Y (Yves) Bourles
Conception and application of a generic model of growth,
reproduction and survival in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea
gigas
Shellfisheries play a major economic role in French aquacultural
production. In 2004, 191800 tonnes of shellfish were produced
nationally, worth an estimated 380 million euros (2nd highest
production value in Europe), of which 115250 tonnes were oysters
(largest production in Europe). The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas
is grown along all three French coasts: the English Channel
(e.g. 27000 tonnes/year from Normandy), Atlantic (21500 and 22000
tonnes from North and South Brittany respectively; 27500 and 13000
tonnes, from Marennes-Oléron Bay and Arcachon Bay respectively)
and Mediterranean (8500 tonnes from Thau lagoon). However this wide
distribution, the Pacific oyster presented high spatial and temporal
variability in growth performance, between culture sites and years. To
better understand the behavior of the oyster, we develop a new
bio-energetic model to simulate its growth and reproduction according
to its environment. This model takes into account the main
hydro-biological parameters of sea water which explain the growth
performance observed in the different culture sites and along
years. We build this model with respect to the DEB theory. We pay
special attention to the ingestion parameters which can varied a lot
in the Pacific oyster.
The aim of this work is to build a generic model of the Pacific oyster
based on the principle of dynamic energy budgets, and to validate its
generic character for different living environments of this
species. The model will allow us to explain physiological differences
(growth, reproduction and energy status of the oyster) which depend on
the environmental conditions of the different production sites.
Keywords: Ecophysiology, Crassostrea gigas, Modelling,
Dynamic Energy Budget theory, Growth, Reproduction, Nutrition
(Filtration, Ingestion, Assimilation), Oyster farming basins, GENERIC.
Map of the sites culture studied to validate the generic character of
the model
This poster won the best-poster-price at the
Aquaculture Europe conference in Trondheim 2009/08/15-17.
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