Biosecurity and comparative field trials of non-native oysters

The Virginia Seafood Council (VSC) has begun a large-scale commercial trial of sterile C. ariakensis oysters to further explore the economic potential of this non-native species for aquaculture in Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) approved the trial in February 2003. | Trial Background

To ensure that the VSC test of non-native oysters meets the highest standards of science and biosecurity, researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have developed an independent program funded by NOAA to monitor the status of the oysters at each of the commercial grow-out sites. VIMS scientists will gather scientific data on numerous different aspects of the commercial trial. They will also conduct parallel experiments with a sterile, disease-tolerant strain of the native oyster C. virginica to compare its performance to that of the non-native species.

Click on the timeline descriptions below, or the timeline navigation to the left, to follow details of these experiments as they become available.