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Thesis
Feeding Regime and Temperature Effects on the Survival Rate of the American Oyster (crassostrea Virginica) in Aquaculture At the Port of Pensacola, Florida
University of West Florida Libraries
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2022
Abstract
The eastern or American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is widely used for aquaculture and commercial harvesting to provide seafood. This species is also known as an ecosystem
engineer for the marine environment as it helps create reefs, protect shorelines, and filter water.
The aim of this study was to (1) investigate if manipulating temperature in an aquaculture setting
on the shore of Pensacola Bay can induce oysters to spawn year-round, (2) investigate different
feeds to try to increase larval survival in an aquaculture setting on the shore of Pensacola Bay,
and (3) track gonad development in local field populations. No difference in spawning was found
between different temperature settings, nor larval survival for different feeding diets in the
aquaculture setting. Gonad development in the natural environment increased with increasing
temperature from February 2021 to July 2021. This project has also indicated the importance of
an ideal balance between temperature, salinity, and feed type; and a large degree of variation in
responses of oysters requiring the need for larger replication. The large degree of variation in
responses may indicate that other factors may be confounding the influence of temperature and
feed on the success and growth rates of oysters. As this was the first research-based experiment
at this aquaculture facility, further studies and experiments are recommended to understand how
to successfully culture the eastern oyster in the local area.
Details
- Title
- Feeding Regime and Temperature Effects on the Survival Rate of the American Oyster (crassostrea Virginica) in Aquaculture At the Port of Pensacola, Florida
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Contributors
- Christopher M Pomory (Advisor)Alexis M Janosik (Committee Member)Wayne A Bennett (Committee Member)
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 47
- Copyright
- © 2018 Rebecca Vizzi Foglietti
- Identifiers
- 99380090596706600
- Academic Unit
- Biology; Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Science (MS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida