Oyster Restoration Workgroup

Oyster “consumer” on intertidal beds, Wilmington, NC (LDC)
Clam escalator in SC (LDC)
Intertidal oyster grow-out bags using C. virginica in PEI (LDC)
Close-up of intertidal oyster clusters (C. virginica) (LDC)
School group sampling restoration in SC (LDC)
Intertidal lease in SC, C. virginica recruits on stakes (LDC)
Deploying whelk shell in SC for enhancement (SCDNR)
Chinese lantern spat collectors in front of Rutger’s hatchery (LDC)
American oystercatcher on intertidal reefs, SC (LDC)
Close-up view of clam shell (Project PORTS)
Close-up of oyster (C. virginica) recruits (Project PORTS)
Clam shell bags for spat collection, Project PORTS, Cape May, NJ (LDC)
Dr. Bushek (Rutgers) in front of shell bag restoration effort, NJ (LDC)
Large C. virginica oyster from collections, Rutgers Lab (LDC)
Assortment of molluscs for sale, Little Italy, Bronx, NY (LDC)
Growing algae in hatchery, VIMS-ESL (LDC)
Experimental oyster reef construction, Charleston, SC (DNR)
Aerial image of a replicate experimental reef, Charleston, SC (LDC)
Enhanced lease area for intertidal C. virginica oysters, SC (LDC)
Reef construction using granite in Piankatank River, VA (Patrick Bloodgood/USACOE)
Oyster aquaculture in Chesapeake Bay (TNC)
Intertidal oyster restoration in Chesapeake Bay (TNC)

Mission

In recognition of the importance of oyster reefs to overall coastal ecosystem functions, large- and small-scale restoration of oyster reef habitats is ongoing in most coastal

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By joining the Oyster Restoration Workgroup we hope that your participation will help to increase professional contacts, facilitate interactions among disciplinary (e.g., municipal planners and research scientists) and geographically disparate groups, and ultimately develop new or unique networks of individuals interested in oyster reef restoration and related topics.

“Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico (2017)“ Final Now Available

NAS (2017). The Committee on Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities report on Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, D.C., 219pp. DOI: 10.17226/23476. Oyster reefs play a key role in this document, along with wetlands, seagrass, birds sea turtles and marine mammals. In order to ensure that the restoration goals are met and money is well spent as funded for these restoration efforts, restoration monitoring and evaluation are discussed as integral parts of these programs. Assessments of past restoration efforts have shown that monitoring is often inadequate or even absent. See link to get a PDF copy or to order the final version. You can download after creating a free MyNAP account or receive a discounted hard copy.

“Making Conservation and Restoration Count: Guidance for Effective Monitoring and Evaluation, NAS, 2017“

This NAS Consensus Study Report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine summarizes information on critical topics from the NAS (2017). The Committee on Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities report on Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico document, and others. It includes information on topics such as: Making a Case for Monitoring, Making Monitoring an Integral Part of the Plan Elements of an Effective, Monitoring Plan Standards for Data Collection and Stewardship, When to Use Adaptive Management, and Synthesis and Evaluation of Monitoring Results. For the document download pdf or see link

A Resource Guide to Relevant Materials, Suppliers and Sources for Shellfish Research, Sampling and Related Oyster Restoration and Living Shoreline Efforts (revised 8/14/18--please send your additions to L. Coen)

“Oyster Habitat Restoration Monitoring and Assessment Handbook” Now Available

The Handbook developed by a group with experience on issues related to oyster restoration from Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico (U.S.) states is now available. It includes a set of standardized monitoring approaches to quantify oyster restoration-related metrics. Its ultimate goal is to allow for more rigorous comparisons among areas and projects. The monitoring metrics and performance criteria were designed to address both the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and more generally the Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida. For additional information, see the drop-down items under the Restoration Practices menu item at the top of this page. For the pdf click here. For a hard copy contact Boze Hancock (bhancock@TNC.ORG) at TNC. The citation is: Baggett, L.P., S.P. Powers, R. Brumbaugh, L.D. Coen, B. DeAngelis, J. Greene, B. Hancock, and S. Morlock, 2014. Oyster habitat restoration monitoring and assessment handbook. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA, 96pp.

Dr. Coen’s Literature Compilation of Oyster Reef References (PDF)
(updated 5/24)

Recent and Upcoming Events & Conferences

28
May

2024 ACRN (Australian Coastal Restoration Network Symposium

Nature repair of Australasian marine and coastal ecosystems. Dates: 28-29th May, with an optional field trip on Thursday 30th May Location: The University of Sydney, NSW,

10
Apr

BEM 2024

The 52nd Benthic Ecology Meeting (BEM 2024) took place on April 10-14, 2024 in Charleston, SC, USA. Meeting website (see https://bem.disl.edu/bem2024.html. For Program see (https://bem.disl.edu/ScheduleAtGlance.pdf).

17
Mar

116th (2024) NSA Meeting

116th Annual NSA Meeting took place on March 17-21, 2024 in Charlotte, NC, USA (see https://www.shellfish.org/annual-meeting).

12
Nov

2023 CERF Biennial Conference

3–7 November, 2019, Mobile Convention Center, Mobile, AL (see http://www.erf.org/cerf-biennial-conference with updates)

6
Nov

Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (NORA) #5, 6th – 8th November, 2023

The Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (NORA), the European network for the restoration of native oyster (Ostrea edulis) reefs, held its 5th conference in November 6th–8th November, 2023.

“Setting Objectives for Oyster Habitat Restoration Using Ecosystem Services: a Manager's Guide” Now Available

This guide is intended to assist natural resource managers and restoration practitioners in making the case for oyster restoration and in setting quantitative objectives for restoring and managing oyster reefs and beds at an estuary or bay-wide scale. Determining the area of oyster restoration required has numerous applications. Ultimately the objective for oyster reef restoration should be considered with ecosystem services to develop an ecosystem-based plan on a system-wide scale.

zu Ermgassen, P.S.E., B. Hancock, B. DeAngelis, J. Greene, E. Schuster, M. Spalding, and R. Brumbaugh, 2016b. Setting objectives for oyster habitat restoration using ecosystem services: a manager’s guide. TNC, Arlington VA. 76pp.

A Guide to Olympia Oyster Restoration and Conservation

Identifies key environmental conditions affecting Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) in central California. Hard substrate, food, and relatively warm water temperatures were identified as important factors supporting sustainable oyster populations.

In contrast, low salinities and DO, warm air temperatures and abundant predators (e.g, oyster drills) were found to be the most important oyster stressors. The authors used data from 21 study sites in San Francisco Bay and Elkhorn Slough for their analyses. From the Climate Change and Olympia Oysters: San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project.

Wasson, K., C. Zabin, J. Bible, E. Ceballos, A. Chang, B. Cheng, A. Deck, T. Grosholz, M. Latta, and M. Ferner, 2014. A Guide to Olympia oyster restoration and Conservation: environmental conditions and sites that support sustainable populations in central California, Sept. 2014, San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 43pp.

Overall links to the document and related materials
Executive Summary
Full Report