Survival of incipient non-indigenous populations is dramatically altered by early predation on new colonisers. These effects can be influenced by morphological traits, such as coloniser size and density. The Australian non-native Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas is generally more fecund and faster growing compared to the native Saccostrea glomerata found in the same habitat. It is therefore imp...

Some members of the Pinnotheridae family exhibit close symbiotic relationships with bivalves, which may cause severe damage to the mollusk. The condition index (CI) is a tool that serves to evaluate the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on the morphology and physiology of mollusks, including those caused by symbiotic organisms. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of the infestatio...

Abscisic acid (ABA)-driven stomatal regulation reportedly evolved after the divergence of ferns, during the early evolution of seed plants approximately 360 million years ago. This hypothesis is based on the observation that the stomata of certain fern species are unresponsive to ABA, but exhibit passive hydraulic control. However, ABA-induced stomatal closure was detected in some mosses and ly...

Three coexisting Daphnia species belonging to the D. longispina group (D. galeata, D. hyalina, and D. cucullata) form species-hybrid complexes by producing interspecific hybrids in several lakes in Germany and The Netherlands. To evaluate the genetic consequences of interspecific hybridization, I studied the patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation. The directionality of intersp...

Oyster species suffer from numerous disease outbreaks, often causing high mortality. Because the environment cannot be controlled, genetic improvement for disease resistance to pathogens is an attractive option to reduce their impact on oyster production. We review the literature on selective breeding programs for disease resistance in oyster species, and the impact of triploidy on such resista...

To predict the risk associated with future introductions, ecologists seek to identify traits that determine the invasiveness of species. Among numerous designated characteristics, tolerance towards environmental stress is one of the most favored. However, there is little empirical support for the assumption that non-native species generally cope better with temporarily unfavorable conditions th...

We tested the hypothesis that nutrient enrichment affects recruitment of the oyster Saccostrea glomerata and the barnacle Hexaminius popeiana, which are dominant occupiers of space on tree trunks in temperate mangrove forests in New South Wales, Australia. We measured recruitment on artificial settlement plates at high and low intertidal levels under ambient conditions and where we manipulated ...

QX disease in Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata) is caused by the paramyxean protozoan, Marteilia sydneyi. Disease outbreaks occur during summer (January to May) and can result in up to 95% mortality. The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries has been selectively breeding S. glomerata for resistance to QX disease since 1996. Previous work suggests that this breeding program h...

The Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) (SRO) is an oyster species that only occurs in estuaries along Australia’s east coast. The SRO industry evolved from commercial gathering of oyster in the 1790s to a high production volume aquaculture industry in the 1970s. However, since the late 1970s the SRO industry has experienced a significant and continuous decline in production quantities an...

Parental effects passed from adults to their offspring have been identified as a source of rapid acclimation that may allow marine populations to persist as our surface oceans continue to decrease in pH. Little is known, however, whether parental effects are beneficial for offspring in the presence of multiple stressors. We exposed adults of the oyster Saccostrea glomerata to elevated CO2 and e...