1. NOAA Restoration Center Restoration Program (CRP)
U.S. West Coast Native Oyster Restoration (Ostreola conchaphila): Workshop Summary Summer Morlock, Natalie Cosentino-Manning, Polly Hicks – NOAA Restoration Center
Image: Couch and Hassler, 1989
Introduction
During September 2006, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration Center and partners hosted the first west coast-wide workshop on Olympia oyster restoration (Ostreola conchaphila, formerly Ostrea lurida) in San Rafael, California. Over 70 individuals from the west and east coast, representing NGOs, academics, industry, agencies, and tribes participated in this workshop. Our goals were to:
1) Share the current state of knowledge regarding native oyster
restoration
2) Bring together the best available science and identify research
needs that will help to guide future restoration efforts 3) Develop guidelines and methods for future oyster restoration
and research
Leading experts presented information on:
Olympia oyster distribution
Biology, genetics, and dispersal
Limitations to restoration and recovery
Ecological interactions – ecosystem services
Restoration: past, present and future
Permitting
The community’s role in restoration
Short-term and long-term goals and priorities
This presentation will focus on workshop results including restoration recommendations, research priorities, and next steps.
Background
Olympia oysters, the only oyster native to the west coast of North America, were once an important commercial commodity and contributor to estuarine health and species diversity. However, over-harvesting, habitat loss, pollution, predators, and disease have caused populations to significantly decline. Today small remnant populations of Olympia oyster are scattered along the west coast.
Over the last ten years interest in restoring Olympia oyster populations and their ecological functions has increased. Local organizations have joined with the shellfish industry, universities, tribes, and state and federal agencies to conduct pilot restoration projects from Washington to California to test various techniques. The NOAA Restoration Center’s Community-based Restoration Program has provided nearly $1,000,000 to implement oyster restoration projects. Data gathered from projects have demonstrated that reseeding efforts and substrate enhancement can be successful; however, there is still much to learn about the Olympia oyster and its recovery before restoration can move from the small to the large scale.
Research Need Highlights
Historic and current distribution and geographic specifics
(especially little known about subtidal populations)
Reproductive cycles, larval transport and environment
Differential settlement (population, geography, seasons, years)
Habitat studies (loose shell, old v. new, concrete)
Environmental/ecosystem impacts (sedimentation, salinity, etc.)
Growth rates/survival
Genetics (locally adapted versus genetically unhealthy; adaptation to
past/current v. future environment)
Predation, competition, disease, parasites
Ecosystem function/services (and economic benefits!)
Technique development (materials, size, shape, etc.)
The Future
Workshop proceedings
Follow-up workshops
Working groups
“State of the Practice” document
Standardized monitoring protocols and metrics
Coast-wide spatfall monitoring
Parallel studies in each state/region
Standardized protocols for use of oyster shell
Restoration/Research Recommendation Highlights
Develop explicit goals and appropriate metrics for assessment
View restoration as experiments, explore basic biology and limiting factors
Ecological studies on population bottlenecks
Monitor current populations
Protect productive areas
Habitat enhancement (natural recruitment)
Id potential sites – high recruitment, low predation, etc.
Consider using native shell, or materials that will biodegrade quickly
Genetics/hatchery supplementation – some very cautionary
Conservative approach – lacking genetic info
Use local populations; minimize changes to allele frequency; maximize
genetic diversity (large # of parents, unrelated parents, balance
contribution of parents)
Build constituencies!!
Oyster restoration makes a good story
Reach out to broad community – tideland owners, growers, tribes,
agencies, volunteer organizations, watershed groups, funders, media;
create opportunities to engage and educate
NOAA Restoration Center
Community-based
Restoration Program (CRP)
Fosters community support through hands-on citizen involvement in
fishery habitat restoration projects (e.g., wetlands, seagrass beds,
dam removal, coral reefs, oyster reefs etc.)
Creates partnerships with local constituencies
Leverages technical expertise and funds
Instills stewardship and conservation values
Over 1450 projects funded since 1996
“Celebrating 10 years of coastal restoration”
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the enthusiastic participation and support of the attendees and funders of the 2006 West Coast Native Oyster Workshop. The contents of this poster are generally derived from workshop presenters/participants. Thanks also to the NOAA Restoration Center for their support to present at this conference.