2013 - University College Cork

ESTABLISHING THE SCIENTIFIC BASES AND
TECHNICAL PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS TO
RECOVER EUROPEAN FLAT OYSTER PRODUCTION
THROUGH STRATEGIES TO TACKLE THE MAIN
CONSTRAINT BONAMIOSIS (OYSTERECOVER)
Research Centre/Department/School:
AFDC, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Contact PI: Dr Sarah Culloty, s.culloty@ucc.ie
Researchers: Grace Flannery, Jeanette Carlsson,
Dr Sharon Lynch, Dr Jens Carlsson, Prof. Tom Cross
Start Year: 2010 – End Year: 2013
Funding Body: EU FP7 Funding Programme
Funding: €730,894
Collaborating Partners: Ireland, UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Spain
Web: http://afdc.ucc.ie
Research Projects Listing
The European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, has been part of the human diet for many centuries and is
farmed in many European countries including Ireland, France, Spain and Holland. In the first half
of the 20th century stocks were greatly reduced due to overfishing and mismanagement of oyster
beds but populations were completely devastated in the 1970’s and 80’s with the introduction of
two invasive parasites, Marteilia refrigens and Bonamia ostreae. B. ostreae has no implications
for human health but it is a serious disease of flat oysters with up to 80% mortality occurring
in populations and is listed as a notifiable disease. Production numbers in Ireland have significantly
reduced despite much research, several breeding programmes and the establishment of
new management practices to tackle the parasite. Many aspects of the biology of B. ostreae remain
unknown; for example, uncertainties exist about its life cycle, and the possibility that species other
than oysters could act as vectors. The recovery of flat oyster production, achieved through the
control of B. ostreae, would be an important boast to the shellfish industry in Europe.
OYSTERECOVER is an industry led project funded under the EU FP7 Capacities programme. It
is a three year collaborative project involving seven research centres and seven European shellfish
producers and representative assocaitions from six countries – Ireland, UK, Denmark, the Netherlands,
France, Spain. The main objective of the project is to aid conservation of the native flat
oyster O. edulis ultimately resulting in more production of this oyster throughout Europe.
KEY PUBLICATIONS & OUTPUTS
Flannery, G., Lynch, S. & Culloty S. DATE. An update on the prevalence
of Bonamia ostreae at two Irish sites. 5th Microcell Working
Group, Lelystad, the Netherlands. Oral Presentation.
Flannery, G., Lynch, S., Carlsson, J., Cross, T., Culloty, S.C. 2012. An
assessment of the ongoing impact of the pathogen Bonamia ostreae
in the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis at two sites with different
histories of exposure. National Shellfisheries Association, 2012
Seattle, America. Oral Presentation.
Flannery, G., Lynch, S., Carlsson, J., Cross, T., Culloty, S.C. 2011.
The current status in Ireland of the pathogen Bonamia ostreae in
the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis. Shellfish Restoration 2011,
Stirling, Scotland. Poster Presentation.
RESEARCH PROJECTS