School Oyster Shoreline Monitoring Manual at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Contacts: Chris Witherspoon Education Director, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Phone Laurie Carroll Sorabella Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia, Inc

Details Timeline Gather data in May and October. Materials Level Yardstick Measuring Tape Ladder (to displace weight) Quadrat Square

’ 15’ 25’ Oyster Castle Oyster Shell Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Stand a meter stick upright on the surface of the sand at the corner of the castle closest to shore. Hold a level from the highest point on the castle to the meter stick to determine the distance from the sediment surface to the top of the castle. Record this measurement (in centimeters, to the nearest tenth of a centimeter) on the data table. Note that each oyster castle has a number associated with it. Make sure to record the sediment elevation next to the correct castle number in the chart. 1. Measure Sediment Accretion behind Oyster Castles

Stretch a measuring tape from the landward corner of the castle toward the marsh directly to the east. Obtain the distance to the GREEN blade of grass that is closest to the castle. Record this measurement (in centimeters and meters) on the data table. Note that each oyster castle has a number associated with it. Make sure to record the distance next to the correct castle number in the data chart. 2. Measure Distance from each Oyster Castle to the Marsh Edge

Lay the meterstick on the sand from the landward corner of the castle toward the marsh directly to the east. Mark a line at 60.5 cm behind the castle and lay the quadrat down starting at this line and going landward. Now, count the number of GREEN marsh grass stems that are within the quadrat square (represented by. ). Record this number on the data table. The quadrat covers.25 of a square meter, so the number you just counted must be multiplied by 4 to determine the grass density per square meter. Note that each oyster castle has a number associated with it. Make sure to record the distance next to the correct castle number in the data chart. 3. Measure the Grass Density behind each Oyster Castle

The oyster shell plant is marked at 3 locations, one 5’ from the northern end, one 15’ and one 25’. These are the locations to take your measurements. Stretch a measuring tape from the stake at the landward edge of the oyster shell toward the marsh directly to the east. Obtain the distance to the closest GREEN blade of grass. Record this measurement (in feet and inches) on the data table. Make sure to record the distance next to the correct foot-interval in the data chart. 4. Measure Distance from Oyster Shell to the Marsh Edge

The oyster shell plant is marked at 3 locations, one 5’ from the northern end, one 15’ and one 25’. These are the locations to take your measurements. Mark a line at 60.5 cm behind the shell and lay the quadrat down starting at this line and going landward. Now, count the number of GREEN marsh grass stems that are within the quadrat square (represented by ). Record this number on the data table. The quadrat covers ¼ of a square meter, so the number you just counted must be multiplied by 4 to determine the grass density per square meter. Make sure to record the distance next to the correct foot-interval in the data chart. 5. Measure the Grass Density behind the Oyster Shell Plant

Take photographs throughout the monitoring, to share with students at your school. Take photographs from the 6 locations indicated with a yellow arrow, and facing the direction the yellow arrow points. Start with the northernmost yellow arrow, and move south. Now head up to the boardwalk. Take photographs from the 5 locations on the boardwalk marked with a blue arrow, and facing the direction the blue arrow points. These pictures should angle down, so that the oyster shorelines are in view. Start with the northernmost blue arrow, and move south. pictures, along with date, to m 6. Take Photographs