Management of oysters, Ostrea edulis – genetic status and future threats

The Scandinavian population of the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, is unique as other parts of its native range have been affected by overharvest, aquaculture translocations and infectious parasites. Despite this, there has to date not been any effort to map the genetic diversity, nor has there been any work to investigate if some of the genetic variation is associated with increased tolerance to diseases or environmental changes. In this project, we map variations in genetic diversity on a fine scale along the Scandinavian coasts using state-of-the-art genomic methods, and investigate phenotypic differences among oyster populations. This information is critical for future management efforts, as well as for the currently developing Scandinavian aquaculture industry, which is aiming to be sustainable.