Impact of water quality and gear type on eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) growth in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island

The growing demand for seafood in the U.S. and its continued reliance on imports highlight the need to expand domestic seafood production. Aquaculture industries are concurrently undergoing rapid technological advancement aimed at streamlining production and reducing labor demands. Low-maintenance, alternative surface-gear types have recently been developed that show promise in minimizing labor associated with biofouling and maintenance. However, production relative to traditional cultivation methods has yet to be reported in new gear-types within dynamic estuaries prone to large environmental variation and extreme weather. The purpose of this study was to evaluate oyster performance across three cultivation-types, including newly developed alternative surface-gear, at a 4-acre production site located in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. A continuous water quality-time series was established to monitor environmental parameters, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and pH, during field-deployment. Early juvenile oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ) were deployed using three cultivation methods: traditional surface, alternative surface, and bottom culture. Individuals collected from each gear type over a six-month growing period were used to assess survival, physical growth, particle clearance, respiration rate development, and scope for growth. Overall, growth rate, survival, and scope for growth among surface-deployed individuals were similar, suggesting that the newly developed gear types designed to minimize labor associated maintenance perform similarly to traditional, surface cage culture.