Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Mass Mortalities in Oysters Is Influenced by Energetic Reserves and Food Quality

Type Article
Date 2014-02
Language English
Author(s) Pernet FabriceORCID1, 2, Lagarde FranckORCID1, Jeannee Nicolas, Daigle Gaetan3, Barret Jean1, Le Gall Patrik1, Quere Claudie2, Roque D'Orbcastel Emmanuelle1
Affiliation(s) 1 : IFREMER, Lab Environm Ressource Languedoc Roussill, Bd Jean Monnet, Sete, France.
2 : Technopole Brestiroise, UMR LEMAR Ifremer CNRS UBO IRD, Plouzane, France.
3 : Univ Laval, Dept Math & Stat, Quebec City, PQ G1K 7P4, Canada.
Source Plos One (1932-6203) (Public Library Science), 2014-02 , Vol. 9 , N. 2 , P. e88469
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0088469
WOS© Times Cited 63
Abstract Although spatial studies of diseases on land have a long history, far fewer have been made on aquatic diseases. Here, we present the first large-scale, high-resolution spatial and temporal representation of a mass mortality phenomenon cause by the Ostreid herpesvirus (OsHV-1) that has affected oysters (Crassostrea gigas) every year since 2008, in relation to their energetic reserves and the quality of their food. Disease mortality was investigated in healthy oysters deployed at 106 locations in the Thau Mediterranean lagoon before the start of the epizootic in spring 2011. We found that disease mortality of oysters showed strong spatial dependence clearly reflecting the epizootic process of local transmission. Disease initiated inside oyster farms spread rapidly beyond these areas. Local differences in energetic condition of oysters, partly driven by variation in food quality, played a significant role in the spatial and temporal dynamics of disease mortality. In particular, the relative contribution of diatoms to the diet of oysters was positively correlated with their energetic reserves, which in turn decreased the risk of disease mortality.
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Pernet Fabrice, Lagarde Franck, Jeannee Nicolas, Daigle Gaetan, Barret Jean, Le Gall Patrik, Quere Claudie, Roque D'Orbcastel Emmanuelle (2014). Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Mass Mortalities in Oysters Is Influenced by Energetic Reserves and Food Quality. Plos One, 9(2), e88469. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088469 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00181/29249/