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Fecundity Of Triploid Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) As A Function Of Tetraploid Lineage, Kate Ritter

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Rapid growth rate and partial sterility have made triploid eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) the most popular crop variety for the Virginia oyster aquaculture industry, typically comprising greater than 90% of larvae and juvenile sales. Triploid advantages, however, sometimes come with the disadvantage of higher mortality in late spring and early summer, dubbed “triploid mortality.” In recent years, farms up and down the East Coast, especially Maryland and south into the Gulf of Mexico have experienced triploid mortality. Some of the reports include observations of elevated triploid fecundity. Triploid oysters are created by crossing tetraploids to diploids, and much of the …