Shellfish Aquaculture Program

Bivalve aquaculture, such as Virginia’s dominant hard clam and oyster sectors, involves direct interaction with the surrounding environment. For example, gear used in oyster aquaculture provides a structure that helps maintain important habitats, slows shoreline erosion rates, and provides a surface for species to adhere to and seek refuge in, increasing biodiversity within and surrounding an aquaculture operation. Understanding the ecological impacts of aquaculture on the surrounding ecosystem will help minimize or avoid potential negative effects as the industry expands.

Genetic techniques can be used for short and long-term genetic improvement in aquaculture species. Genetic improvements are critical for the resiliency of the shellfish industry to produce incremental gains such as faster growth and preparing for future threats in a changing climate. The Aquaculture Genetics & Breeding Technology Center (ABC) provides legacy oyster breeding and research, resulting in improved broodstock for the commercial industry. This work continues to evolve. Additional collaborations across SAP have expanded genetic technology applications to the characterization of hard clams and other species under commercial development, which are critical for the development of genetic tools.

The Chesapeake Bay has been identified as a vulnerable region due to the emergence of multiple environmental stressors. The over-enriching of coastal waters with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus causes algae to grow too quickly; disrupting the water chemistry and quality. Heavy precipitation events are predicted with global climate change scenarios, which can result in eutrophication, dead zones, and decreased salinity levels in coastal areas. The success of the Virginia shellfish aquaculture industry partially relies on understanding how these cultured species react to these emerging environmental challenges. 

Virginia leads the nation in hard clam production, and the East Coast in Eastern oyster production. Eastern oyster production is the most rapidly developing sector of Virginia’s shellfish aquaculture industry. For the industry to continue expanding, it is important to identify methods that: increase fertilization success and survival in the hatchery, optimize methods of larval rearing, setting, and field grow-out, and better understand the effect of domestication and genotype-by-environment interactions. Additionally, there is an opportunity to improve efficiency and profitability through innovative techniques and new technology, positioning the industry to thrive and be a national leader. Co-culture of multiple species, multi-trophic aquaculture, and the culture of new species will further expand the Virginia aquaculture industry.

Historically, disease often spread through the transfer of shellfish has had devastating effects on shellfish stocks and aquaculture farms along the East Coast of the United States. It is important to regulate and streamline the transfer of seed between locations to control for disease. Hatchery production is critical to the shellfish aquaculture industry in Virginia and effective management of shellfish pathogens, both endemic and emerging, remains key to sustainable aquaculture development.

It is important to understand how society perceives and interacts with the shellfish aquaculture industry for the industry to grow and expand. Societal changes and/or changes in the economic climate may make it difficult for the industry to succeed and action may be necessary to help overcome these obstacles. Furthermore, with increasing production, there may be a need to expand markets and increase consumer demand. Understanding marketing opportunities, consumer attitudes, and distribution channels may increase in importance.