The Paynter Lab


	*Physiological Ecology of the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)* Understanding the physiology of the eastern oyster is an important aspect of our research here at the Paynter Lab. A successful oyster restoration plan for the Chesapeake Bay must take into account the physiology of these animals in order to understand their responses to different environments and stressors. Below are some of the topics we are investigating related to the physiology of the eastern oyster. Comparative physiology of the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and the Asian oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) Aerobic metabolic rate Surviving low oxygen (hypoxic) and no oxygen (anoxic) environments Shell mechanics Lipid chemistry of oyster eggs in relation to oyster age and location The effect of varying environmental conditions on the heart rate of the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from the Chesapeake Bay. Figure 1. Some research in our lab involves the physiological response of oysters to a shifting pH (in this photo a pH meter is being used to measure pH). $Description: C:\Documents and Settings\Paynter Lab\My Documents\My Pictures\2010-11-05 001\IMG_0100.jpg$ Figure 2. During a project investigating lipid chemistry of oyster eggs, upon spawning oysters were separated in cups to collect and quantify egg abundance and composition. We are hoping to continue our work on the physiological ecology of the eastern oyster. For more information about our work on oyster physiology please contact us at paynteroysterlab@gmail.com.