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Oyster Restoration Workgroup’s Mission
Oysters and oyster reefs once were common along much of the U.S. coastline. The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, has declined to levels where serious thought is being given to introducing a non-native species, C. ariakensis, in the Chesapeake Bay. The Olympia oyster, Ostreola conchaphila, rarely is harvested today unless under aquaculture. Once valued primarily as a resource, oysters are now recognized as important “ecosystem engineers” in estuaries. Oysters create complex habitats relied on by numerous fish, crustaceans, bivalves, other invertebrates, birds, and mammals. During feeding, oysters also can filter large volumes of water, improving clarity and quality while transferring nutrients from the water column to the sediments. In recognition of the importance of oyster reefs to overall coastal ecosystem functions, large- and small-scale restoration of reef habitats is ongoing in most coastal states. However, consensus on what constitutes a successful reef restoration project currently does not exist.
The most commonly used metric of success has been the presence of market-sized oysters (75 mm or 3”), but in SC oysters >75 mm are <10% of all oysters at most sites. The Oyster Restoration Workgroup and this website were established to address questions of reef restoration success as well as all pertinent issues associated with the restoration of both intertidal and subtidal oyster reefs. Visitors will be able to view findings from past meetings and workshops, as well as details for upcoming events, obtain contact information for professionals and experts working in the field, obtain detailed descriptions of suggested approaches for measuring reef restoration success, and find links to the latest literature. Future additions to the site will depend on the needs of the oyster restoration community.
Shellfish at Risk: A Global Study
The Nature Conservancy has put together a PDF fact sheet on its project to identify the state, condition, and action needed to conserve shellfish ecosystems.
More information, including a fact sheet and some distribution maps, can be found here.
Download fact sheet (PDF)
Download document (PDF)
Upcoming Events
12th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration
Prince Edward Island will host the 12th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration from September 15 to 18, 2009. The conference brings together harvesters, researchers, resource managers and community leaders from around the world to exchange information on successful approaches to restoring shellfish populations and coastal ecosystems. Up to 200 delegates are expected to attend.
Visit the conference websiteDownload the conference flyer (PDF)