Effects of Desiccation Practices of Cultured Atlantic Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) on Vibrio spp. in Portersville Bay, Alabama, USA.

The expansion of off-bottom aquaculture to the Gulf of Mexico has raised public health concerns for human health officials. High temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are associated with high levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus. Routine desiccation practices associated with off-bottom aquaculture expose oysters to ambient air, allowing Vibrio spp.