La ostra del pacífico Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) en la Provincia de Buenos Aires: reclutamientos naturales en Bahía Samborombón

GIBERTO, D. A.; BREMEC, C. S.; SCHEJTER, L.; ESCOLAR, M.; SOUTO, V.; SCHIARITI, A.; DOS SANTOS, E.P.

REVISTA DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO PESQUERO

INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN Y DESARROLLO PESQUERO

Lugar: Mar del Plata; Año: 2012 vol. 21 p. 1 - 14

0325-6375

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is one of the most successful invasive species worldwide, inhabiting intertidal and shallow subtidal marine and mixohaline coastal waters. In Argentina this species colonized natural ecosystems of southern Buenos Aires and northern Patagonia. However, in the last years it has been reported the presence of oysters in the coast of Punta Rasa, northern Buenos Aires. Therefore, the goal of this work was to recognize the identity of this species, and in doing so we carried out an exploratory survey in the salt marshes close to San Clemente stream. Individuals were identified as C. gigas (shell height up to 37 mm, densities up to ~390 ind.m2). Oysters were found occurring in small mini-reefs in muddy substrates mixed with shell debris, attached to the stems of S. alterniflora, plastic bags, wooden sticks or other mollusks shells. The source of this oyster banks could be linked to the experimental farm of C. gigas deployed in Las Toninas (20 km away of the study area) at the late 90?s. Basic research regarding potential species impact in the local ecosystems should be faced in the short term.