ARS | Publication request: DIVERSITY AND SEASONALITY OF THE VIBRIONACEAE IN OYSTERS (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA)AND SEAWATER IN DELAWARE BAY

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 7, 2005
Publication Date: April 10, 2005
Citation: Richards, G.P., Burt, I.G., David, B. 2005. Diversity and seasonality of the vibrionaceae in oysters (crassostrea virginica)and seawater in delaware bay. (Abstract). National Shellfisheries Association. Pg. 46.

Technical Abstract: Oysters and seawater were sampled monthly from high and low salinity oyster seedbeds in the Delaware Bay. They were screened for Vibrio species using a newly developed colony overlay procedure for peptidases (COPP) and isolates were identified biochemically. The COPP assay identified members of the Vibrionaceae family by the rapid, fluorogenic detection of phosphoglucose isomerase with a novel lysyl aminopeptidase activity. Mean total aerobic plate counts for oysters ranged from 2.8 x 10e5/g in May and decreased monthly to 3.6 x 10e3/g in October. For seawater, the highest aerobic plate count was 2.2 x 10e3/ml in July. Vibrio vulnificus was present in oysters and seawater from May - October, with counts greater than 10e4/g of oyster from May - August, and greater than 10e2/ml of seawater from May - September. Vibrio parahaemolyticus was isolated from oysters in May and July at levels greater than 10e4/g. Other Vibrionaceae family members detected in oysters at levels greater than 10e4/g were Aeromonas species during late summer, Photobacterium damsiella during early summer, and Shewanella putrafaciens late in the fall. Vibrio vulnificus was readily detected in oysters and seawater collected from low and moderate salinity areas from May - September, with levels rapidly diminishing as the water temperatures fell. Chryseobacterium meningosepticum was also isolated, but only from moderate salinity oysters and seawater.