Date of Award
12-2022
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Marine Biology BS
Department
Ocean Science and Technology
First Advisor
Chet F. Rakocinski, Ph.D.
Advisor Department
Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
Abstract
The American oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is a filter feeding bivalve native to the Gulf of Mexico, and an essential part of the Mississippi Sound estuarine ecosystem. In recent years, influx of freshwater into the Mississippi Sound as a result of frequent rainfall events has altered the water chemistry in several ways that are detrimental to the oyster populations. In this thesis, I examine the growth rate of C. virginica over the last five years in association with salinity fluctuations in the Mississippi Sound. Given diminishing populations and limited recruitment, researchers have facilitated citizen-scientist managed oyster gardens along the coast of the state to help restore reefs in the sound. The St. Stanislaus Marine Science Program has managed oyster gardens over the last five years, from which it has been observed that periods of low salinity, often during times of extreme freshwater discharge following severe storms, correlate with limited growth and increased mortality of gardened oysters.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Slade, Taylor, "Growth and Mortality of American Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) for Several Years in the Mississippi Sound – Effects of Freshwater Influence" (2022). Honors Theses. 883.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/883