飼養牡蠣(Raising Oysters)

　　過去人們飼養牡蠣的方式很大程度上類似于田地里的農夫種植蕃茄--通過移植來飼養它們。

　　首先，農夫選好牡蠣苗床，清除底部的舊殼和其它雜物，然后四處撒播干凈的殼。接著，他們"栽種"已受精的牡蠣卵。這些卵在2～3周內會孵化成幼貝。

　　幼貝一直漂流直到粘在苗床底部干凈的殼上為止。它們會呆在那兒并逐漸長成小牡蠣。我們稱之為種子或貝苗。

　　貝苗吸進海水中的微小生物作為食物從而越長越大。不久之后，農夫將這些小牡蠣收

　　集起來，把它們移種進其他的水域加快其生長，然后再次將它們移種進另外的水域以使其肥壯起來。直到最近，野生的以及人工飼養的牡蠣完全能夠滿足人們的需要。

　　但是今天這種可口的海味已不再大量存在。這個問題已經變得如此嚴重以至于一些牡蠣苗床已完全消失。幸運的`是，早在20

　　世紀初期海洋生物學家們就意識到如果不采取新的措施，牡蠣將會滅絕或至少會變為一種奢侈的食品。因此他們建造了裝備良好的孵卵場所并開始工作。但是他們尚沒有適當的裝置或技術來處理牡蠣卵。他們不知道何時、用什么以及如何喂養幼貝。他們對捕食數百萬幼小牡蠣的動物天敵也所知無幾。

　　他們失敗了，但他們頑強地堅持了下來。

　　終于，在20世紀40年代，一個重要的突破性的進展產生了。海洋生物學家發現，升高水溫能夠誘導牡蠣不僅在夏季也在秋季、冬季和春季里產卵。后來他們發展了一項技術來喂養幼貝至其長成貝苗。

　　他們進一步成功地培養出了新的品種，可以抵抗疾病、長得更快、更大并且在不同的鹽度和溫度的水中都能茁壯生長。此外，這些培殖出的牡蠣口感更佳!

　　raising oystersin the oysters were raised in much the same way as dirt farmers raised tomatoes- by transplanting them. first, farmers selected the oyster bed, cleared the bottom of old shells and other debris, then scattered clean shells about. next, they ”planted” fertilized oyster eggs, which within two or three weeks hatched into larvae. the larvae drifted until they attached themselves to the clean shells on the bottom. there they remained and in time grew into baby oysters called seed or spat.

　　the spat grew larger by drawing in seawater from which they derived microscopic particles of food. before long, farmers gathered the baby oysters, transplanted them once more into another body of water to fatten them up.until recently the supply of wild oysters and those crudely farmed were more than enough to satisfy people’s needs. but today the delectable seafood is no longer available in abundance. the problem has become so serious that some oyster beds have vanished entirely.fortunately, as far back as the early 1900’s marine biologists realized that if new measures were not taken, oysters would become extinct or at best a luxury food. so they set up well-equipped hatcheries and went to work. but they did not have the proper equipment or the skill to handle the eggs. they did not know when, what, and how to feed the larvae. and they knew little about the predators that attack and eat baby oysters by the millions. they failed, but they doggedly kept at it. finally, in the 1940’s a significant breakthrough was made.

　　the marine biologists discovered that by raising the temperature of the water, they could induce oysters to spawn not only in the summer but also in the fall, winter, and spring. later they developed a technique for feeding the larvae and rearing them to spat. going still further, they succeeded in breeding new strains that were resistant to diseases, grew faster and larger, and flourished in water of different salinities and temperatures. in addition, the cultivated oysters tasted better!