FIELD PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SELECTIVELY BRED EASTERN OYSTER LINES IN NEW JERSEY AND RHODE ISLAND
Date of Award
2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Biological and Environmental Sciences (MSBES)
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Marta Gomez-Chiarri
Second Advisor
Dina Proestou
Abstract
Eastern oyster aquaculture has increased steadily over the last three decades, but the industry has yet to achieve its full potential. In the Northeast USA, production is limited in part by a lack of high performing stocks suited to the geographically broad and heterogenous growing environments. For this study, hatchery lines from Maine, New York, and New Jersey as well as crosses between each hatchery line and the selectively bred Northeast high survival (NEHÒ) line, were deployed at oyster farms in Rhode Island and New Jersey for performance evaluation. Replicate bags of each line were stocked and maintained according to standard husbandry practices. Oyster survival and growth were monitored for 16 months. At 5, 9, 13, and 16 months post-spawn, live and dead oysters were counted in each replicate and shell height and total weight were measured for a subset of oysters per replicate to track survival and growth trajectories. In addition, during the second summer of the evaluation period, a subsample of seed from each line were tested for parasites Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) and Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) to assess the extent of disease exposure observed at the Rhode Island site. Performance of all lines within each site were compared and statistically significant line effects on both growth and mortality were detected. Comparisons of each line between sites also resulted in statistically significant differences in growth and mortality. Lastly, contrasting top performing lines were observed both with respect to mortality and growth between each site indicating strong genotype by environment (GxE) interactions. This research will improve future breeding efforts in the Northeast by providing information on the performance of regional aquaculture lines in divergent grow-out environments and the importance of GxE effects on C. virginica growth and survival, ultimately helping industry identify more reliable seed to be grown and sold.
Recommended Citation
Satkowski, Seraphina, "FIELD PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SELECTIVELY BRED EASTERN OYSTER LINES IN NEW JERSEY AND RHODE ISLAND" (2025). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2641.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2641