The role of environment in shaping resilience of Pacific oysters to summer mortality syndrome: a comparison of intertidal and deep-water culture sites
21-P-02
Description
It is common for Pacific oysters to die during the summer in British Columbia (BC). On average half of adult oysters grown in deep-water sites die during the summer each year. The specific cause of these deaths is unknown. Recent research has shown that they are linked to:
- temperature
- reproductive condition
- certain bacteria
Oyster farmers have reported that oysters grown in the intertidal zone (the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide) may be more resistant to dying in the summer than oysters that are grown in deep water.
Specific research activities will include:
- comparison of the survival, condition, reproductive status, immune response, and microbiome (the collection of all microbes that live on or in an animal) of oysters at deep-water and shore-based intertidal sites
- investigation on whether initial culture of animals at intertidal sites leads to improved survival at deep-water sites
- investigation on whether culturing animals at deep-water sites with transfer to intertidal sites during summer months leads to improved survival
- laboratory tests with animals from both sites to compare their resiliencies to various stressors that are commonly experienced during the summer
- monitoring at both sites to examine possible correlations between physical conditions and oyster deaths
Program Name
Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)
Year(s)
2021 - 2023
Principal Investigator(s)
Chris Pearce, Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station,Pacific Region
Email: Chris.Pearce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Team Member(s)
- Timothy Green, Canada Research Chair in Shellfish Health and Genomics, Vancouver Island University
- Clara Mackenzie, Research Scientist (Post-doctoral Fellow), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station,Pacific Region
- Monique Raap, Research Biologist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station,Pacific Region
Collaborator(s)
- Alex Munro, Farms & Processing Operations Director, Taylor Shellfish Canada
- Date modified: