| Abstract: |
Larvae of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Chesapeake Bay spend 2-3 weeks in the plankton and require hard substrate, preferably oyster shell, for settlement. Results of larval transport model simulations suggest that transport of larvae between oyster reefs is an important component of oyster population dynamics in Chesapeake Bay and that the vertical swimming behavior of larvae influence spatial patterns in transport between reefs. We hypothesize that anoxia could influence the transport and survival of oyster larvae in Chesapeake Bay, either by causing direct mortality or, if larvae swim to avoid anoxia, by cutting off access to transport pathways that could be created by lateral circulation. We used measurements of anoxic volume coupled with numerical simulations of a larval transport model to assess the feasibility of this hypothesis and to identify where and when anoxia could influence the survival of oyster larvae or the spatial patterns in connectivity between reefs. Model results will be discussed and field methods for testing this hypothesis will be proposed. |
