Using habitat volume in Olympia oyster beds to inform the adaptation of restoration practice.
Presentation Abstract
Stock-rebuilding projects for the native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) in Puget Sound have used shell habitat enhancement as a primary tool since 2005. The oldest and largest project areas are in the central Puget Sound, where this cultching technique was initially tested for this purpose. The frequency and magnitude of young-of-the-year (YOY) recruitment modulates the within-population structure and therefore the potential for a successful restoration of native oyster bed habitat. We are interested in knowing under what conditions (adult oyster density and habitat amounts) we observe the desired response in YOY recruitment. The successful recovery of functional native oyster bed habitat is showcased by projects on the eastern Kitsap Peninsula; 2010 began an effort to quantify habitat amount in restoration enhancements in a way that facilitates an analysis of correlation to oyster population structure. As we look back at these efforts with continued monitoring, the questions of interest are: (1) What oyster densities are associated with robust annual recruitment in enhancement areas, and (2) What amounts of emergent shell substrate are correlated with these densities? Measures of emergent shell volume have proven quite useful and are discussed here as they relate to both oyster populations and the adaptation of shell application in light of scarce resources. For much of our experience in developing enhancement practices, the addition of shell was looked upon as what was required to restore emergent settlement substrates in now structure-limited tidelands. The inclusion of quantitative estimates of post-application emergent shell “amount”, using habitat volume as the metric, provides the means to use data to find correlations to restored populations. While our objectives for restored areas are to have adult populations in densities of 150-300 m-2, empirically the YOY recruitment magnitude to support such populations can occur when adult densities are much lower.
Session Title
Session S-10A: Shellfish Aquaculture: Exploring Themes of Sustainability and Ecosystem Recovery
Conference Track
Harmful Algal Blooms and Shellfish
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
2-5-2014 3:00 PM
Location
Room 615-616-617
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--Habitat--Washington (State)--Kitsap Peninsula; Olympia oyster--Environmental enrichment--Washington (State)--Kitsap Peninsula; Olympia oyster--Recolonization--Washington (State)--Kitsap Peninsula
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Kitsap Peninsula (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
Using habitat volume in Olympia oyster beds to inform the adaptation of restoration practice.
Room 615-616-617
Stock-rebuilding projects for the native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) in Puget Sound have used shell habitat enhancement as a primary tool since 2005. The oldest and largest project areas are in the central Puget Sound, where this cultching technique was initially tested for this purpose. The frequency and magnitude of young-of-the-year (YOY) recruitment modulates the within-population structure and therefore the potential for a successful restoration of native oyster bed habitat. We are interested in knowing under what conditions (adult oyster density and habitat amounts) we observe the desired response in YOY recruitment. The successful recovery of functional native oyster bed habitat is showcased by projects on the eastern Kitsap Peninsula; 2010 began an effort to quantify habitat amount in restoration enhancements in a way that facilitates an analysis of correlation to oyster population structure. As we look back at these efforts with continued monitoring, the questions of interest are: (1) What oyster densities are associated with robust annual recruitment in enhancement areas, and (2) What amounts of emergent shell substrate are correlated with these densities? Measures of emergent shell volume have proven quite useful and are discussed here as they relate to both oyster populations and the adaptation of shell application in light of scarce resources. For much of our experience in developing enhancement practices, the addition of shell was looked upon as what was required to restore emergent settlement substrates in now structure-limited tidelands. The inclusion of quantitative estimates of post-application emergent shell “amount”, using habitat volume as the metric, provides the means to use data to find correlations to restored populations. While our objectives for restored areas are to have adult populations in densities of 150-300 m-2, empirically the YOY recruitment magnitude to support such populations can occur when adult densities are much lower.
