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Increasing Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica Gmelin, 1791) Aquaculture Production In Georgia Through Establishment Of An Instate Oyster Hatchery
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2017
[PDF-10.15 MB]
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Description:The development of oyster aquaculture within Georgia is necessary to increase oyster production. This will allow growers the option to diversify into oyster aquaculture that are currently dependent upon clam aquaculture and wild oyster harvest. Single oysters grown using aquaculture methods are in high demand, bring a better price than bulk oysters, and are much easier to distribute. In order to offer a consistent supply of single oysters from Georgia there are two criteria that must be met; 1) access to hatchery produced oyster spat and 2) successful grow out methodology. In 2015, an instate oyster hatchery was set up at the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant Shellfish Research Laboratory to establish methodology for producing oyster spat within Georgia. Over a two year period (2015 and 2016) hatchery protocols were establish on water filtration, feeding, and handling to successfully spawn and set oysters. The hatchery produced 860,000 spat that was disseminated growers commercial growers along the Georgia coast. We conducted an experimental grow-out test using hatchery produced spat on commercial leases using bottom cages (Chesapeake Bay Oyster Company) to evaluate the growth, survival, and fan and cup ratio's from March 2016-March 2017. In terms of growth we observed that oysters reached legal market size (50.8 mm) within one year of spawn and ideal market size of > 65 mm within 18 months. Oysters had an excellent cup ratio > 0.25, and had a survival rate of 57%. We found no difference in growth rate between different test sites. This study found that oyster spat can be successfully produced and grown to market size in Georgia. We conclude that oyster farmers can benefit from this research and utilize the information to consistently produce single oysters from hatchery spat in bottom cages.
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Sea Grant Document Number:GAUS-T-17-005
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