Oyster spat project nc full#

With over two years of spatial data and 5+ years of timeseries data, we are beginning to better understand how phytoplankton community structure in the highly river-influenced Atchafalaya-Vermilion Bay system respond to river influence, mixing, and changes in grazing pressure. Changing phytoplankton communities and emerging HABs in Louisiana estuaries: In collaboration with the NOAA AOML Lab in Miami, FL and researchers from multiple countries, we collected samples to characterize the plankton communities throughout regimes of the Gulf affected by hypoxia, HABs, and ocean acidification, and conducted grazing experiments to determine the relative effects of micro- and mesozooplankton grazing. This work has been supported by NOAA Ocean Acidification Program. We participated in the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Carbon GOMECC-3 and GOMECC-4 cruises in 20. Phytoplankton communities, food webs, and ocean acidification: Stauffer Lab members sampling the environment via small boat in Vermilion Bay

Oyster spat project nc full#

A pilot version of this project was supported by the Institute of Coastal and Water Research (ICaWR) at UL Lafayette and a full project is supported by Louisiana Sea Grant College Program. Megan and Jerome LaPeyre (LSU), we are investigating the effects of changing environmental conditions and phytoplankton community composition - as predicted to occur with large-scale river diversions and ongoing climate change - on oyster feeding on those communities.

Want to join the LO-SPAT team? Check out open positions and opportunities on the People page.

This project is supported by LA Department of Wildlife & Fisheries and the Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority. Our lab's contributions to this applied research project continues work we've started with oyster experts (see below) to understand how changes in oyster prey communities (i.e., phytoplankton) with salinity represent co-stressors to these important and tasty bivalves. Stauffer is Lead PI of the LO-SPAT project, a $14M project focused on better understanding oyster tolerance to low salinity and applying that understanding to shellfish production and coastal restoration (website coming soon!). Phytoplankton-Oyster Interactions and Coastal Restoration:ĭr.