To study settlement patterns and preferences of the European flat oyster, custom-made oyster spat collectors were installed in the Belgian part of the North Sea in early June 2024. Reconciling commercial oyster cultivation with oyster restoration activities is the ultimate goal.
In early June 2024, the Institute of Natural Sciences and the Laboratory of Aquaculture and Artemia Reference Center at Ghent University have successfully deployed custom-made oyster spat collectors in a field experiment at the offshore windfarm Belwind, located 46 km off the coast of Ostend in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Additionally, one mini-tripod, equipped with a gabion holding mature European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) was deployed near the spat collectors.
The installations were carried out with the research vessel Belgica as part of the Horizon Europe funded ULTFARMS project and supported by the activities of the Institute of Natural Sciences within the European Marine Biological Resource Centre Belgium (EMBRC Belgium).
Goals
The experiment aims to advance our understanding of the settlement patterns of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) larvae in the Belgian Part of the North Sea. It also seeks to explore the effect of habitat complexity on settlement preferences, with the ultimate goal of reconciling commercial oyster cultivation with oyster restoration activities.
By studying the settlement patterns of O. edulis, more effective conservation strategies can be created, potentially boosting oyster populations in the Belgian Part of the North Sea. After summer, the plates will be retrieved and analysed in the laboratory to evaluate oyster settlement rates and patterns. This information will provide new insights into how habitat complexity affects the settlement of European flat oysters, aiding future restoration efforts of this highly emblematic species and ecosystem engineer.
3D printing
Using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology and standardised clay plates, the spat collectors with varying levels of structural complexity were produced specifically to address ULTFARMS’ research questions.
The spat collectors are part of the Artificial Hard Substrate Garden, an offshore marine experimental facility, managed and provided by the Institute of Natural Sciences as a service of EMBRC Belgium to both the scientific community and the industry.
For further details, please visit the MARECO website or contact Wannes De Clercq (wdeclercq@naturalsciences.be).