Many studies based on bioenergetics growth models have investigated the effects of environmental factors on oyster (Crassostrea gigas) growth and physiology. However, most of these models are site-specific and cannot be applied to other culture sites without the re-estimation of parameters or re-formulation of some processes. We aimed to develop a generic growth model suitable for application in contrasting environments, with a constant set of parameters. We tested the oyster-DEB model (Bourlès et al. 2009) for the stimulation of C. gigas growth in different cohorts (spats and adults) at major shellfish culture sites in France, in several years: Arcachon (1993–1994); Marennes-Oléron (2007); Quiberon (1999, 2000, 2001); Brest Harbour (2008); Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (2003); Baie-des-Veys (2002). These different ecosystems offer a wide range of values for the two forcing variables of the model: water temperature (range: 6-24°C) and phytoplankton concentration (annual average: 110–700×103 cell L-1). The validation data (dry flesh mass of C. gigas) were obtained from various growth surveys carried out by IFREMER. The oyster-DEB model simulated the oyster growth dynamics of both spat and adult stages of C. gigas accurately over time at the various culture sites. The model captures: i) the active spring growth; ii) the timing and amplitude of spawning events; and iii) the lean periods (i.e. loss of dry flesh mass) in autumn and winter. The half-saturation coefficient Xk is the only model parameter that varied between sites and years. This environment-specific coefficient reflects variability in the food of the oysters: quantitative and qualitative effects of the inorganic material and of the phytoplankton species on the feeding response of C. gigas. With a single set of parameters (other than for Xk), this is thus the first bio-energetic growth model for C. gigas robust enough and of a sufficiently generic nature for the accurate simulation of oyster growth in different Atlantic ecosystems.

Oyster farming is the main aquaculture activity in France, where Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is spatially cultured from the English Channel to the Mediterranean coasts. Oyster growth performance monitored along French coasts are widely heterogeneous among culture sites and over years. Many studies have been carried out to understand the effects of environmental factors on oyster growth and physiology, by using bioenergetics growth models. However, most of these studies were site-specific. As an example, the model developed by Barille et al. (1997), which was extensively specified with more than 50 parameters, was validated in the Marennes-Oleron Bay, but cannot be successfully applied to other culture sites without re-estimating parameters or re-formulating some processes. In that context, our study aims to develop a generic growth model, i.e. a model than can be applied in various contrasted environments with a constant set of parameters. We used the DEB model designed for the Pacific oyster C. gigas (Pouvreau et al., 2006; Bourles et al., 2009) based on the DEB theory (Kooijman, 2000). The resulting oyster-DEB model is built on 10 main DEB parameters with some extra parameters to consider specific bioenergetics of C. gigas. Only one DEB parameter, i.e. the half-saturation coefficient Xk which depends on food quality and therefore on ecosystems, was calibrated for each site in order to evaluate the generality and the limits of the model. The results of simulating oyster growth are presented herein by using the oyster-DEB model in several French ecosystems: Arcachon, Marennes-Oleron and Quiberon bays along the Atlantic coastline, Thau Lagoon in Mediterranee, and the Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel and the Baie des Veys in the English Channel. Applying DEB model in contrasted environments allows to explain oyster growth variability among rearing areas according to food quantity (e.g...

The Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model (Kooijman, S.A.L.M., 1986. Energy budgets can explain body size relations. J. Theor. Biol. 121, 269–282; Kooijman, S.A.L.M., 2000. Dynamic Energy and Mass Budgets in Biological Systems. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 424 pp.) has been adapted to describe the dynamics of growth and reproduction of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) reared in different areas under conditions ranging from controlled to natural. The values of the model parameters were estimated from available physiological data and from published information. The sets of data used to validate the model came from three long-term growth experiments (>5 months) performed on Pacific oysters reared under different conditions of food and environment. The forcing variables were temperature and phytoplankton densities, the latter being assessed from in vivo fluorescence and chlorophyll-a concentration measurement. The successful validation of the model on the three data sets demonstrated its ability to capture the dynamics of the energy budget in the Pacific oyster in various environments with the same set of parameters. The only parameter that varied between simulations was the half-saturation coefficient (XK), because of a different diet composition between the three environments under test. The model successfully reproduced quantitatively the growth and reproduction and the timing of spawning. These first simulation data led us to propose several promising perspectives of application for this model in shellfish ecosystems.