Aquaculture hatcheries in the United States have been faced with recent concerns about ocean acidification affecting growth and survival. A position has become available to conduct research on ocean acidification in a bivalve aquaculture hatchery on the East Coast of the United States. The researcher will be responsible for developing a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model for the eastern oysters in a hatchery environment. The researcher will be working with a shellfish hatchery to obtain realistic hatchery numbers (carrying capacity, current environmental conditions, feeding rates, and growth rates) to build the model. The model will be something that hatcheries will find useful in their everyday operations, by providing guidance on how to respond to changes in the water carbonate chemistry (be it to increase food, buffer, or decrease stocking densities). Model work will be combined with experiments at the hatchery to validate the model results, as necessary. This project will require strong modeling skills, preferably in DEB modeling and working with the East Coast Shellfish Industry, academic partners, and other government agencies.
Lavaud, Romain, et al. "Integrating the effects of salinity on the physiology of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in the northern Gulf of Mexico through a Dynamic Energy Budget model." Ecological Modelling 363 (2017): 221-233.
Casas, Sandra M., et al. "Quantifying salinity and season effects on eastern oyster clearance and oxygen consumption rates." Marine Biology
Soares, Filipe Miguel Ramos da Cruz. Development of tools for the management of oyster nurseries: static and dynamic modelling. Diss. 2017.
Ocean Acidification; Eastern Oyster; Dynamic Budget Model; Hatcheries; Aquaculture