##plugins.themes.huaf_theme.article.main##
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the capacity of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) to improve water quality through changes in nutrient concentrations under controlled experimental conditions. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with two oyster size groups (3–5 cm and 6–8 cm), including four treatments (two oyster treatments and two controls) over a 24-hour period. Water quality parameters, including nutrient indicators such as P-PO₄³⁻, N-NH₄⁺, N-NO₂⁻, N-NO₃⁻, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment. The results showed that nutrient concentrations tended to decrease in all treatments after 24 hours, with greater reductions observed in the oyster treatments compared to the controls. Statistically significant decreases (p < 0.05) were recorded for dissolved inorganic nutrients, particularly ammonium (N-NH₄⁺) and phosphate (P-PO₄³⁻). In the larger oyster size group (6–8 cm), decreasing trends were also observed for N-NO₃⁻, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), indicating a greater capacity for nutrient transformation and removal compared to the smaller oyster group (3–5 cm). The findings suggest that the Pacific oyster has the potential to contribute to water quality improvement and may be considered a functional species for sustainable aquaculture systems.
Keywords: Nitrogen, nutrient dynamics, pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), phosphorus, water quality.