Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) aquaculture is an important industry in Delaware that generates tens of thousands of dollars in sales every year. In addition to the economic value of oysters, they are known as keystone species that offer vital ecosystem services including water filtration and providing habitation and food for many aquatic species. Eastern oysters are predated on by different species of fish, crustaceans, and gastropods.
In this study, we deployed real time monitoring (camera) and molecular biology approaches to monitor the Oyster predation and species diversity at five different oyster sites around Rehoboth Bay. The sites include artificial reefs, aquaculture farms, and control sites (Figure 1). Cameras are secured into recreational crab traps equipped with battery extenders. They are deployed for approximately two to three hours before retrieval. All documented aquatic species are identified and recorded for comparisons between sampling sites. Isolation of Environmental DNA (eDNA) is also performed as a compilatory tool for species identification. This study will provide us an up-to-date information on the oyster restoration efforts in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware.