Title:

Real-Time, Wireless Monitoring of Oyster Behavior

Oysters are a focus of restoration efforts and aquaculture operations in New Hampshire, with >50 acres of restored reefs and >100 acres of oyster farms. Oyster aquaculture has grown rapidly in the last decade, with a 550% increase in the value of oyster farms in New Hampshire from 2014-2024. However, oyster health on restoration sites and farms is threatened by a number of stressors including harmful algal blooms, heat waves, and disease. These stressors can be difficult to detect, especially in combination, and it can be hard to predict how they will affect oysters. To directly monitor oyster health, we created a system to measure oyster opening and closing (“gaping”) behavior in real-time using high frequency electronic sensors. This behavior is indicative of feeding, waste disposal, respiration, and responses to predation and other stressors. The novelty of our system is that it can be independently powered and can transmit data over cellular networks or via long-range radio. These power and communication features allow the system to be deployed even in relatively remote locations, allowing farmers and restoration managers to obtain real-time data about their oysters.

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