By Emma Fass, Summer Science Writing Intern
“This fellowship can provide a solution to a problem that threatens the livelihood of commercial oyster growers in Virginia, which is a solution I am dedicated to pursuing,” says 2015 Virginia Sea Grant graduate research fellow Joseph Matt, who has multiple past work experiences with oysters.
As a result of the rapid growth of aquaculture—about 20% annually—it promotes a growing number of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. Oyster aquaculture also provides a sustainable food source that relieves pressure on wild oyster populations and positively affects the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.
In recent years, however, summer months have brought about severe mortality in some commercially grown oysters in Virginia. Nearly all commercial oysters are triploids, which are usually sterile. However, some triploids sampled from farms affected by the summer mortality event have displayed unusual reproductive development.
Matt and his Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) advisor, Stan Allen, hypothesize that this could be caused by cross breeding tetraploid oysters originating from Virginia with diploid oysters native to Maine. His work will examine whether there is a relationship between brood stock origin and triploid mortality, which could help commercial growers make more informed decisions about the oysters they plant.
To research this question, Matt will perform a controlled experiment with diploid and triploid oysters produced by brood stock of varying geographic origin. The oysters will be planted on commercial sites on the Eastern Shore where they will be monitored for growth and survival, as well as reproductive effort.
The commercial oyster community has already embraced Matt as he begins his research. He will work with industry partners on their sites for both the spawning and grow out of the oysters. The results of his research will in turn benefit these partners. He also plans to work with the Virginia Sea Grant Extension Program and his mentor Karen Hudson from the VIMS Marine Advisory Services to make sure his findings get to other growers as well.
Matt received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University in 2013. He is pursuing his master’s from VIMS and plans to continue his education to study for a PhD.
