Réseau de suivi de la croissance de l'huître creuse sur les côtes françaises. REMORA. Résultats des stations nationales. Année 1997

1. Introduction: network organisation in 1997. The REMORA network - REseau MOIIusques du département Ressources Aquacoles de l'Ifremer - (Ifremer's Aquaculture Resources Department Mollusc Network) has been evaluating, since 1993, hollow oysters' growth (Crassostrea gigas) in major French oyster beds. In order to do so, it has followed up on a yearly basis the growth of a unique oyster batch shared among different stations in the main French raising areas. Releasing takes place in February and picking happens in November or December; intermediary sampling is done in June and September. All operations happen on the same dates for all stations. A national report is published each year. 'Regional' stations are sometimes added to the national network, but they are not taken into account in the national report, so that year after year, regional and national averages remain calculated on the same basis. Results can be found in regional reports. The advantage of a national yearly and standard follow up, lays in being able to compare sites and years and be as free as possible from local cultural practices (culture set up, variation dates, different spat origins, etc). The REMORA network is therefore a tendency evaluation tool (geographical and annual, global on a national scale); it should not be perceived as a precise growth estimator obtained by the growers. Since 1995 two age classes are being followed up (one and two years old).