Challenge:
The goal of this MIPS project is to optimize techniques for setting larval oysters to produce seed for oyster grow out. UMCES researchers are slated to quantify the effects of water temperature, filtration, inducers, and the source/strain of the larvae on setting efficiency.‍

Project Scope:
Through this MIPS project, researchers plan to investigate the setting effectiveness of larvae from up to six different commercial and research hatcheries: two in Maryland, two in Virginia, and one each in New Jersey and Maine. These hatcheries produce larvae of different strains and different genotype numbers (i.e., ploidy). Researchers will then set larvae under two alternative conditions (ambient temperature vs. optimum constant temperature) in a laboratory setting using standard commercial setting protocols. They will then follow the larvae that successfully transition to juvenile seed oyster to monitor performance. Conducting these experiments in a research environment permits researchers to carefully quantify the number of larvae introduced and the number of larvae that set. In addition, by following these successful larvae through to the seed phase (1-2 mm shell length), researchers can quantify size at age, early growth dynamics and numbers at age.