Field and laboratory research at VIMS is key to the recent surge in oyster aquaculture in Virginia, and also underlies increasing success in restoring wild populations of the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica to the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters were historically one of the Bay's keystone species, filtering water and providing reef habitat for many other organisms. Oyster restoration aims to reclaim some of these benefits.
- Oyster aquaculture limits disease in wild oyster populations (December, 2018) Study reveals that oyster aquaculture can limit the spread of disease among wild populations of the tasty bivalve.
- Signups announced for oyster aquaculture partnership in Chesapeake Bay (September, 2018) Growers in Virginia’s portion of Chesapeake Bay can apply for funding through the USDA to help restore oyster beds on private shellfish grounds.
- Interactive model helps stakeholders plan for Bay health goals (August, 2018) VIMS researchers lead development of online tool that quantifies oysters’ contribution to “pollution diets” designed to restore water quality in Chesapeake Bay.
- Recent rains impact Chesapeake Bay, marine research (August, 2018) Unusually fresh waters have impacted everything from algal blooms to fish distributions, oyster mortality and disease prevalence, the conduct of lab experiments, and the incidence of low-oxygen dead zones.
- Where’s the water, and why the ice? (January, 2018) In an era of sea-level rise and global warming, almost two weeks of low tides and chilly temps has raised questions, as well as concerns among oyster growers. VIMS professors explain the apparent contradictions.
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Five Most Recent Journal Articles
- Vignier, J., et al., 2018. Evaluation of toxicity of Deepwater Horizon slick oil on spat of the oyster Crassostrea virginica. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25(2): p. 1176-1190. 10.1007/s11356-017-0476-2
- Schulte, D.M., R.N. Lipcius, and R.P. Burke, 2018. Gear and survey efficiency of patent tongs for oyster populations on restoration reefs. Plos One, 13(5). ARTN e0196725 10.1371/journal.pone.0196725
- Lunstrum, A., K. McGlathery, and A. Smyth, 2018. Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Aquaculture Shifts Sediment Nitrogen Processes toward Mineralization over Denitrification. Estuaries and Coasts, 41(4): p. 1130-1146. 10.1007/s12237-017-0327-x
- Lohan, K.M.P., et al., 2018. Phylogeography and connectivity of molluscan parasites: Perkinsus spp. in Panama and beyond. International Journal for Parasitology, 48(2): p. 135-144. 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.08.014
- Lipcius, R.N. and R.P. Burke, 2018. Successful recruitment, survival and long-term persistence of eastern oyster and hooked mussel on a subtidal, artificial restoration reef system in Chesapeake Bay. Plos One, 13(10). ARTN e0204329 10.1371/journal.pone.0204329