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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Understanding The Role Of Stylochus Ellipticus As A Predator Of Crassostrea Virginica In Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, Marion Kensey Barker May 2014

Understanding The Role Of Stylochus Ellipticus As A Predator Of Crassostrea Virginica In Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, Marion Kensey Barker

Theses and Dissertations

Predation may be a key component of the unsuccessful restoration of the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica), a former keystone species in Chesapeake Bay. Here, I examine the polyclad flatworm Stylochus ellipticus and its potential role as an important predator of C. virginica. Using small-fragment size C. virginica specific DNA primers, oyster DNA was successfully detected in whole organisms homogenates of wild-caught S. ellipticus individuals. Of the 1,575 individuals tested, 68.1% tested positive, thus predation occurred. Predation did not appear to be affected by salinity or temperature; however, season did appear to have an effect on both predation and S. ellipticus …


Maine Oyster Cult, Catherine V. Schmitt Mar 2014

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.


Estimating Sustainable Harvests Of Eastern Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica, Thomas M. Soniat, Nathan Cooper, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Mahdi Abdelguerfi, Shengru Tu, Roger Mann, Patrick D. Banks Jan 2014

Estimating Sustainable Harvests Of Eastern Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica, Thomas M. Soniat, Nathan Cooper, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Mahdi Abdelguerfi, Shengru Tu, Roger Mann, Patrick D. Banks

CCPO Publications

Sustainability of a fishery is traditionally and typically considered achieved if the exploited population does not decline in numbers or biomass over time as a result of fishing relative to biological reference point goals. Oysters, however, exhibit atypical population dynamics compared with many other commercial species. The population dynamics often display extreme natural interannual variation in numbers and biomass, and oysters create their own habitat--the reef itself. With the worldwide decline of oyster reef habitat and the oyster fisheries dependent thereon, the maintenance of shell has received renewed attention as essential to population sustainability. We apply a shell budget model …