full saturation.