Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) cultivation in southern Adriatic Sea (Italy): A one‐year monitoring study of the oyster health

Abstract

Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) farming has developed in recent years along the Italian coasts of the Adriatic sea. This is particularly true in sites located in the northern area and only recently becoming more common in the southern area, which is different particularly in regards to temperature and trophic conditions. There is a lack of studies on the status of the oysters farmed in this area; therefore, the present research aimed to monitor the health conditions of adult triploid oysters that were kept in offshore longline culture system over one year. Environmental parameters were daily estimated from satellite. Biometric, immunological and oxidative stress parameters were measured monthly, looking also for the presence of pathogens, such as OsHV‐1, Vibrio aestuarianus and Vibrio splendidus. During summer months, high temperatures and low food availability had a detrimental impact on the growth and immunological parameters which showed a progressive recovery during the autumn and winter months. Overall, no abnormal mortality was observed, and no histological alterations were evident. The presence of pathogens was negligible, and the oxidative stress parameters were poorly detected, except for the digestive glands during the autumn and winter seasons. On this basis, the data herein reported suggest that the area could be suitable for the development of triploid Pacific oyster farming, although animals would require a longer time to reach commercial size.

A One-Year Systematic Study to Assess the Microbiological Profile in Oysters from a Commercial Harvesting Area in Portugal

“…However, the biometric measurements during this study suggested that oysters should be harvested during the winter due to their greater growth during this season. Previous work [ 40 ] found that the summer months have a negative impact on oyster growth and their immunological parameters as the oysters are exposed to high temperatures and low food availability, recovering during the autumn and winter months.…”

Corrigendum

“…In Aquaculture Research 52:6, in the article by Francesco Mosca, Pietro G. Tiscar, Jasmine Hattab, Anna M. D'Antonuo, Dario D'Onofrio, Giuseppe Arcangeli, Alessia Vetri, Camilla Bertolini & Roberto Pastres (2021) entitled, ‘ Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) cultivation in southern Adriatic Sea (Italy): A one‐year monitoring study of the oyster health’ (pages 2879–2890), the author requested to update the name from 'Anna M. D'Antonuo' to 'Anna M. D'Antuono'. The online version of the article has been corrected accordingly.…”