Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Understanding The Success And Failure Of Oyster Populations: Periodicities Of Perkinsus Marinus, And Oyster Recruitment, Mortality, And Size, Thomas M. Soniat, John M. Klinck, Eric N. Powell, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

Ten-year time series (1992 to 2002) of salinity, Dermo disease, and size-class structure and mortality measured for an eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) population at a reef in Bay Tambour, Terrebonne Parish, LA, were analyzed using wavelet techniques to determine dominant frequencies and correlations. Along the Gulf Coast of the United States, Dermo disease (caused by Perkinsus marinus) responds to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate signal through its response to salinity. During the La Nina portion of ENSO, decreased rainfall leads to an increase in salinity, which triggers a rise in Dermo disease prevalence and intensity, producing increased oyster mortality. …