DEB theory can be used to obtain a detailed description of energy allocation in organisms and the control of this allocation by temperature and food concentration. In this study, we modified the model of Bourlès et al. (2009) developed for the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, to improve the description of reproductive effort. The model was amended in two ways: a new set of parameters was incorporated and a full description of gonad construction in spring was added, with a new state variable. The application of this model to a dataset for oyster growth measured in four bays over two years showed that this model better described reproductive effort, without modifying overall growth dynamics. We then explored the reproductive responses of oysters to their... |