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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. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The Delaware Bay The Delaware Bay Oyster Oyster
Restoration ProgramRestoration Program
R. Babb, J.Hearon and C. Tomlin NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife
Delaware Bay OfficePort Norris, NJ 08349, USA
E. Powell, D. Bushek and K. Alcox Rutgers University
Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Port Norris, NJ 08349, USA
Crassostrea virginica is an estuarine species inhabiting waters of ~ 5 to 30 ppt (ocean water is typically 35 ppt)
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Washington
Chesapeake Bay
Delaware Bay
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Round Island
Upper Arnolds
Arnolds
Upper Middle
Middle
Shell Rock
Ship John
Cohansey
Nantuxent
Bennies
Bennies Sand
Vexton
Egg IslandLedge
New Beds
BeadonsHawk's Nest
StrawberryHog Shoal
6.5 - 14.5 ppt
9.0 - 16.5 ppt
14.0 - 20.0 ppt
17.0 - 22.5ppt
UPPER
UPPER CENTRAL
CENTRAL
LOWER
Sea Breeze
New Jersey
Delaware
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.
Bivalve, NJ - 1928
Haskin Lab
Oystering By Sail & Power
Seed Beds
Leased Grounds
Seed Beds
Leased Grounds (33,000+ acres)
Traditional
FisheryCulture 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)
Prosperity!
Important to note that this harvest was augmented from oyster seed imported from southern states. Not really sustainable!
1880-1930
Annual harvests from 1 to 2 million
bu.
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
YEAR
B
U
S
H
E
L
S
New Jersey Oyster Landings - Delaware Bay1956 - 2008
Direct Market Program
MSX Strikes
Courtesy of S. Ford
Gradual Recovery &
Limited Entry
•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
They are still fishing!!!!
MSX & Dermo!
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
YEAR
B
U
S
H
E
L
S
New Jersey Oyster Landings - Delaware Bay1956 - 2008
Direct Market Program
Beds Closed
Beds Closed
Dermo
MSX AgainMSX
Direct Market
A Change In Management
1995: Due to Dermo --- Direct Market Program allows oystermen to harvest oysters (> 2.5 inches) for direct sale.
1996-2008: 35 to 77 vessels participate annually
State of Delaware begins direct market program in 2001
Harvest Stabilization
Significant progress has been made toward stabilizing oyster production.
Delaware Bay consistently produces a high value oyster
Photo: B.C. Posadas
Bay Wide Spat Set 1953-2007
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1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
Year
Spat Per Bushel
Average Spat per Bu.
Pre-Dermo Baywide Mean
Post-Dermo Baywide Mean
Low Recruitment Mean
Unprecedented Low Recruitment!
Dermo Onset
It’s Not Rocket Science!
Clean Shell, Right Place, Right Time = Baby Oysters
Towed Camera Divers
Hard…Soft mud…shell…
man I hate this!
I still got time…I can still change my major….be a roofer…a Sewage plant
gate cleaner!
THE POLE
Pole Trainee
Bottom classification based on ‘hardness’
Acoustic-Sediment
Classification
DE Coastal Program
Bart Wilson, Dave Carter
Many Thanks to Delaware Coastal Mgmt. Program!!!
Purple = shell
Bottom sediment distribution on NOAA bathymetry chart, showing the slumping of oyster shell from the Middle / Ship John beds into channel.
Middle
Ship John
Courtesy of DNREC – Bart Wilson
Main Ship Channel
High Recruitment Zones of Lower Bay
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NEW JERSEY
DELAWARE
DELAWAREBAY
50+35-50
35-5020-35
20-35
5-20
CapeMay
CapeHenlopen
Percentage of years in which natural oyster set on NJ side of Bay will be at least 20 spat per clean oyster shell surface
NJDEP’s Pilot Project
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.
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75.7 75.5 75.3 75.1 74.9 74.7
75.7 75.5 75.3 75.1 74.9 74.7
NEW JERSEY
DELAWARE
DELAWAREBAY
50+35-50
35-5020-35
20-35
5-20
CapeMay
CapeHenlopen
Shell planted – July ‘03
38.7
38.9
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75.7 75.5 75.3 75.1 74.9 74.7
75.7 75.5 75.3 75.1 74.9 74.7
NEW JERSEY
DELAWARE
DELAWAREBAY
50+35-50
35-5020-35
20-35
5-20
CapeMay
CapeHenlopen
NJDEP’s Pilot Project
Spatted shell reharvested – Sept. ‘03
What did we get out of this project?
• 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).
• 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?
A Partnership Approach!US Army Corps of Engineers US Army Corps of Engineers
NJDEP, Division of Fish and WildlifeNJDEP, Division of Fish and Wildlife
DEDNREC, Division of Fish & WildlifeDEDNREC, Division of Fish & Wildlife
NJ & DE Oyster IndustryNJ & DE Oyster Industry
Rutgers University, Haskin LaboratoryRutgers University, Haskin Laboratory
Delaware River and Bay AuthorityDelaware River and Bay Authority
Delaware River Basin CommissionDelaware River Basin Commission
Partnership for the Delaware EstuaryPartnership for the Delaware Estuary
Delaware Estuary ProgramDelaware Estuary Program
Township of CommercialTownship of Commercial
State & Federal Legislative TeamState & Federal Legislative Team
Cumberland Co. Empowerment ZoneCumberland 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.
PRIME THE PUMP AND THE INDUSTRY WILL FUND SHELLPLANTING PROGRAM
NJ AND DE OYSTERMEN PAY A $1.25- $2.00 PER BUSHEL LANDING FEE
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Over the Bar
Silver
Pleasanton's RockDrum
Lower Middle
Ridge
Shell Rock Nantuxent
Hawk's Nest
Bennies Sand
New Jersey
Delaware Delaware Bay
Cohansey
Ship John
Middle
2005
20062007
NJ & DE Sites19 sites in NJ
9 sites in DE
Load it! Measure it!
Plant it! Move it!
Count it!
10 - 11 May 2005Delaware Estuary Science Conference
2005 2006 20070
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Sp
at p
er
Bu
sh
el
Averages
0
50100
150200250
300350
400450500
Sp
at p
er
Bu
she
l2005*
0
400
800
1200
1600
2000
2400
Spa
t per
Bus
hel
on plant on native
2006
*
*
0
400
800
1200
1600
2000
2400
Sp
at p
er
Bu
she
l
on plant on native
2006
*
*
Low recruitment years
0
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2000
2400
Sp
at p
er
Bu
she
l
2007
* * *
Good Year throughout
Bay
Native vs. Planted Shell
How Have We Done So far?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.
*2006+2007 set
2007 Harvest in NJ = 81,235 Bushels
Multiple year harvest projections, while often tenuous due to the vagaries of nature, have the potential to significantly increase future
commercial harvests.
2006 >139,000 bushels*
2007 >108,000 bushels
2005 >57,000 bushels
Bushels Planted Projected Yield
230,648
478,650
275,683
2008 350,000+ ???????????
Year
Harvest Projections from Restoration Sites
“The Wizard”
Dr. Eric Powell
The Tip of the Spear
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75.7 75.5 75.3 75.1 74.9 74.7
75.7 75.5 75.3 75.1 74.9 74.7
NEW JERSEY
DELAWARE
DELAWAREBAY
50+35-50
35-5020-35
20-35
5-20
CapeMay
CapeHenlopen
New Jersey MUST find a way to utilize the Cape Shore Flats
My Personal Crusade!
Questions?
Program is designed to “jump-start” the process while increasing industry reinvestment. Designed to be self-sustaining
Seems to be working!
Thompson’s Beach, Cumberland Co., NJ
“Forty-two percent of all statistics are made up”
– Steven Wright, Comedian,
Fake Author