AN EVALUATION OF THE FLOATING CAGE SYSTEM FOR EASTERN OYSTER Crassostrea virginica AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO

Nowhere is the demand for specialty shellfish more apparent than in the growing popularity of local farm-raised oysters. Increased interest in off-bottom oyster farming along the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) has provided industry leaders with significant opportunity (strong demand, stable income, longer growing season, etc.) as well as, multiple challenges (permits, start up investment, bio fouling control, etc.). With the recent advancements of cultured gulf oysters into the regional and national niche oyster market, the need for industry-based research is in high demand. Through a three-factor field analysis, this study investigates optimal production efficiency and quality control methods that can help Gulf oyster farmers become increasingly competitive in the half-shell market.

This study investigates methods for improving the productivity and efficiency of the Floating Cage System (FCS) for intensive oyster culture in coastal Alabama. The three factor analysis combines; 1) two ploidy (C. virginica diploid vs. triploid), 2) three stocking densities (125, 150, 175) and 3) two desiccation regimes (weekly and bi-weekly for a 24 hour cycle). Over a three-month period (Aug - Nov 2015), the effects of these factors, and their interactions, are assessed through the response variables of survival, shell metrics, fouling, and condition index. Although the FCS has been demonstrated to be an economically viable means for producing oysters in the nGOM, this study provides current and future oyster farmers with effective management techniques for optimizing off-bottom production.