(2) Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory Rutgers University

“Seeding the Seed Beds”Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration

Program Russell Babb1, Jason Hearon1,

David Bushek2 and Eric Powell2

(1) NJDEP, Division of Fish and Wildlife Marine Fisheries Administration

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

39.1

39.2

39.3

39.4

39.5

39.1

39.2

39.3

39.4

39.5

75.5 75.4 75.3 75.2 75.1

75.5 75.4 75.3 75.2 75.1

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

Ecological Function,

Ecosystem Services

Keystone species providing the basis for a vast community of benthic organisms. Important as foraging, nursery and spawning habitat to many species.

 Oysters and the reefs they create increase habitat and faunal diversity and with their high filtration capacity, can possibly improve water quality (latter sometimes oversold).

Bivalve, NJ – ca. 1928

Oystering By Sail & Power

Traditional Fishery

Culture Intensive

• Wild oyster seed was harvested from natural beds in the upper bay (good survival, slower growth)

• Seed was transplanted to private grounds in lower bay (good growth and market-quality meats)

NEW JERSEY

DELAWARE

Seed Beds

Courtesy of Susan Ford

Leased Grounds

Prosperity!

In Cumberland Co., NJ, there were more millionaires per capita than anywhere in else in the U.S.!

Important to note that this harvest was augmentedfrom seed imported from southern states

1880-1930

Annual harvests from 1 to 2 million

bu.

Parasites

MSXDermo

Humans

Fishing

The oyster has many enemies!

Competitors

Fouling

Predators

Drills

Crabs

Slide courtesy of J. Kraeuter

MSX Strikes

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 - 2005

Direct Market Program

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

Dermo Arrives!

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

Dermo Onset

1990

Beds Closed'87-'89

MSX Resurgence

1985

Beds Closed'92-'94

MSX Onset

1957

New Jersey Oyster Landings - Delaware Bay1956 - 2005

Direct Market Program

A Change In Management

1995: Direct Market Program commences, allowing oystermen to harvest oysters greater than 2.5 inches for direct sale.

1996-2006: 35 to 74 vessels participate annually

The State of Delaware followed suit in 2001 with amendments to their regulations that permitted

the direct marketing of oysters from their seed beds.

How Do We Assess the Stock?

Formalized stock assessment includes:

1) a rigorous stock survey (performed by Rutgers University’s Haskin Shellfish Research Lab),

2) an annual stock assessment workshop,

3) use of a coupled fisheries-disease model for projections of yearly harvest.

Harvest Stabilization

Significant progress has been made toward stabilizing oyster production.

Delaware Bay consistently produces a high value oyster

B.C. Posadas

10 - 11 May 2005Delaware Estuary Science Conference

Bay Wide Spat Set 1953-2005

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1953

1955

1957

1959

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

Year

Spat Per Bushel

Average Spat per Bu.

Pre-Dermo Baywide Mean

Post-Dermo Baywide Mean

Low Recruitment Mean

Unprecedented Low Recruitment!

Dermo Onset

A Shellplanting Program

The most effective method to increase oyster production is to plant clean shell (also known as cultch) at the appropriate time to provide a clean surface for setting larvae.C.L. McKenzie

Shell covered by silt. C.L. McKenzie

Shell with silt removed.

Benthic Sled Transect across ‘Shell Rock’ Oyster Bed

- Spring 2006 -

High Recruitment Zones of Lower Bay

38.7

38.9

39.1

39.3

39.5

39.7

38.7

38.9

39.1

39.3

39.5

39.7

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

Percentage of years in which natural oyster set on NJ side of Bay will be at least 20 spat per clean oyster shell surface (Haskin Lab)

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.

38.7

38.9

39.1

39.3

39.5

39.7

38.7

38.9

39.1

39.3

39.5

39.7

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

39.1

39.3

39.5

39.7

38.7

38.9

39.1

39.3

39.5

39.7

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?

• The restoration site was monitored by DEP and HSRL staff for 2.5 years.

• Disease levels and mortality were generally low while growth was excellent.

• 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.

• Six-acre project site (only 1% of Bennies Sand seedbed) had 58 percent of all of the marketable oysters on the bed.

• Total cost-benefit ratio > $50 to every $1 invested by the State.

What did we get out of this project?

Benthic Sled Transect across Bennies Sand 2003 clam shell plant

- Spring 2006 -

Federal Initiative: 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

US Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS Fish and Wildlife Service

June 2003: NJDEP conducts pilot scale program at a cost of $42,000

February 2005: NJDEP allocates $300,000 for shell-planting program

June 2005: Township of Commercial awarded $300,000 by Federal Empowerment Zone Program

June 2005: $300,000 federal allotment via Congressman Frank A.

LoBiondo to be shared with the state of Delaware

November 2005: $2 million dollar federal allotment via Senators Biden & Carper (DE), Lautenberg & Menendez

(NJ), Congressmen LoBiondo (NJ), Castle (DE) & Governors Minner (DE) and Corzine (NJ)

Funding Sources for Shell Planting Program

~ 278,000 bushels of clam shell in NJ & DE waters

2005 Shell Planting Program

How Did We Do Last Year?2005 Metrics:

• 6 sites planted with an mean recruitment rate nearly 14 times the baywide mean

• Plantings enhanced recruitment ‘bay-wide’ by 10 percent, despite planting only 100 acres.

• The Shellrock shell plants accounted for 52.4 percent of the bed’s total 2005 recruitment.

• On all of the high mortality beds (10,250 acres), a single 25-acre shell plant on Bennies Sand accounted for 10.7 percent of that region's total recruitment.

2006 Shell Planting Program

• June & July 2006: 500,000+ bu. of clam shell planted on 10 to 12 sites in Delaware Bay (NJ DE)

• Two sites located in NJ’s lower Bay-high recruitment zones

Early Monitoring of 2006 Lower Bay Sites

Bennies Sand - Grid 6 Bennies Sand - Grid 6

Received 14,711 bu. of spatted cultchReceived 14,711 bu. of spatted cultch

Clam Shell: 1,621+ spat/bu. clam shellClam Shell: 1,621+ spat/bu. clam shell

(Range: 135 to 3,344 spat/bu.)(Range: 135 to 3,344 spat/bu.)

Total Mean Spat/Bu. = 851Total Mean Spat/Bu. = 851

Bennies Sand - Grid 12Bennies Sand - Grid 12

Received 15,828 bu. of spatted cultchReceived 15,828 bu. of spatted cultch

Clam Shell: 1,272+ spat/bu. clam shellClam Shell: 1,272+ spat/bu. clam shell

(Range: 384 to 2,540 spat/bu.)(Range: 384 to 2,540 spat/bu.)

Total Mean Spat/Bu. = 844Total Mean Spat/Bu. = 844

spat 1.JPGspat 1.JPG

Note: mean during poor recruitment period is only 21 spat/bu.Note: mean during poor recruitment period is only 21 spat/bu.

Outlook

The program is designed to simply “jump-start” the process while increasing complimentary industry reinvestment.

It will be self-sustaining!

State & Federal assistance is needed for 4 to 5 years (until year 1 & 2 oysters become harvestable).

Ship John Lighthouse

Just in case you have learned absolutely

nothing from this presentation:

Original Name of the Beach Boys: “Carl & the Passions”.

“Forty-two percent of all statistics are made up” – Steven Wright, Fake Author, Comedian

95% of Americans put on the their left sock first.

Fact: Kangaroos cannot back up.

Fact: Americans consume 450 hot dogs every second.