Oysters support commercial and recreational fisheries, and hold considerable economic and cultural value in North Carolina. Environmental stressors associated with climate change can interact synergistically with other stressors (e.g., predation, pathogens) to negatively impact oyster growth and reproduction. This project aims: 1) To monitor and evaluate multiple environmental parameters concurrently with oyster performance at the Duke University Marine Lab (DUML) and NC State’s Center for Marine Science and Technology (CMAST) oyster farms, particularly during the summer when environmental stressors may be high; 2) To assess the relationship between changing environmental conditions, genetic lines, and farming practices with oyster performance; and 3) To develop an effective platform to communicate findings with regional oyster farmers and other interested parties in an attempt to further resiliency efforts.
We sought to analyze different characteristics of the two farms that may have impacted oyster performance. To achieve this, we monitored environmental data while assessing impacts on five genetic lines of oysters. Densities of oysters in bags and flipping frequencies were also examined as factors. Data loggers were deployed and maintained to continuously monitor in situ environmental conditions within both oyster farms. Temperatures and salinity at both sites were fairly similar, but dissolved oxygen (DO) levels had greater oscillations at the Duke farm, with values more frequently dropping below 1 mg/L (Figure 1). In addition, pH values were also more variable at the Duke farm. We intend to analyze these environmental data points with mortality and growth measurements that were collected at each site over the study period to better understand oyster performance.