Infection of Cultured Eastern Oysters<i>Crassostrea virginica</i>by the Boring Sponge<i>Cliona celata</i>, with Emphasis on Sponge Life History and Mitigation Strategies

Carver, Claire E.; Thériault, Isabelle; Mallet, André L.

doi:10.2983/035.029.0423

Cited by 56 publications

(86 citation statements)

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“…Clionid sponges commonly live in a network of cavities and tunnels that they excavate in calcium carbonate substrates (Hoeksema 1983), and they infest commercial shellfish operations globally (Alagarswami & Chellam 1978, Rosell et al 1999, Fromont et al 2005, Carver et al 2010. Cliona spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous studies have examined clionid infestation rates and burrowing activities in oyster shells (Warburton 1958c, Alagarswami & Chellam 1978, Thomas 1979, Wesche et al 1997, Carver et al 2010, Daume et al 2010, although surprisingly few have considered the impacts on oyster condition and growth rates (but see Schleyer 1991, Rosell et al 1999. In temperate regions of the USA Cliona celata is the dominant excavating sponge on oyster reefs (Hartman 1958).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…C. celata causes substantial damage to the shells of eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica, and can cause considerable economic loss of wild and cultured harvest (Warburton 1958a). While the sponge could cause mortality in larger, older oysters (Warburton 1958b, Thomas 1979, Rosell et al 1999), much of the economic loss is due to the reduced market value for the oysters because of their brittle shells (Carver et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1), resulting in inner surface irregularities and causing the oysters to secrete nacreous layers to protect the cavity from penetration (Warburton 1958b, Thomas 1979, Hoeksema 1983, which is metabolically costly (Palmer 1992). While boring sponges can have a major economic impact on cultured oysters (Warburton 1958a, Wesche et al 1997, Carver et al 2010, the boring sponge has also recently begun to be problematic for oyster restoration efforts (Dunn et al 2014b). In fact, it has been suggested that the boring sponge may contribute to the limited distribution of oyster reefs in intertidal regions in the southeast USA (Lunz 1943, Fodrie et al 2014.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, it has been suggested that the boring sponge may contribute to the limited distribution of oyster reefs in intertidal regions in the southeast USA (Lunz 1943, Fodrie et al 2014. Further, boring sponge infestations have been implicated in the mortality of older, severely colonized oysters (Warburton 1958b, Carver et al 2010, likely through a combination of other stressors such as disease, parasites, and harsh conditions (Guida 1977). Thus, the expectation is that boring sponges will have a negative impact on eastern oyster demographic rates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Are oysters being bored to death? Influence of Cliona celata on Crassostrea virginica condition, growth and survival

Carroll¹,

O'Shaughnessy²,

Diedrich³

et al. 2015

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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The boring sponge Cliona celata is a nuisance species that can have deleterious effects on eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica growth, condition, and survival. Surprisingly, however, these effects have not been well documented and when examined, results have been equivocal. In this study, we provide a direct comparison of growth, condition, and survival of spongecolonized and uncolonized oysters in southeast North Carolina in 2 separate experiments. In the first experiment, sponge-colonized oysters exhibited significantly slower growth rates, reduced condition, and lower survival relative to uncolonized oysters, although results may have been confounded by oyster source. In the second experiment, using smaller oysters from the same source population, growth rate was again significantly reduced in colonized oysters relative to uncolonized oysters, however neither condition nor survival differed. In field surveys of the same population, colonized individuals across a range of sizes demonstrated significantly reduced condition. Further, condition index was negatively correlated with sponge biomass, which was positively correlated with oyster size, suggesting that the impact of the sponge changes with ontogeny. By investigating clearance rates, tissue isotopic and nutrient content, as well as caloric value, this study provides further evidence that sponge presence causes the oysters to divert energy into costly shell maintenance and repair at the expense of shell and somatic growth. Thus, although variable, our results demonstrate negative impacts of sponge infestation on oyster demographics, particularly as oysters grow larger.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%