R/AQ-15

Strategic focus area:

Description:

Oyster aquaculture is a growing industry in the Chesapeake Bay, valued for its sustainable food production and ecosystem services. An important potential bottleneck for the industry is the supply of oyster larvae, which are frequently produced by commercial or public oyster hatchery operations. These hatcheries, however, can face challenges from unpredictable larval mortality events (`crashes`). These events are costly to hatcheries and can impact both commercial aquaculture and restoration efforts. Despite various proposed triggers, including bacterial pathogens and water quality parameters, the underlying causes remain unclear. Recent research investigating the microbiomes associated with oyster larvae has identified correlations between failing broods and harmful microbial populations, particularly Vibrio bacteria and the dinoflagellate Gyrodinium jinhaense, though causation has not been established. This project will investigate source water characteristics as predictors of hatchery crashes, combining DNA sequencing, toxin analysis, and water quality monitoring at two University-affiliated research-mandated Chesapeake Bay hatcheries: the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery (HPOH) on the Eastern Shore and the Morgan State Patuxent Environmental & Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL) on the Western Shore. We will use high-throughput sequencing of size-fractionated samples to identify algae, bacteria, and viruses, toxin-detecting resin deployments, and machine learning analysis of multivariate data streams. This project leverages an ongoing weekly microbial time series at the PhytoChop Observatory (Horn Point Laboratory, Choptank River) currently funded from June 2023 to February 2027. By partnering with regional hatcheries, Maryland Sea Grant Extension, and the Bivalve Hatchery Health Consortium, we will translate findings into practical management strategies that support the growth and sustainability of oyster aquaculture and oyster reef restoration in Maryland and beyond. Our goal is to identify the most likely culprits for these oyster larvae crashes and develop reliable solutions for this recognized industry challenge.