Spatial patterns of oyster distribution: A modeling study

A size-structured, time-dependent population model has been developed to investigate growth and mortality of larvae and adults of Crassostrea virginica. Growth and mortality rates for adults and larvae are regulated by environmental conditions (temperature, salinity, turbidity and food). This population model is coupled to a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the Galveston Bay system. Simulations designed to investigate the effects of environmental conditions on the population structure of the oyster, show that spatial differences in oyster distribution and density result from spatial differences in environmental conditions across the bay system. Bay regions with high oyster productivity have both moderate salinities and turbidities, while regions with lower oyster productivity experience extremes in these as well as other environmental conditions