transplantion of native oysters to enhance population abundance in mulky estuary, south west coast of india

Research Article
*, Ganapathi Naik, M., Gangadhara Gowda and Iqlas Ahmed
DOI: 
xxx-xxxx-xxx
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
Oysters, Transplantation, Population abundance, Mulky estuary, Saccostresa cucullata
Abstract: 

In Mulky estuary, the oysters (Saccostrea cucullata) were transplanted from oyster bed areas to non oyster bed areas to study the growth and survival rate. The growth was determined in terms of increase in weight, height and length of oysters. The initial and final weight, height and length of the transplanted oysters varied from 18.05 to 30.40g, 38.90 to 48.73cm and 28.86 to 34.48cm respectively. The survival rate of transplanted oysters varied between 86.60 and 100%. The water temperature, sediment temperature, salinity, DO, pH, sedimentation rate, phytoplankton wet weight and sediment organic carbon fluctuated between 29.89-34.45 ºC, 31.60-35.20ºC, 24.20 -33.62ppt, .69-4.85mg/l, 7.18 - 7.8, 0.28 - 1.33g/m²/month, 8.86 - 58.47 mg/ m³ and 0.02 - 0.24% respectively. A significant positive correlation was recorded between average weight, height and length of transplanted oysters and water temperature, sediment temperature, salinity, DO, pH, sedimentation rate and sediment organic carbon in all the experimental cages. From the present investigation, it is well understood that large scale transplantation of oysters may be carried out to the non-oyster bed areas of Mulky estuary to enhance wild stock