Grant proposal ‘Learn to live with the Oyster drill’ ranked first by SIA

SIA RAAK MKB ranked the grant proposal “Learn to live with the Oyster Drill” from the HZ research group Aquaculture in Delta areas first amongst 21 submitted proposals. 

Learn to live with the Oyster Drill
The project focuses on lessening the effect of the oyster drill for oyster farmers. De Japanese Oysterdrill is an invasive marine snail that has expanded fast in the last couple of years. It drills a hole in the shell of an oyster and eats it. Some oyster plots are home of ten thousands of drills, leading up to 90% of oyster mortality.

Practical research
With the grant from SIA, the research group Aquaculture aims to research knowledge questions about oyster drill mobility, feed preference, and eradication on oyster plots, together with the Dutch Oyster Association and 12 farmers. Experiments will be carried out by researchers and students, both in the SEA Lab and at farm locations in the Eastern Scheldt. There is a collaboration with a University in the USA, that already has some experience with similar research.

The ambition of the project is to find recommendations for oyster farmers on how to minimize the negative effects of the oyster drill.