Presentation Abstract
Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are an economically beneficial product of the Pacific Northwest, introduced in the 1920s. In the 1940s governments initiated studies on the status and health of oysters in Pendrell Sound, BC (1949-1981) and Hood Canal WA (1942-1995). Seasonal surveys collected information on Pacific oyster settlement and timing through regular placement of spat collectors, usually clean shells. Simultaneously, water temperature was recorded. Because of temperatures in native ranges, reproduction in Pacific oysters is expected to improve in warmer years. Further, reproduction tends to be spatially limited to these two regions of the Salish Sea, where water temperatures can exceed 20° C in the summer. At some sites within regions, maximum seasonal recruitment ranged from less than 55 to nearly 10,000 per shell across summers, with peak timing that ranged from early July to early September. Pacific oysters tended to have earlier and higher settlement in warmer summers. The long term contribution of recruitment to feral populations and commercial stocks will hinge on temperature trends as well as interannual variability.
Session Title
Session S-02A: Future Salish Sea Water Quality
Conference Track
Marine Water Quality
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
30-4-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
30-4-2014 3:00 PM
Location
Room 615-616-617
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Pacific oyster--Effect of temperature on--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Oyster recruitment and climate change: do higher summer temperatures mean earlier and greater settlement in Pacific oysters?
Room 615-616-617
Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are an economically beneficial product of the Pacific Northwest, introduced in the 1920s. In the 1940s governments initiated studies on the status and health of oysters in Pendrell Sound, BC (1949-1981) and Hood Canal WA (1942-1995). Seasonal surveys collected information on Pacific oyster settlement and timing through regular placement of spat collectors, usually clean shells. Simultaneously, water temperature was recorded. Because of temperatures in native ranges, reproduction in Pacific oysters is expected to improve in warmer years. Further, reproduction tends to be spatially limited to these two regions of the Salish Sea, where water temperatures can exceed 20° C in the summer. At some sites within regions, maximum seasonal recruitment ranged from less than 55 to nearly 10,000 per shell across summers, with peak timing that ranged from early July to early September. Pacific oysters tended to have earlier and higher settlement in warmer summers. The long term contribution of recruitment to feral populations and commercial stocks will hinge on temperature trends as well as interannual variability.
