HRI Seminar Series: Dr. Emiliy Fuqua

Apalachicola Bay has been a target of oyster restoration programs and funding in Florida for almost a decade to restore its once prolific oyster population; however, this population still faces major obstacles in its recovery, such as substrate limitations and environmental changes.

Environmental stressors affect oyster responses differently throughout their complex life cycle, which in turn affects efficacy of restoration and management strategies.

Restorative aquaculture, such as using spat-on-shell in oyster restoration, is a promising technique to supplement struggling wild populations, but the success of restorative aquaculture techniques is dependent on the survival and performance of the oysters being transplanted into variable natural systems.

This talk will highlight research integrating oyster physiological responses and performance into oyster restoration, including how stress affects oysters across their life cycle and how early life environments affect later life responses.

Emily Fuqua is a new Assistant Research Scientist with the Coastal Conservation and Restoration Lab at Harte Research Institute. Emily’s research experience spans from physiological work to ecosystem and habitat restoration, and she has worked with finfish and shellfish around the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts for aquaculture, restoration, and conservation.