Eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica settle near inlets in a lagoonal estuary: spatial and temporal distribution of recruitment in Mid-Atlantic Coastal Bays (Maryland, USA).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Declines of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and its numerous ecological benefits have spurred oyster restoration initiatives. Successful restoration of a self-sustaining oyster population requires evaluating the temporal and spatial patterns of recruitment (settlement and survival) of oyster larvae in the target waterbody. Restoration of the Eastern oyster population in the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs), USA, a shallow lagoonal estuary, is of interest to federal, state, and non-governmental, but the location and timing of natural recruitment is not known.

Methods

We assessed the spatial and temporal variation in oyster larval recruitment throughout the MCBs using horizontal ceramic tiles and PVC plates. Newly settled oyster larvae (recruits) were

SUBMITTER: Farmer MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10149057 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature