Rising water temperatures, reproduction and recruitment of an invasive oyster, Crassostrea gigas, on the French Atlantic coast

• Published in: Marine Environmental Research
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2010
• Subjects: AquacultureClimate warmingCoastal watersCrassostrea gigasReproductive cycleOyster larvaeSettlementTurbidity; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2262/48001; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2009.07.002

Abstract The recent appearance and invasion of feral oysters (Crassostrea gigas) along the northern European Atlantic coast, underscores the necessity to investigate the relationship between environmental variables, reproductive physiology, larval development and recruitment. We studied these relationships at both high (HT) and intermediate (IT) ? turbidity sites, through historical data on water temperatures, multi-parameter environmental probes, histological analyses, and field collections of planktonic larvae and settled post-larvae in 2005 and 2006. A progressive warming trend was observed, especially since 1995, when oyster proliferation first became severe. Threshold temperatures for oocyte growth, larval development and settlement were achieved in both 2005 and 2006. The HT site showed greater numbers of larvae and post-larvae than the IT site for both years, with the highest numbers of post-larvae observed at both sites during the warmer summer of 2006. These results suggest that increased temperatures in northern Euopean waters allow successful reproduction, larval development, and recuitment of C. gigas. High turbidity conditions further enhance this success. correspondance: Corresponding author. (Dutertre, Mickael) [e-mail] (Dutertre, Mickael) Universite de Nantes--> , Nantes Atlantique Universites--> , Equipe Mer-Molecules-Sante EA 2160--> , Faculte des Sciences et des Techniques--> , 2 rue de la Houssiniere--> , BP 92208--> , Nantes--> , 44322 France--> - (Dutertre, Mickael) Universite de Nantes--> , Nantes Atlantique Universites--> , Equipe Mer-Molecules-Sante EA 2160--> , Faculte des Sciences et des Techniques--> , 2 rue de la Houssiniere--> , BP 92208--> , Nantes--> , 44322 France--> - FRANCE (Dutertre, Mickael) Universite de Nantes--> , Nantes Atlantique Universites--> , Equipe Mer-Molecules-Sante EA 2160--> , Faculte des Sciences et des Techniques--> , 2 rue de la Houssiniere--> , BP 92208--> , Nantes--> , 44322 France--> - (Beninger, Peter G.) Universite de Nantes--> , Nantes Atlantique Universites--> , Equipe Mer-Molecules-Sante EA 2160--> , Faculte des Sciences et des Techniques--> , 2 rue de la Houssiniere--> , BP 92208--> , Nantes--> , 44322 France--> - (Barille, Laurent) IFREMER--> , Laboratoire Conchylicole des Pays de la Loire--> , Polder des Champs--> , Bouin--> , 85230 France--> - (Papin, Mathias) IFREMER--> , Laboratoire Conchylicole des Pays de la Loire--> , Polder des Champs--> , Bouin--> , 85230 France--> - (Haure, Joel) FRANCE Received: 2009-03-24 Revised: 2009-07-09 Accepted: 2009-07-15