The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Invasion in Scandinavian Coastal Waters: Impact on Local Ecosystem Services

• Shellfish have always played an important role in subsistence and income for coastal communities. Shallow-water bivalve beds are easily accessible and have been exploited and overexploited for centuries. Depletion of stocks has lead to farming and aquaculture of many species. Few species, if any, have been as popular and successful as the the Pacific oyster (C. gigas). Its highly efficient filter feeding, high growth rates, massive repoductive output, and tolerance of a large range of abiotic conditions, has not only made it one of the world’s 20 most cultured species, but also one of the most invasive. This chapter tracks the Pacific oyster on its way towards the North-eastern corner of its European distribution, predicts its future distribution, and discusses the implications for local ecosystems.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kap (subject category)