Connectivity Among Three Restored Crassostrea Virginica Bars in the Severn River Estuary: Implications for Oyster Recovery Efforts
Abstract
In an effort to improve water quality and enhance the Crassostrea virginica fishery, many oyster restoration bars have been placed in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. While recent spat-on-shell plantings have shown promise for juvenile survival, the cost of replacing laboratory-reared spat on restored beds may prohibit largescale restoration initiatives. Nevertheless, bars are often placed in sub-estuaries with poorly described physical conditions and circulation dynamics. Therefore the potential for the restored bars to either re-seed themselves or serve as larval sources for other beds remains unclear. Objectives In this project we sought to describe the physical and biological (planktonic) habitat at 3 oyster restoration sites in Chesapeake Bay tributaries (College Creek (CC), Weems Creek (WC), and Lake Ogleton (LO); Annapolis, Maryland USA, Figure 1), and begin to evaluate ecological connectivity among those sites. Specifically, this work had the following 5 goals: 1) To determine whether temperature and salinity at the 3 restoration sites favor both the survival of the adults and spat placed there, and oyster spawning. 2) To use real-time current velocities and wind data to predict larval trajectories, in the event that physical conditions are favorable for spawning. 3) Ground-truth the simulated trajectories with ARGOS-tracked Lagrangian drifters. 4) To determine whether or not the planktonic assemblages in the vicinity of the restored bars include oyster larvae, and quantify how the zooplankton assemblage changes seasonally. 5) To engender collaborations with research groups at other institutions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA518657
Entities
People
- C. N. Steppe
Organizations
- United States Naval Academy