Mass oyster mortalities have been known for many years throughout the world, but no strictly pathological explication has been found. This book describes how environmental influences, reproduction, stress, genetics, pathogens and temperature contribute to oyster summer mortality in France. An interaction model is derived from the results and recommendations are made for forecasting and managing risk factors.

The studies presented in this book were conducted by more than 15 teams from research institutes and industry working as an interdisciplinary network. The Morest Project, organised by Ifremer between 2001 and 2006, united diverse scientific disciplines using common field sites and laboratory experiments to thoroughly examine the oyster summer mortality problem.

Key words :

Crassostrea gigas, Pacific oyster, summer mortality, reproduction, stress, genetic selection, temperature, environment, pathology.