Abstract Through physical manipulation, oyster growers can modify the morphological features of young oysters in order to improve their robustness and resiliency to predation. In this study, the efficacy of a novel passive culturing technique using floating buckets that “bounce” oysters prior to the benthic grow-out phase for enhancing shell thickness and strength, while not compromising oyster shape, was investigated. Using a field experiment, we quantified and compared the shell thickness (mm), compressive strength (Newtons), and shape (fan ratios and cup ratios) of juvenile oysters subjected to this bouncing technique with oysters grown in floating bags, the current industry standard. Results indicated that bouncing increased shell thickness and strength for oysters >45 mm shell height compared to control oysters, but also decreased shell thickness and strength for oysters

中文翻译：

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测试弹桶育苗系统提高底层养殖东方牡蛎（Crassostrea virginica）的壳强度和厚度的功效

摘要 通过物理操作，牡蛎养殖者可以改变幼牡蛎的形态特征，以提高它们的健壮性和抗捕食能力。在这项研究中，研究了使用浮桶的新型被动养殖技术在底栖养殖阶段之前“弹起”牡蛎以提高壳厚度和强度，同时不影响牡蛎形状的功效。通过现场实验，我们量化并比较了采用这种弹跳技术的幼牡蛎的壳厚度（毫米）、抗压强度（牛顿）和形状（扇形比和杯形比）与漂浮袋中生长的牡蛎，这是当前的行业标准. 结果表明，与对照牡蛎相比，弹跳增加了壳高 >45 毫米的牡蛎的壳厚度和强度，