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Southeast Watershed Alliance Symposium Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 11 May 2011

Southeast Watershed Alliance Symposium Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 11 May 2011 Oyster Restoration, Aquaculture, and Bioextraction in New Hampshire Ray Grizzle Jackson Estuarine Laboratory & Department of Biological Sciences

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Southeast Watershed Alliance Symposium Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 11 May 2011

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  1. Southeast Watershed Alliance Symposium Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 11 May 2011 Oyster Restoration, Aquaculture, and Bioextraction in New Hampshire Ray Grizzle Jackson Estuarine Laboratory & Department of Biological Sciences University of New Hampshire, ray.grizzle@unh.edu, http://oyster.unh.edu

  2. Presentation Overview • Status of natural oyster populations • Restoration of natural reefs • The aquaculture/restoration connection • Oyster farming in New Hampshire • Nitrogen bioextraction by farmed oysters

  3. Status of Natural Oyster Populations (Data from NH Fish & Game Department; graphics from Phil Trowbridge, PREP)

  4. The 2006 Recruitment

  5. General Oyster Reef Restoration Protocol in NH • Identify restoration site: site survey, consultations • with stakeholders, etc. • Design restoration project: shell “planting,” remote • setting/spat-on-shell production, nursery grow-out, • “spat seeding,” • Secure permits from relevant regulatory agencies • Purchase, arrange for delivery of needed materials: • dead mollusc shells, oyster larvae, etc. • Secure contracts with marine construction company, • other subcontractors • Do restoration work (if you have time/energy/$ left)…

  6. General Oyster Reef Restoration Protocol in NH • (1) Construct reef base using dead/seasoned mollusc shell: • 100% cover of 1 acre requires ~100 yd3 of shell minimum • Subcontract to marine construction company typically required • General method shown above

  7. General Oyster Reef Restoration Protocol in NH (2) “Seed” reef base with spat-on-shell from remote setting of oyster larvae

  8. Summary of NH Oyster Restoration Projects

  9. HISTORIC Funding Sources for Oyster Restoration • Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership • US Environmental Protection Agency • National Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin. • Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology • National Estuarine Research Reserve System • New Hampshire Sea Grant • The Nature Conservancy • City of Dover • Natural Resources Conservation Service

  10. The Aquaculture/Restoration Connection • Rationale: oyster farmers know how to • raise oysters… • USDA/NRCS funded restoration of 3 • acres of bottom area in NH in 2010; • a 0.5-acre project is scheduled for 2011 • The future?

  11. Existing Oyster Farms in New Hampshire

  12. Determining the Potential for Expansion of Oyster Aquaculture in New Hampshire • Secure maps or data needed to produce maps • Produce maps of major factors affecting shellfish farming • Interview stakeholders • Assess all relevant environmental information in • context of social factors • Assist prospective farmers • Interface with regulatory and management agencies

  13. Mapping the Major Factors Maximum PSP toxicity values in estuary Bathymetry, eelgrass, shellfish closures

  14. Interpreting the Maps • Map overlay method • assesses multiple factors • Potential aquaculture • areas = adequate depth • + open for harvesting • + no eelgrass • (+ or - other factors)

  15. Nitrogen bioextraction by farmed oysters • Two age/size classes (0 year, • 1 year) deployed at 6 sites • Deployed off-bottom in • oyster bags typical for NE • Variables: shell height, soft tissue DW, %N, %C • CHN/O elemental analyzer (USEPA, Narragansett, RI) • ANOVAs on dependent variables

  16. Results

  17. Results

  18. Some ‘what/if’ Scenarios • Today: • 10 acres, 200,000 oysters/ac/yr, 0.3 g N/oyster: • 0.67 ton N • The Future?: • 50 acres  3.4 tons N/yr • 100 acres  6.8 tons N/yr

  19. What factors are involved in estimating the nitrogen bioextraction potential for farmed oysters in NH? • Present: • Three farms, <100,000 oysters sold in 2010 • Future: • How many farms can be permitted in NH? • What is maximum farm production? • How do we accurately quantify bioextraction? • What role(s) should oyster farming play?

  20. Next Steps • 2011/2012 USEPA-funded study • 1-yr deployment, multiple sites, etc. • 2012 Completion of NOAA/NMFS-funded study • Assessment of shellfish aquaculture expansion • potential • Ongoing management/regulatory process • ?????

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