christine thompson , aleksandr modjeski , quinn whitesall ... · christine thompson1,2, aleksandr...
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Christine Thompson1,2, Aleksandr Modjeski1, Quinn Whitesall1, Shane Goodshall1, Cayla Sullivan3
1American Littoral Society2Stockton University
3Monmouth University
Core Partners
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
Stockton University Coastal Research Center
LJNiles and Associates
Funding provided by
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Department of Interior (US Fish and Wildlife Service)
William Penn Foundation
Geraldine R, Dodge Foundation
Project Components
Beach Restoration
Intertidal Reefs
Marsh Restoration
Monitoring
Outreach and Engagement
• Part of creating informed and resilient communities
• Creates jobs, strengthens communities
• Goals, benefits extend beyond the species being restored
• Track record of shellfish restoration lags behind other states• Do more to incorporate
science!
Importance of Restoration in New Jersey
Reeds Beach Restoration: Delaware Bay
Reeds Beach
• In 2015, South Reeds Beach was restored to pre-Hurricane Sandy Conditions
• Provide habitat for Red Knot and Horseshoe Crab
• Secondary goal of oyster reef creation and biodiversity enhancement
Reeds Beach Living Shoreline Design
Monitoring Ecosystem Services on Oyster Reefs
Many programs do not do this, or methods are not consistent (science-based restoration)
What can actually be assessed on the small-scale?
Oyster populations – tends to focus on marketable oysters
Biodiversity and fish habitat – sample community structure over time
Wave attenuation – intertidal reefs
Reeds Beach Biodiversity Monitoring
• Research questions:
• How does reef community/oyster abundance on inshore reef differ from offshore reef?
• How does reef community change with time?
• How might the reef structures promote benthic diversity and richness?
Reeds Beach Biodiversity Monitoring
• Performed bi-monthly from Aug-Oct 2015, then Apr, Aug, Oct 2016• Oyster recruitment• Community structure• Biodiversity enhancement
• Top bags sampled inshore (n = 3) and offshore (n = 2)• Mobile organisms - whole bag• Encrusting organisms (solitary and
colonial) – 5 shells per bag• Oyster abundance and size
structure (Oct and Apr) - 10 shells / per bag
• Benthic sampling transects
Reeds Beach: Oyster Abundance (Oct ‘15 – Oct ‘16)
• Oysters showed preference for settlement on inshore reef
• Higher winter mortality in inshore vs offshore
• Grow slightly bigger offshore
• New spat set observed in Oct-16
77% mortality
44% mortality
Reeds Beach: Species Richness
INSHORE
OFFSHORE
Reeds Beach: Mobile Organisms by Group
INSHORE OFFSHORE
• Molluscs dominated inshore, crabs offshore
• Abundance peaked mid-Sept
Reeds Beach: Mobile Dominant Taxa by Species
INSHORE OFFSHORE CRABS
MOLLUSCS
Reeds Beach: Encrusting Species
INSHORE OFFSHORE SOLITARY
COLONIAL
Reeds Beach: Summary
• Not-recruitment limited, diverse epifaunal communities
• Oysters fare better inshore than offshore (despite higher mortality)
• Xanthid crabs, mud dog whelk dominate mobile community inshore
• Xanthrid crabs, mud dog whelk dominate mobile community offshore (more diverse)
• Tube worms dominated early on inshore, and then oysters during fall set, offshore barnacles, Colonial Bryozoan
• Future work: compare to other sites constructed this year (Thompson’s beach, Moore’s beach)
For More Infowww.LittoralSociety.org
Project Websitewww.RestoreNJBayshore.org
Capt. Alek ModjeskiHabitat Restoration Program DirectorAmerican Littoral Societyalek@littoralsociety.org
Interested in learning more?Check out our “Hidden Coast” series
Wednesday 1:30-3:00 Newberry Room (3rd floor)
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