BIO

I am currently a thrid year neuroscience student from Tallahassee, Florida. I transferred to FSU last fall after completing my associates in arts degree at Tallahassee Community College. Throughout my high school and college years it was important that I find an occupation that not only peaked my interest, but allowed me to contribute to a greater cause which is why I will be pursuing a medical degree after my time at FSU.

Winter Predation on Apalachicola Bay Oysters

Abstract

Apalachicola Bay, historically known for its productive oyster fishery, is experiencing a rapid decline in its oyster population since 2010. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the bay’s oyster population a “Federal Fishery Disaster” in 2013, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to halt wild oyster harvesting from 2020 until 2025. Researching the influence of contributing factors can help indicate where restoration efforts should be focused. Through our research, we provided information on the presence of specific oyster predators and the conditions they were in during the winter months. We sampled oysters from predetermined locations spanning from St. Vincent Sound to St. George Sound. We recorded the abundance of a list of oyster predators including oyster drills, crabs, and other invertebrates. We also recorded factors such as salinity and temperature from each site. Though there were fewer presence events, some associations between predator presence and these factors was found. We found that stone and porcelain crab abundance was inversely related to mud crab abundance; stone and porcelain crabs were more abundant during periods of low salinity and temperature while mud crabs were more abundant during periods of high salinity and temperature. It was also found that the other invertebrates were more abundant during periods of low salinity and temperature. Overall, predators were more abundant in lower temperature and salinity conditions. While this information is already known as common behavior for some of these species, getting this location-specific information could help with guiding the future conservation efforts.

Keywords: predation, pattern, oyster, Apalachicola, Bay