Temporal and spatial patterns of Olympia oyster settlement in Fidalgo Bay, WA
Presentation Abstract
The Olympia Oyster (Ostrea lurida), the only native oyster found on the west coast of North America, has been depleted over time due to over harvesting and other environmental factors. Recently interest has surfaced in reestablishing these populations, including a restoration project in Fidalgo Bay, WA, which began in 2002. In order to assess the success of this restored population we investigated variation of settlement of juveniles in space and time. Through placing oyster shells modified to collect settlers at 7 sites, an assessment of their distribution was possible. There was a late July peak in settlement during the 6th week of study; however, this peak was only detectable at the intertidal locations. The results indicate that O. lurida larvae preferentially settled at two intertidal sites, which were nearest to each other and the site of the 2002 restoration effort. This may point to the success of the restoration site as well as support the hypothesis that larvae may settle preferentially to locations with suitable habitat or adult populations. Additionally, rates of settlement were lowest at the mouth of the bay suggesting there may be little dispersal of organisms out of the bay.
Session Title
Session S-09E: Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Species: Threats and Conservation
Conference Track
Species and Food Webs
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 6:30 PM
Location
Room 6C
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Olympia oyster--Washington (State)--Fidalgo Bay
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Fidalgo Bay (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Temporal and spatial patterns of Olympia oyster settlement in Fidalgo Bay, WA
Room 6C
The Olympia Oyster (Ostrea lurida), the only native oyster found on the west coast of North America, has been depleted over time due to over harvesting and other environmental factors. Recently interest has surfaced in reestablishing these populations, including a restoration project in Fidalgo Bay, WA, which began in 2002. In order to assess the success of this restored population we investigated variation of settlement of juveniles in space and time. Through placing oyster shells modified to collect settlers at 7 sites, an assessment of their distribution was possible. There was a late July peak in settlement during the 6th week of study; however, this peak was only detectable at the intertidal locations. The results indicate that O. lurida larvae preferentially settled at two intertidal sites, which were nearest to each other and the site of the 2002 restoration effort. This may point to the success of the restoration site as well as support the hypothesis that larvae may settle preferentially to locations with suitable habitat or adult populations. Additionally, rates of settlement were lowest at the mouth of the bay suggesting there may be little dispersal of organisms out of the bay.
