GOM_Oysters_DigitalAtlas2011

American oyster Crassostrea
					virginica Description Range: The American oyster, a bivalve
					mollusc of the family Ostreidae, is found in the western Atlantic from the Gulf
					of St. Lawrence to the Yucatan Peninsula. In the Gulf, this species occurs
					throughout estuaries, shallow nearshore waters, and on reefs located near river
					mouths. Habitat: Large populations of this benthic invertebrate are found in the
					large estuarine bays and sounds of the Gulf (with most concentrations found
					within 10-meter depths). Sedentary in character, this invertebrate attaches in
					clusters to shell reefs, firm mud/shell bottoms and other hard substrates.
					Feeding and Behavior: The American oyster filter-feeds principally on small
					unicellular algae and incidentally on suspended detrital particles. It is found
					in association with numerous predators, commensals, and parasites. Reproduction:
					Spawning also occurs in estuarine habitats. In the Gulf of Mexico, April to
					October are the most active months, although spawning has been reported during
					all months except February and March. Nursery areas are found in estuarine
					waters. Movement: Planktonic larvae drift with the tides and currents until they
					settle on solid substrate. Fisheries: This species is commercially harvested
					throughout its range for its meat, the seasonality for harvesting being state
					regulated. The fishery for this species is the fourth largest in the U.S. Gulf
					of Mexico and there is also a commercial fishery in Mexican waters. The species
					is harvested recreationally.

Tags: 1996-2009, alabama, american oyster, animals/invertebrates, aransas bay, atlantic ocean, ayers bay, bastrop bay, bathymetry, biological, biological classification, biosphere, bivalves, carancahua bay, carlos bay, chirp sonar sub-bottom profile, chocolate bay, christmas bay, coastal, coastal natural resources, coastal resources, coastal zone management, computer, continent, coon island bay, copano bay, corpus christi bay, cox bay, crassostrea virginica, data collections, doc/noaa/nesdis/ncei, dredge survey, earth science, east bay, eastern oyster, ecosystems, environmental sensitivity index, esi, espiritu santo bay, estuarine, florida, galveston bay, grab samples, guadalupe bay, gulf intracoastal waterway, gulf of mexico, gulf of mexico coast, habitat, habitat assessment, habsos, harmful algal blooms observaing system, harte research institute for gulf of mexico studies, hynes bay, intertidal, keller bay, lavaca bay, louisiana, lower laguna madre, marine ecosystems, matagorda bay, mesquite bay, mission bay, mississippi, mollusks, national centers for environmental information, nesdis, noaa, north america, north atlantic ocean, nueces bay, ocean, oso bay, oyster, oyster habitat, oyster lake, oyster lease, oyster reef, oyster reef survey, oysters, powderhorn bayou, powderhorn lake, radiocarbon date, redfish bay, reef, sabine lake, san antonio bay, seismic, sensitivity maps, shell-hash, shellfish, side-scan, single beam bathymetry, south bay, south pass lake, st charles bay, subtidal, sundown bay, tamucc/hri, texas, texas a & m university-corpus christi, texas gulf coast, tres palacios bay, trinity bay, tx, u.s. department of commerce, united states, united states of america, upper laguna madre, us, usa, vibracores, west bay, wildlife
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce