Seasonal gut contents of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in the Rhode River, Chesapeake Bay, USA: Growth, phytoplankton and signature pigment data

A 2-year study was undertaken to understand feeding preferences of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica when growing in conditions of eutrophication and variable flow. Oysters were suspended in the Rhode River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA, and a subset of these oysters was collected monthly, measured in height to determine growth, and the phytoplankton in their gut were examined both microscopically and using indicator pigments and compared with phytoplankton abundance and composition in the water column. The data herein summarize the oyster growth and the gut contents with respect to phytoplankton cell numbers and composition and with respect to signature pigments.