Coldwater selection for fast growth of American oysters in Downeast Maine

PI: Brian Beal, Director of the Marine Science Field Station, University of Maine at Machias

Collaborator: Heather Leslie, UM Darling Marine Center

The goal of this project is to produce a fast-growing, disease-resistant American oyster that will grow to commercial size in 2-3 years in the cold waters of eastern Maine, finally allowing this region to profit from the rapidly growing industry. Building on Dr. Beal’s previous work in rearing juvenile oysters, in this project an undergraduate student will help conduct research to examine the growth rates of those selected juveniles over a one-year period. This will help in understanding which conditions lead to fast growth and survival of juvenile oysters in cold water.