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Workshops & Meetings Related to Oyster Restoration
Goals, abstracts, presentations, and findings from recent workshops related to oyster restoration.
Aquaculture 2010
March 1-5, 2010: San Diego, California
View the schedule of sessionsNSA session (PDF)
Olympia Oyster Research and Restoration
12th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration
September 15-18, 2009: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Prince Edward Island will host the 12th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration from September 15 to 18, 2009 on Prince Edward Island, Canada. 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.
The conference is being sponsored by the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development and Fisheries and Oceans Canada and co-hosted by the Prince Edward Island Shellfish Association.
Visit the conference websiteDownload the conference flyer (PDF)
11th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration
November 19-22, 2008: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
The meeting provided an opportunity for resource managers, shellfish farmers, community activists, historians, and anthropologists to exchange ideas and information which will help us restore molluscan shellfish populations while improving water quality and the environmental health of our estuarine and coastal systems.
Measuring, Valuing and Creating Markets for Non-Extractive Ecosystem Services Associated with Bivalve Shellfish
September 24-25, 2008: University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
Workshop Objectives: (1) Identify and quantify non-extractive ecosystem services that have direct or indirect economic value (i.e., those with documented value or those services that might reasonably be expected to be of significant economic value); (2) Synthesize ecological information and compile case studies of valuation methodologies directly useful for supporting management decisions; (3) Identify market institutions for each ecosystem service that could potentially be effective in providing private incentives; and (4) Identify critical information gaps and design a research agenda for addressing these information gaps in near-term.
10th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration (ICSR)
November 12-16, 2007: The Netherlands
“Innovation in the exploitation and management of shellfish resources”
Exploitation and management of shellfish populations is an important issue for stakeholder groups such as shellfish industry, nature conservation NGO’s and governments. Uncertainty in resource availability (recruitment, algal production and quality, space) puts pressure on the industry and asks for innovations.
For environmental protection, knowledge is required of impacts of shellfish exploitation and of methods for restoration and improvement of exploitation. Regulation and management of exploited shellfish resources, particularly in nature conservation areas, is a priority issue for governmental institutions as conflicts of interest are manifest.
West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop Agenda
August 13-15, 2007: Shelton, Washington
The purposes of the workshop were: 1) To share the current state of knowledge regarding native oyster restoration efforts; 2) To bring together the best available science and identify research needs that will help to guide future restoration efforts; 3) To develop guidelines and methods for future oyster restoration efforts; and 4) To publish proceedings and guidance for oyster restoration practitioners.
Florida Oyster Restoration Summit
March 14-15, 2007: Florida FWCC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
The primary goals of the workshop were to introduce those active in reef restoration to one another, to learn the specific details of the many restoration projects that are underway, to provide those practitioners with an ecological and regulatory framework within which to consider their restoration projects, and to establish a durable conduit for communication among groups. To accomplish these goals, the first day of this two-day workshop was devoted to presentations from scientists and managers regarding oyster reef ecology and function, physical structure of reefs, present status of reefs in Florida coastal waters, practical considerations for building a reef, and the permitting requirements associate with reef construction. The second day of the workshop was then devoted to descriptions of specific reef restoration projects, and a total of eleven case studies were presented. The workshop ended with a panel discussion of issues and considerations regarding reef restoration and function.
The workshop was surprisingly well-attended and rewardingly well-received. Over 80 representatives from government, academia, NGOs, and private interests attended to hear a total of 26 presentations. Opportunities to meet, greet, and discuss topics of interest occurred during morning and afternoon hospitality sessions, during lunch, and during evening grazing expeditions. However, the true value of the workshop will only be realized with regard to the achievement of those original goals, with particular emphasis on increased communication among the various groups. Work is underway to develop a web-based communication scheme.
Panel Discussion General Findings
We posed the question “What factors should be considered when deciding how to scale restoration projects.” The general observations gleaned from the discussion were: The purpose of the restoration project and site specific characteristics will inform decisions on the scale or size of any particular project. For example, if the intent is to restore oyster beds to known historic distributions one must have information on the historic distributions, current site conditions such as water quality and seasonal flow regime, and future activities that may impact water quality and flow regime. Economics will drive the scale of restoration projects designed to enhance aquaculture. While some restoration project may seek to restore all of the services once provided by now vanished or greatly diminished reefs, others may wish to focus on a specific service such as water quality improvement or wave abatement. In such cases, projects can be scaled to achieve the desired level of service within the constraints of existing environmental parameters. Due to substantial changes in some watersheds and ⁄ or estuaries, it may not be appropriate (or possible) to restore reefs in historic locations or to historic proportions. In these types of situations, restoration of services can be accomplished in currently suitable areas.
View agenda, abstracts, and presentations
West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop
September 6-8, 2006: San Rafael, California, USA
The purpose of the workshop was to share the current state of knowledge regarding native oyster restoration efforts; bring together the best available science and identify research needs that will help to guide future restoration efforts; and develop guidelines and methods for future oyster restoration efforts.
The following link will take you the NOAA site to download a document containing the workshop proceedings and a guidance manual for oyster practitioners.
Follow this link to download proceedings
7th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration
November 17-20, 2004: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
"An Overview of Current Oyster Reef Restoration in the U.S.: Project Goals, Associated Success Criteria, Site Selection and Related Metrics," was presented at a special session titled “Restoration Approaches, Metrics, and Monitoring.”
South Carolina Sea Grant Oyster Restoration Metrics Workshop
May 2004: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
The decline of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, once a dominant feature of most Atlantic and Gulf coast estuaries, has led to large- and small-scale restoration efforts throughout the oyster’s range. Successes and failures in reef restoration have varied throughout the region. Understanding why different restoration projects succeed or fail is critical to the future optimal use of limited resources (e.g., shells, manpower) and the deployment of cost-effective, successful reef restoration projects. Communicating the results of ongoing oyster reef construction and assessment efforts also is vital. Leading oyster reef restoration practitioners from throughout the Gulf of Mexico and eastern U.S. coastal states met to discuss restoration goals, site selection parameters, metrics to assess success, and associated monitoring methods at a South Carolina Sea Grant sponsored workshop held in Myrtle Beach in May, 2004.
The following document summarizes the results of that workshop, providing a concise and non-technical explanation of the current state of knowledge regarding the why, where, what, and how of oyster reef restoration. It also expands on the workshop results to include information and approaches developed since 2004.
Download document (PDF)
View workshop summary presentations
Remote Sensing of Shellfish Habitats Workshop
June 27-28, 2003: Kimbel Lodge, USC, Georgetown, South Carolina, USA
Sponsors:
ACE Basin and North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, SCDHEC
Invited speakers provided information and generated discussions on the current state of our knowledge on remote sensing approaches, specifically those employed or considered to evaluate that status of intertidal and subtidal shellfish habitats and associated change over time in marsh-edge habitats. Speakers included researchers and managers from Florida to New Hampshire that have been working with subtidal and intertidal oyster habitats. Discussions centered on: (1) the needs of current and future mapping efforts; (2) the suitability of various remote sensing approaches; (3) software and approaches that would help automate image analysis; (4) the costs and needs to undertake larger efforts; and (5) the capabilities and cost effectiveness of employing remote sensing techniques. The presentations included general overviews of acoustic and single beam, multispectral and hyperspectral methodologies currently in use. The discussions were intended to be critical of any approach, rather a sharing of success stories, ideas and information.
Organizers (current contacts):
Dr. David Bushek, Assistant Professor, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University: Co-Organizer
Dr. Loren Coen, Director, SCCF Marine Lab: Co-Organizer