Browsing by Author "Timothy J. Smoot"
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Item AN EXAMINATION OF OYSTER GROWTH WITH FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY IN TWO OYSTER AQUACULTURE GEAR TYPES(University of Delaware, 2023-05) Timothy J. SmootEastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are an important resource for Delawareans living near the Delaware Bay and Delaware’s Inland Bays. Unfortunately, natural oyster populations in Delaware have been greatly reduced because of historical overharvest and disease vectors, among other factors. In response to low wild abundance and a general interest from the public, commercial oyster aquaculture was reinstated in the Inland Bays in 2017. In multiple studies along the U.S. east coast and within the Inland Bays, fishes and invertebrates have been observed around oyster cages and other types of gear used to grow oysters. However, my project examined oyster growth in an experimental cage and evaluated habitat provisions to juvenile fishes in that gear. My project aimed to further our scientific understanding of the ecological services rendered by shellfish farming in a comparative capacity by examining the habitat value of 1) traditional on-bottom commercial aquaculture gear and 2) an experimental floating gear type actively used by a commercial oyster farmer. From June through September 2022, the abundance and diversity of fishes and motile macroinvertebrates found within and around each aquaculture gear type were recorded weekly. Additionally, measurements of oyster length and depth were collected weekly to monitor oyster growth. Traditional bottom cages produced significantly longer and deeper oysters than the experimental floating cages with no significant difference in mortality. Abundance and diversity of fishes was high in bottom cages, but floating cages with nearby structure can support similar fish assemblages. Floating cages hosted significantly higher abundance of invertebrates, predominantly driven by grass shrimp, but trends in invertebrate diversity mirrored fish diversity with high diversity in bottom cages and floating cages with additional structure nearby.