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The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Program

The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Program. R. Babb, J.Hearon and C. Tomlin NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife Delaware Bay Office Port Norris, NJ 08349, USA. E. Powell, D. Bushek and K. Alcox Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Port Norris, NJ 08349, USA.

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The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Program

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  1. The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Program R. Babb, J.Hearon and C. Tomlin NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife Delaware Bay Office Port Norris, NJ 08349, USA E. Powell, D. Bushek and K. Alcox Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Port Norris, NJ 08349, USA

  2. Crassostrea virginica is an estuarine species inhabiting waters of ~ 5 to 30 ppt (ocean water is typically 35 ppt) New York New Jersey Philadelphia Delaware Bay Baltimore Washington Chesapeake Bay Delaware

  3. Ecosystem Function Oysters are a keystone species in the Delaware Bay, providing the basis for a vast community of benthic organisms. Oysters and the reefs they create increase habitat and faunal diversity and through their high filtration capacity, they can even improve water quality.

  4. Haskin Lab Bivalve, NJ - 1928 Oystering By Sail & Power

  5. Seed Beds Leased Grounds (33,000+ acres) Seed Beds Leased Grounds Traditional Fishery • Culture Intensive • Wild oyster seed harvested from seed beds in upper bay (good survival but slow growth) • Seed transplanted to leased grounds in lower bay (good growth and market-quality meats)

  6. Important to note that this harvest was augmented from oyster seed imported from southern states. Not really sustainable! Prosperity! 1880-1930 Annual harvests from 1 to 2 million bu.

  7. Courtesy of S. Ford MSX Strikes

  8. 1960s & 1970s: Native oysters develop some resistance to MSX disease. Population abundance was high and relatively stable during the 1970s. 1981: NJDEP implements a limited-entry licensing system Through mid ‘80s, oyster industry provides steady employment Gradual Recovery & Limited Entry They are still fishing!!!!

  9. MSX & Dermo! MSX Again MSX Dermo Direct Market Beds Closed Beds Closed

  10. 1996-2008: 35 to 77 vessels participate annually State of Delaware begins direct market program in 2001 A Change In Management 1995: Due to Dermo --- Direct Market Program allows oystermen to harvest oysters (> 2.5 inches) for direct sale.

  11. Harvest Stabilization Significant progress has been made toward stabilizing oyster production. Delaware Bay consistently produces a high value oyster Photo: B.C. Posadas

  12. Dermo Onset Unprecedented Low Recruitment!

  13. Clean Shell, Right Place, Right Time = Baby Oysters It’s Not Rocket Science!

  14. Towed Camera Divers

  15. I still got time…I can still change my major….be a roofer…a Sewage plant gate cleaner! Hard…Soft mud…shell… man I hate this! THE POLE Pole Trainee

  16. Many Thanks to Delaware Coastal Mgmt. Program!!! DE Coastal Program Bart Wilson, Dave Carter Acoustic-Sediment Classification Purple = shell Bottom classification based on ‘hardness’

  17. Main Ship Channel Ship John Middle Courtesy of DNREC – Bart Wilson Bottom sediment distribution on NOAA bathymetry chart, showing the slumping of oyster shell from the Middle / Ship John beds into channel.

  18. High Recruitment Zones of Lower Bay Percentage of years in which natural oyster set on NJ side of Bay will be at least 20 spat per clean oyster shell surface

  19. NJDEP’s Pilot Project Shell planted – July ‘03 During the summer of 2003, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) conducted a multiphase shell-planting program with the objective of augmenting juvenile abundance on the state seed beds by taking advantage of the extraordinary set potential of the lower Bay.

  20. NJDEP’s Pilot Project Spatted shell reharvested – Sept. ‘03

  21. 25,000 bu. clam shell planted ~16,500 bu. of spatted cultch recovered and transplanted ~1,800 spat per bushel (112 times the ’03 Bay average (only 16 spat/bu.!) 30 million oysters were transplanted to the restoration site (Bennies Sand). What did we get out of this project?

  22. 2006 SAW estimated the site would contribute 13,393 bushels to the 2006 harvest, a 26% increase. Ex-vessel value of nearly $500,000 (project cost $42,000) Total economic benefit of nearly $3 million dollars. Total cost-benefit ratio > $50 to every $1 invested by the State. What did we get out of this project?

  23. PRIME THE PUMP AND THE INDUSTRY WILL FUND SHELLPLANTING PROGRAM NJ AND DE OYSTERMEN PAY A $1.25- $2.00 PER BUSHEL LANDING FEE A Partnership Approach! US Army Corps of Engineers NJDEP, Division of Fish and Wildlife DEDNREC, Division of Fish & Wildlife NJ & DE Oyster Industry Rutgers University, Haskin Laboratory Delaware River and Bay Authority Delaware River Basin Commission Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Delaware Estuary Program Township of Commercial State & Federal Legislative Team Cumberland Co. Empowerment Zone Combined efforts of partners have led to the use of $6.5 million in an effort to revitalize the oyster resource in Delaware Bay.

  24. NJ & DE Sites 2005 2006 19 sites in NJ 9 sites in DE 2007

  25. Count it! Measure it! Load it! Move it! Plant it!

  26. Native vs. Planted Shell Low recruitment years GoodYear throughout Bay Delaware Estuary Science Conference

  27. The ’05 -‘08 programs involved the planting of ~1.8 million bushels of shell throughout the Bay. 2005 Metrics: Plantings had mean recruitment rates nearly 14 times the baywide mean. 2006 Metrics: Native shell in NJ naturally attracted only 21 spat per bushel, baywide. In contrast, shell planted in high recruitment zones yielded ~ 2,200+ spat per bushel ---- over 105 times more spat than native shell. 2007 Metrics: Good set throughout Bay – breaks string of 7 yrs of poor recruitment. Native shell performed as well as planted shell. Shell budget of NJ beds in balance for first time in a decade. How Have We Done So far?

  28. Projected Yield Bushels Planted Year 2005 230,648 >57,000 bushels 478,650 2006 >139,000 bushels* 2007 275,683 >108,000 bushels 2008 350,000+ ??????????? Multiple year harvest projections, while often tenuous due to the vagaries of nature, have the potential to significantly increase future commercial harvests. Harvest Projections from Restoration Sites *2006+2007 set 2007 Harvest in NJ = 81,235 Bushels

  29. The Tip of the Spear “The Wizard” Dr. Eric Powell

  30. New Jersey MUST find a way to utilize the Cape Shore Flats My Personal Crusade!

  31. “Forty-two percent of all statistics are made up” – Steven Wright, Comedian, Fake Author Program is designed to “jump-start” the process while increasing industry reinvestment. Designed to be self-sustaining Seems to be working! Questions? Thompson’s Beach, Cumberland Co., NJ

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