Climate Change Impacts on Farmed and Wild Oysters (2026-2027)

Background

Oysters play a vital ecological, economic and cultural role in coastal communities. They support commercial and recreational fisheries, stabilize shorelines, improve water quality, sequester carbon and provide a habitat for diverse marine species. North Carolina’s oyster reefs and aquaculture farms occupy coastal zones that experience substantial variation in temperature, salinity, acidity, oxygen levels and wave energy. Climate change is making these variations more extreme and less predictable.

Environmental stressors associated with climate change often interact with biological pressures such as predation and disease. These combined influences can reduce oyster growth and reproduction or even cause widespread mortality events. Oyster farmers in North Carolina are already experiencing major losses during late spring and summer, yet the exact causes of these mortality events remain poorly understood. Farm conditions, environmental history and genetic differences among oyster lines all shape resilience. Disentangling the factors at play is essential for informing both aquaculture practices and restoration strategies.

Project Description

This project leverages the Duke Aquafarm near the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, North Carolina as a living laboratory for research and education. Building on the work of previous teams and collaborations with growers and academic partners, the team will deploy oceanographic sensors to monitor environmental conditions across five oyster farms along the North Carolina coast.

Students will:

• Deploy and maintain oceanographic sensors
Sensors will continuously measure temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and wave energy (via accelerometers). Students will also take measurements with handheld devices, collect water samples for microbial analysis and maintain equipment as needed.

• Monitor performance of multiple oyster genetic lines
Multiple oyster genetic lines will be deployed at each farm, including diploid oysters originally sourced from wild NC populations. These oysters will be assessed biweekly for mortality and monthly for body condition and size. Measurements such as shell depth and shape — traits associated with marketability — will also be included.

• Collect samples for genetic and microbial analyses
Each week, tissue and liquid samples will be collected for gene expression profiling, histopathology and microbial abundance analysis.

• Analyze data and share results with stakeholders
The team will analyze the environmental and oyster biological data to assess how changing environmental conditions influence oyster performance and whether outcomes vary by genetic line or farm location. Findings will be shared via a public web platform that allows for anonymous feedback from local partners.

This framework provides a foundation for independent student research projects and for laboratory experiments that test oyster resilience under controlled climate stress conditions.

Anticipated Outputs

• Student presentations at national and regional conferences
• Publicly accessible web platform integrating environmental and biological data
• Peer-reviewed publications with student co-authors
• Datasets supporting future grant applications
• Potential expansion of monitoring to include new data types, wild oyster reefs or additional farms

Student Opportunities

Ideally, the project team will include 2 (undergraduate or graduate) students and 6 undergraduate students with backgrounds in marine science and conservation, environmental sciences and policy, earth and climate sciences, biology or statistical science. Students with interests in climate change, food security, aquaculture, science communication or coastal community engagement are excellent candidates.

Students will gain skills in:

• Field research and coastal sensor deployment
• Molecular methods (genetic analysis, histology assessment)
• Visualization and analysis of complex time-series datasets
• Identifying research questions and developing independent projects
• Communicating with local partners, colleagues and conference audiences

Two undergraduates will have the opportunity to spend Summer 2026 at the Duke Marine Lab to perform fieldwork. Throughout the year, graduate students will mentor undergraduates in research, leadership and collaboration.

See the related Climate+ project for Summer 2026; there is a separate application process for students who are interested in this optional component. 

Timing

Summer 2026 – Spring 2027

Summer 2026 (optional):

• Deploy and maintain sensors
• Monitor oyster performance and collect samples
• Conduct lab work and organize data and metadata

Fall 2026:

• Continue field experiment and sensor maintenance
• Analyze and visualize environmental and oyster data
• Continue lab work and molecular analyses

Spring 2027:

• Complete remaining lab work
• Upload data and findings to public web resource
• Present at conferences
• Draft and submit manuscripts

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters

See related Climate+ summer project, Climate Change Impacts on Farmed and Wild Oysters (2026), and earlier related team, Climate Change Impacts on Farmed and Wild Oysters (2025–2026).