Eastern Oysters, or Crassostrea virginica, are an important dietary component in the Chesapeake region and have supported a major fishery in the Chesapeake for more than 100 years. Virginia oysters do not always receive attention in up-scale markets. It is possible that the lack of information on sensory characteristics of Chesapeake oysters may contribute to this problem. In order to differentiate Chesapeake oysters from other oysters, a descriptive sensory test (n=8) was conducted and chemical composition attributes were measured, including glycogen content, proximate analysis, sodium chloride content, and fatty acid analysis. Statistical differences were found for the attributes: volume of liquor, gray/brown and tan colors, roundness of shell, plumpness and salty taste when comparing eastern oysters from Chesapeake to oysters from Rhode Island and New Brunswick, Canada. The glycogen contents in eastern oysters followed the reproductive cycle and glycogen increased from September to December, and started to decrease by April. There were small but significant (p<.05) differences in the contents of moisture, ash, protein and fat of oysters from Chesapeake and other areas. Oysters from Chesapeake had higher percentages of long-chain n-3 fatty acids, which were about 4 times higher than Beau Soleil, an oyster from New Brunswick, Canada. The high percentage of long chain n-3 fatty acids in Chesapeake oysters may be valuable for marketing. / Master of Science

In an effort to apply Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA) as developed by the U.S. EPA, the present study investigates the cumulative risks to Eastern oysters due to multiple stressors such as salinity, temperature and oxygen and carbon dioxide. I also compared the effectiveness of the Hazard Quotient Method (HQ) in CRA. Ambient conditions in the James River, VA were obtained from the Virginia DEQ database and respiratory responses were estimated using values from the literature. The multiple environmental stresses are evaluated using a probabilistic analysis that combines the environmental conditions. It was concluded that salinity was the most influential stressor in the model. Other risks were identified contributing to the vulnerability of the oysters. Crystal Ball simulations yielded that the oxygen uptake of oysters reduced by more than 29%. The HQ method was found to be inappropriate in analyzing cumulative risks for CRA. Oyster populations are dramatically declining in the James River and the Chesapeake Bay. Hence, effective oyster restoration activities are underway to rebuild oyster populations in the James River and throughout the Bay area.

The Louisiana oyster industry is greatly impacted by freshwater and sediment diversions that are part of the effort to restore the state’s coastline. A habitat suitability index (HSI) proposes species-habitat relationships that can be instrumental in creating impact assessments and suitability predictions for management as new diversions are implemented. An oyster (Crassostrea virginica) HSI was developed using three variables crucial to oyster sustainability: average annual salinity, minimum monthly salinity, and average salinity during the spawning season. These Legacy HSI visualizations show annual fluctuations in the distribution of zones suitable for oyster cultivation prior to proposed diversions in Pontchartrain and Barataria Basins from 1967 to 2016. Modeling suitability based upon these variables can provide crucial information for timing the use of diversions to lessen harmful effects upon the oyster industry as well as indicate new potentially suitable areas that the diversions may create.