Performance evaluation of a suspension tray system for the culture of half-shell Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas in Trevenen Bay, British Columbia

• Main Author: Wiley, Kent Craig
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 1982
• Subjects: Oyster culture > British Columbia; Pacific; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/23249

The objective was to design and evaluate a Suspension oyster tray unit to optimize conditions necessary for successful commercial culture of oysters in British Columbia for the half-shell market. The suspension system was tested against MacNicol and Nestier trays presently used by the industry. Units were located in two sites in Trevenen Bay. One location was sheltered and calm; the other a natural tidal raceway with intense current flow. The purpose was to test the ability of the design to provide more uniform growth, retard fouling, be easily handled and be commercially feasible to construct. Assessing tray performance was based on monitoring shell growth, condition index, fouling occurrence, materials handling and the capital costs of the systems. Field-experimentation began in June and terminated in October, 1979. The Nestier unit had the best shell growth in the calm environment but displayed variation in growth among trays in the stack, suffered retarded growth in the tidal raceway and had significant barnacle accumulation. The MacNicol performed on par with the Suspension system except for variations in growth due to vertical position, the accumulation of mussels and lowered performance at the tidal raceway site. Suspension tray units performed similarily at both sites, exhibited less variation in growth among trays in a stack, retarded fouling and proved the most economically feasible system for commercial use. Applied Science, Faculty of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Graduate