| The 1999 monitoring of the C. gigas mortality rates showed a 32 to 40% loss for the on-bottom rearings located on the Ronce-Perquis oyster bank. In 1997, the averaged mortality rate varied between 23 and 29% without significant site effect. These mortality rates were ranging from 17 to 32% in 1998 with significant limited mortality rate on site 4 (17%). However, those rates were underestimated by 7 to 8%, based on our 1999 study, Actually, the spatial distribution for these rates on 2 experimental sites divided into 25 subunits demonstrated a large variability ranging from 17-37% and 22-56% for sites 1 and 2, respectively. In spite this large variability, the mortality rates results were larger on the muddy bottom site. In contrast to site 1, the oysters... |
