In October, we retrieved the settlement collectors installed to investigate oyster settlement at two locations: Brijuni National Park, under natural conditions, and the Krka River estuary, under aquaculture conditions. The next step is to analyse the collected samples and assess oyster settlement preferences for different substrates. Next year, we plan to repeat the experiment in Kaštela Bay.
In collaboration with Brijuni National Park and our colleague Martina Hervat, the POPOyster team established an experiment to investigate the settlement of juvenile oysters. We are testing different substrate mixtures and textures to determine whether oysters show preferences under natural environmental conditions.
In collaboration with Platforma 22, test blocks designed to investigate juvenile oyster settlement were installed in the Krka River estuary as part of PhD student Ratko Cvitanić doctoral research. We will monitor the blocks over the coming months to see which organisms settle on them and how oyster settlement develops at these locations.
This spring served as a prime season for oyster larvae sampling. As part of the POPOyster project and in collaboration with the RIBAR project, we carried out four field research campaigns along the western coast of Istria. Sampling was conducted at 20 stations, where we collected plankton samples for microscopic and molecular analysis, as well as CTD profiles, to gain a detailed understanding of oyster larvae distribution during the peak of the spring spawning season.
We conducted ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) research at selected stations along the western coast of Istria, a region where the native oyster (Ostrea edulis) was once highly abundant. While the footage still needs to be thoroughly analyzed, preliminary findings are, unfortunately, not as promising as we had hoped. The results of this short survey, combined with data on oyster abundance in this area over the past 15 years, are being prepared for a scientific publication.
Last week, we went on a short expedition for the POPOyster project to study the distribution of European flat oyster along the western coast of Istria, extending over 12 NM offshore. We analyzed the distribution and abundance of Ostrea edulis at over 30 sites. In addition to oysters, we examined other species in the area. We were lucky to have good weather for two out of the three days, although the first day had us thinking we might all need seasickness pills!
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