Pacific oyster outplants and benthic surveys on intertidal aquaculture beds (Washington state, USA)

Survival was better for oysters grown off-bottom in longlines or flip bags relative to ground culture. In ground culture, survival declined in finer sediments. Shell growth did not respond strongly to grow-out method, but condition (dry meat mass per shell height) was better in off-bottom than ground culture.

After 3 summer months, no performance traits differed across amounts of co-located eelgrass, and performance also did not consistently improve with eelgrass after 9 months over winter. Relative to ground culture, off-bottom culture produced higher densities of oysters per footprint of area and/or increased yield due to shorter crop cycles.