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Understanding eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) thermal and hypoxia tolerance: a systematic review of biological responses
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DOI：10.1139/er-2026-0006.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a key contributor to estuarine and marine ecosystem structure and function and supports fisheries and aquaculture across its wide geographic range. Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) are two major abiotic factors influencing oyster physiology, survival, and overall distribution, both of which have become increasing stressful and are predicted to increase in severity due to anthropogenic climate change. Thermal and hypoxia tolerance can be assessed by observing the biological endpoints, such as mortality and growth, which reflect cumulative physiological constraints, alongside physiological and biochemical responses that provide mechanistic insight into why tolerance limits are reached. This systematic review synthesizes current knowledge on the thermal and hypoxia tolerance of eastern oysters, drawing on 78 studies selected using the PRISMA guidelines, assessing survival, growth, metabolic rate, heat shock protein expression, and anaerobic end-product accumulation. The reviewed literature shows that oyster tolerance is context-dependent, varying with study conditions, life stage, season, reproductive status, and prior environmental exposure. Despite this variability, oysters can generally cope with a wide range of temperatures and DO concentrations, with exposure duration emerging as the most critical variable in determining the specific threshold. Context-dependant hierarchical patterns were observed across levels of biological organization, differing between high temperatures, low temperatures, and hypoxia stress, suggesting differences in physiological mechanisms. By synthesizing patterns of biological responses, this work provides insights into tolerable temperature and oxygen ranges, factors that modify tolerance, and biological indicators for the onset of stress.
Keywords:
Crassostrea virginica
thermal tolerance
hypoxia tolerance
physiological response
biochemical response
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