Offshore Oyster Physiology

Within this project the suitability of oysters as candidate species in offshore aquaculture shall be valuated. Therefore, two different species of oysters (edible oyster = native European Oyster Ostrea edulis and Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas) are cultivated in offshore areas.

To make a statement on the adequacy of offshore oyster cultivation the following parameters are determined at regular intervals:

• growth rates (size, weight)
• condition index (meat/shell ratio)
• fitness (proteins, enzymes, lipids, glycogen, RNA/DNA ratio)
• health (accumulation of toxins)

and compared to oysters originating from an inshore cultivation or wild individuals.