Optimizing Oyster Nursery Systems Through the Use of Non-Traditional Sites

Description

Our first objective is to evaluate the potential benefits of moving seed from upriver collection sites (non-traditional) to the river mouth. Benefits would be measured in terms of oyster productivity (shell growth, condition index) and the organism's susceptibility to disease (lysosomal destabilization - see protocol).

Our second objective is similar to the first one, namely with respect to the transfer scheme (from upriver to river mouth) and measurements (productivity and susceptibility to disease). The only difference is that juveniles (in lieu of seed) would be collected upriver and transferred to the river mouth.

Finally, our third objective is to evaluate the benefits of using upriver (low salinity) sites as nursery areas. More precisely, we propose to determine whether moving seed from downriver collection sites to upriver nursery sites has any impact on oyster productivity and the organism's susceptibility to disease.

Program Name

Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

Year(s)

2008 - 2010

Ecoregion(s)

Atlantic: Gulf of Maine, Scotian Shelf

Principal Investigator(s)

Luc Comeau
Email: Luc.Comeau@dfo-mpo.gc.ca