The oyster culturist should be aware that sexually mature oysters can be stimulated to spawn by manipulating water parameters such as salinity and temperature. That is the definition by which spat is probably best known, but the word has other meanings. For the purposes of this definition, the noun spat refers to a minor argument or mild bickering. Oyster larvae usually prefer clean and hard surfaces, and this is the kind of cultch the oyster culturist should provide. The spat is usually over something as silly as which partner has to do the laundry, and the relationship usually recovers quickly, with no long-term harm done. Want to become an oyster gardener? Attend a new gardener seminar. Once attached, the oyster becomes a spat. Each oyster gardener can then start over with a new batch of baby oysters to care for. All of the returned oysters are transplanted onto sanctuary (non-harvest) reefs in nearby waters. Gardeners will grow and care for their oysters in the cages for about one year and will return the mature adult oysters to CBF at an Oyster Roundup the following summer. So instead of collecting wild spat, some oyster farms buy spat that has been spawned and fertilized in a hatchery. At the end of the seminar, they will have the option to take home spat-on-shell oysters (baby oysters set on recycled shells) and two 18" x 9" cages to grow them in. Technological advances have been made to develop non-spawning oysters. Using hatchery spat allows oyster Farmers to cut down on labour costs while beginning the growing process with healthy, certified seed that are resistant to disease. How Is It Done?įirst-time oyster gardeners are required to attend a short seminar to learn how to maintain their oyster garden over the coming year. Hatchery spat are grown in laboratory conditions and fed nutrients that can enhance growth. ![]() ![]() Once grown, the adult oysters are returned to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for planting on sanctuary reefs. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Oyster Gardening Program gives citizens an opportunity to help bring back this vital species by growing oysters alongside their docks. The 'Rutgers oyster' is fast-growing and disease resistant. At the AIC, most broodstock are a strain of the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) developed at Rutgers University. Oyster Spat Tile Experiment 2.0: In the Grass, On the Reef. Broodstock are adult oysters (23 years old) used to make baby oysters. Unfortunately today's oyster population is a small fraction of what it used to be. After a few weeks or months, the spat are considered seed oysters. They also provide essential habitat for fish and other Bay creatures. Oysters are the Chesapeake Bay's best natural filters. Join a community of over 300 citizens in Virginia who are doing what they can to clean up the water. Oysters are the easiest pets you'll ever own because everything they need to survive is in the water. Did you know a single adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day? Imagine how clear our waterways would be if we had more oysters! You can help us! By becoming an oyster gardener, you actually become a "foster parent" for a few hundred baby oysters.
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