Oysters @ VIMS

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.

Advisory Service Products

A single column table for formatting purposes.
Native Oysters and Restoration Oyster Reef Habitat Restoration: A synopsis and synthesis of approaches (Order print copy) Oyster Diseases of the Chesapeake Bay (Dermo and MSX Fact Sheets) The status of Virginia's public oyster resource (Annual Reports) Trophic studies on constructed "restored" oyster reefs. Annual report to the Chesapeake Bay Program 1998 \| 1997
Oyster Aquaculture An Introduction to Culturing Oysters in Virginia Oyster Gardening in Virginia: An Overview of Techniques Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture - Situation and Outlook Reports Products for Industry
Shellfish Diseases Status of the major oyster diseases in Virginia (Annual Reports) Molecular methods for the detection of Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX). Marine Resource Report No. 2001-10. QPX susceptibility in hard clams varies with geographic origin of brood stock.
Non-native Oysters VIMS Statement on the Use of Crassostrea ariakensis in Chesapeake Bay (pdf) Aquaculture of Triploid Crassostrea ariakensis in Chesapeake Bay (pdf) A Comparative Field Study of Crassostrea ariakensis and Crassostrea virginica in Relation to Salinity in Virginia A Comparative Field Study of Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea virginica in Relation to Salinity in Virginia

Five Most Recent Journal Articles

McCarty, A.J., S.K. Allen, and L.V. Plough, 2022. Genome-wide analysis of acute low salinity tolerance in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica and potential of genomic selection for trait improvement. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/G3JOURNAL/JKAB368
Bienlien, L.M., et al., 2022. Impact of parasitism on levels of human-pathogenic Vibrio species in eastern oysters. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 132(2): p. 760-771. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15287
Ben-Horin, T., et al., 2022. Pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus Increase in Intertidal-Farmed Oysters in the Mid-Atlantic Region, but Only at Low Tide. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 84(1): p. 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1002/naaq.10218
Pease, S. K. D., et al., 2021. Oyster hatchery breakthrough of two HABs and potential effects on larval eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Harmful Algae, 101 101965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2020.101965
Morris, R. L., et al., 2021. Large-scale variation in wave attenuation of oyster reef living shorelines and the influence of inundation duration. Ecol Appl, e2382. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2382