Growth of Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) cultivated in different cultivation devices deployed in sheltered and non‐sheltered sites of central Chile

Abstract

We cultivated the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) simultaneously in three types of cultivation device sets deployed in two sites: a sheltered site and a non‐sheltered site in the coast of the central area of Chile. Oysters were cultivated in polypropylene trays, nylon cones and lanterns suspended at 2, 5 and 8 m depth from long‐lines. Organism sampling was performed monthly from June, 2014 to May, 2015, measuring temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a. Growth was measured by shell length, wet meat weight and meat yield. At the end of cultivation, there were significant differences in the growth of oysters with higher growth in lanterns at 2 m at Punta Lobería (non‐sheltered site). Higher growth was also found at 2 m in Coliumo bay (sheltered site). Better growth seems associated with the stability of salinity and chlorophyll a. This is the first study that demonstrates the viability of oyster cultivation in non‐sheltered environments on the coast of central Chile.