Assessment of Eastern Oyster Filtration Rates

UF scientists, in partnership with the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) and driven by stakeholder concern for local ecosystem health, kicked-off the Guana Nutrient Budgets and Bivalves Project (GNBBP) in 2021. A component of this work includes laboratory experiments with local bivalves to understand the range for filtration services performed. Experiments to date reflect a high degree of variability in the filtration rates for the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, a topic already of great debate within literature. To add ecological relevance and further our understanding of bivalve ecosystem services, I propose a one-year fellowship to extend my current research to include an in situ study of C. virginica filtration rate exploring their interactions with the phytoplankton community in detail. I expect in situ data to reflect lower variability and provide insight into the spatiotemporal conditions of the Guana River Estuary with ecologically relevant explanations for differences observed. The two studies, lab and field, will be joined using flow cytometry to calibrate the results such that the two can be directly compared. In situ studies of oyster filtration in subtropical regions are few. Further, this will provide ecologically relevant inputs for the GNBBP.