Japanese oysters in Dutch waters

We study a number of aspects of the colonisation of the Eastern Scheldt by the Japanese Oyster. We formulate and analyse some simple models of the spatial spreading, and determine a rough dependence of the spreading behaviour on parameters. We examine the suggestion of reducing salinity by opening freshwater dams, with the aim of reducing oyster fertility, and make predictions of the effect of such measures. Finally, we present an outline of a large-scale simulation taking into account detailed data on the geometry and sea fl oor properties of the Eastern Scheldt.