markmakowski1
Eastern Oysters
Eastern Oysters, Crassostrea virginica, are a large fishery on the East Coast of the United States. These oysters live in intercostal waters in salt marsh areas and are harvested to be sold to restaurants and grocery stores. This picture was taken at Myrtle Grove at the end of the dock of Center for Marine Science. Since oysters are benthic animals they have many resources and special adaptations to suit this life style. One of the most important resources an oyster needs is space. The larval oyster uses its foot to move around in search for a hard substrate. When the oyster finds the substrate it will permanently bind the that substrate. Finding a hard surface can be difficult to do and they oysters are competing for space with each other so they are able to grow and mature and eventually reproduce. This is an example of intraspecific competition. Intraspecific competition is competition between the same species for a desired resource. The oysters need a hard to find a substrate that will be able to hold them in one place for the rest of their life's. With limited space that can provide them with a hard substrate this causes intense competition within eastern oysters to find a place were they can grow and mature.
Eastern Oysters
Eastern Oysters, Crassostrea virginica, are a large fishery on the East Coast of the United States. These oysters live in intercostal waters in salt marsh areas and are harvested to be sold to restaurants and grocery stores. This picture was taken at Myrtle Grove at the end of the dock of Center for Marine Science. Since oysters are benthic animals they have many resources and special adaptations to suit this life style. One of the most important resources an oyster needs is space. The larval oyster uses its foot to move around in search for a hard substrate. When the oyster finds the substrate it will permanently bind the that substrate. Finding a hard surface can be difficult to do and they oysters are competing for space with each other so they are able to grow and mature and eventually reproduce. This is an example of intraspecific competition. Intraspecific competition is competition between the same species for a desired resource. The oysters need a hard to find a substrate that will be able to hold them in one place for the rest of their life's. With limited space that can provide them with a hard substrate this causes intense competition within eastern oysters to find a place were they can grow and mature.