38 JUNE 2024 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG I) Risk categorization and understanding of SUMS, II) Risk management, and II) Communication. The nine research priorities were ranked in order of importance by consensus (Table 1). The workshop participants discussed moving forward as a collaborative, ongoing network focused on the issue of SUMS and grow-out health with the goal of improving growout performance in shellfish aquaculture. While this collaboration initially developed from the group attending the workshop, the group emphasized the desire and need to work hand-in-hand with industry members, as well as collaborate with other researchers. The group has begun to collate data and perspectives on the extent and frequency of SUMS events, essentially building out from the VIMS database of industry reports of unusual mortality since 2012. Collected data about SUMS events includes the location, timing, and duration of the event, site (water quality) conditions, the ploidies affected, oyster pedigree or provenance, and mortality rate observed. Several efforts are underway to obtain external funding to support a regional effort with industry members to better quantify the spatial extent, timing and environmental factors associated with these mortality events. Furthermore, there are several efforts already underway including selective breeding and hardening of seed, as well as promotion of collaboration with colleagues on the U.S. Pacific Coast. By working together with industry and collaborating across academic institutions with a laser focus on the research priorities, the hope is that the best and most up-to-date science can be brought to bear on this critical issue for the oyster aquaculture industry to allow shellfish growers to make informed decisions. Notes William C. Walton1*, Tal Ben-Horin2, Jessica M. Small1, Adriane K. Michaelis1 and Ryan B. Carnegie1 1 Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, PO Box 1346, Gloucester Pt, VA 23062, USA, 2North Carolina State University, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557 * Corresponding author: walton@vims.edu Recommended Reading • Ben-Horin T., M. Ciesielski, J. Lucas, R.T. Noble and A. Wilbur. 2024. Pathology associated with summer oyster mortality in North Carolina. Aquaculture Reports 34:101901. • Bodenstein S., W.C. Walton and T.D. Steury. 2021. Effect of farming practices on growth and mortality rates in triploid and diploid eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica. Aquaculture Environment Interactions 13:33-40. • Bodenstein S., S.M. Casas, T.R. Tiersch T and J.F. La Peyre. 2023. Energetic budget of diploid and triploid eastern oysters during a summer die-off. Frontiers in Marine Science. 10:1194296. • Brianik C.J. and B. Allam. 2023. The need for more information on the resistance to biological and environmental stressors in triploid oysters, Aquaculture. 577:739913. • Guévélou, E., R. Carnegie and J. Small. 2019. Tracking Triploid Mortalities of Eastern Oysters Crassostrea virginica in the Virginia Portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Journal of Shellfish Research. 38(1):101-113. • Matt J.L, E. Guévélou, J.M. Small and S.K. Allen. 2020. A field test investigating the influence of brood stock origin and ploidy on the susceptibility of Crassostrea virginica to “triploid mortality” in the Chesapeake Bay. Aquaculture. 526:735375. • Wadsworth P., S.M. Casas, J.F. La Peyre and W.C. Walton. 2019. Elevated mortalities of triploid eastern oysters cultured offbottom in northern Gulf of Mexico. Aquaculture. 505:363-373. TABLE 1. Ranked research priorities for sudden unusual mortalities in eastern oysters as determined at a workshop convened at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (January 2024). Ranked Priority Topic Category 1 Mechanistic understanding of mortality events, including energy budgets, Risk categorization and pathobiology, etc. understanding 2 Preparing oysters to withstand stress in all phases, for example through Risk management hardening or priming against future challenges 3 Breeding for increased, general resilience Risk management 4 Understanding the frequency, extent and history of mortality events, Communication including epidemiology and progression, monitoring and reporting 5 Communicating risk factors and recommended management practices to industry Communication 6 Harmonizing data collection and information sharing among researchers and extension Communication 7 Understanding SUMS in wild populations, and adaptation to environmental Risk categorization stressors in natural populations and understanding 8 Understanding relationships and interactions between restoration production Risk categorization and commercial aquaculture, and the potential role of seed limitation or reduced and understanding choice in SUMS and other mortality events 9 Measuring reproductive investment in susceptible diploids Risk categorization and understanding
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