Cross-Breeding for Improved Growth and Disease Resistance in the Eastern Oyster

The Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, has historically supported a major fishery along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. Although commercial landings of oysters along the East Coast have been in significant decline for decades, oyster aquaculture has the potential to provide for a sustained commercial harvest as well as to generate a product that is superior to wild-caught oysters. Traditional culture methods rely on the capture of wild spat or seed which are then moved to grow-out sites. Such culture methods are extensive and simply rely on the manipulation of wild stocks. The development of hatchery technologies for the production of oyster seed has alleviated some of the uncertainty inherent in natural supply of seed. In addition to sustaining a vital oyster aquaculture industry, the hatcherybased production of oyster seed allows for the development of genetically improved lines of oysters with characteristics substantially different from their wild ancestors.