Oyster Restoration in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama:
Building on the Oyster Gardening Program
Submitted to the NEP/NOAA Community-Based Restoration Partnership
I. Applicant Information
i. Auburn University/Alabama Cooperative Extension System
2. Contact Address
i. , Office of Sponsored Programs Samford Hall Auburn University AL 36849 310
http://www.auburn.edu/research/vpr/contracts/index.html
II. Project Contact
1. Phillip L. Waters, Jr., Extension Specialist
2. Auburn University’s Marine Research & Extension Center, 4170 Commanders Drive,
Mobile, AL 36615
3. Phone: 251.438.5690
4. Fax: 251.438.5670
5. waterph@auburn.edu
6. http://www.facebook.com/AUShellfishLab
7. Alabama Congressional District 1
III. Project Information
1. Oyster Restoration in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama: Building on the Oyster Gardening
Program
2. Start date, February 1, 2010
3. End Date, July 31, 2011
4. Fairhope & Bon Secour Bay, Baldwin County, Alabama
5. Land ownership is a combination of private (Fairhope) and public (Bon Secour Bay)
6. Type of habitat: Oyster Reef
7. NOAA Trust Resources to benefit from restoration
i. Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica;
ii. Blue crab, Callinectes sapidus;
iii. Numerous commercially and recreationally important finfish;
iv. Oyster reef habitat and other associated trust resources
8. Partners
i.
Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program (MBOGP)
ii. Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory (AUSL)
iii. University of South Alabama (USA)
iv.
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP)
v.
Citizen volunteers
9. Permits
i.
Permit for relaying oysters from the Alabama Marine Resources Division
obtained annually by AUSL
ii. Permit for oyster gardening sites from the Alabama Marine Resources Division
obtained annually by AUMERC
IV. Project Abstract
Oyster Restoration in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama
Page 1 of 5
1. Project objectives
i. Test effect of stocking large juvenile oysters onto experimental reefs within Bon Secour
Bay (BSB) upon larval recruitment over time
ii. Double annual production of oyster seed (to > 125,000/yr) by the MBOGP, as a source for
restoration efforts within Alabama’s coastal waters
iii. Restore, monitor & evaluate the success of > 1,000 m2 of oyster reef within 18-22 months
(> 500 m2/year @ 150 oysters/m2), and > 2,500 m2 within 5 years
iv. Involve the local community (480+ volunteer hours with > 12 volunteers @ > 40
hrs/volunteer) & educate the public about oyster restoration (100+ individuals through
> 4 presentations to school groups and/or civic organizations)
2. Project description
This project creates a distinct community garden component within the larger, established Mobile
Bay Oyster Gardening Program (MBOGP), where a community garden steward will work closely
with a select subset of current oyster gardeners and new volunteers to dramatically increase
MBOGP’s production of large (1-2”) juvenile oysters each fall as a source for oyster restoration
efforts within Alabama’s coastal waters. Establishment of the community oyster gardens will more
than double the annual MBOGP of 50,000 1-2” oysters/year to > 125,000, and restore 500 m2 of
oyster reef per year at 150 oysters/m2. This target density is based on levels observed by Hoese et
al. in the 1970’s and is significantly higher than the current density on natural reefs (S. Powers,
unpub. data).
Specifically, the oysters raised in the community gardens will be used to stock Shellbank Reef, an
ongoing USA research and restoration site in Bon Secour Bay (BSB). This site has small
established replicate reefs built by USA that have been monitored over time but have not
experienced an abundant natural set. Although this restoration site is in conditionally open waters
(as required by Alabama Marine Resource Division), the site is remote from the commercial
fishing fleet’s favored fishing grounds and primary homeports. Additionally, commercial harvest
is closed currently within Alabama’s public waters as a fisheries management measure and is
expected to remain closed through next year, as further legal protection of this site.
Though BSB provides suitable habitat for oysters and is a historically productive waterbody,
it is now hydrodynamically isolated from Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound by the modern
shipping channel. It is hypothesized that BSB is larval-supply limited, accounting for the poor
oyster recruitment at Shellbank Reef. If true, dense stocking of reproductive oysters may
improve annual oyster recruitment within BSB. Alternatively, environmental conditions in
BSB may have become less favorable for oysters over time (e.g., longer, albeit sporadic, low
oxygen events). BSB is a site of interest for restoration ecologists in the region and offers a
good opportunity for scientific study of oyster reef ecology. In November 2009, small numbers
of oysters were relayed to this area to conduct a pilot study of oyster survival. If survival of these
oysters falls bellows 50% within 6 months of relaying, this site will be rejected prior to this
project’s first relay (November 2010), as this rate would be significantly lower than
observed survival rates of oysters of this size in private culture conditions. There are
numerous potential restoration sites in Mobile Bay if this is the case, and an alternative site would
be selected through adaptive decision-making. Furthermore, USA personnel will monitor the
restoration site twice a year (April & Sept.) at stocked and unstocked replicate reefs (4
Oyster Restoration in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama
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quadrats/sample time @ 8 replicate reefs); an alternative site will be selected for future relays if
the density of stocked oysters falls below 50%.
By establishing steward-managed community oyster gardens, restoration efforts in the region will
be significantly enhanced. Currently, the MBOGP limits most volunteers to 4 cages/gardener to
limit the burden on any one individual but also limiting production of oysters. The community
garden program will raise 75,000 oysters within 100 cages/year, more than doubling the current
annual MBOGP production. Over two years, this project will restore > 1,000 m2 of oyster reef (>
500 m2/year @ 150 oysters/m2) and involve 480+ new volunteer hours. The steward is the catalyst
for this effort, and will work with a subset of current MBOGP oyster gardeners (pier owners
located along Mullet Point, Fairhope, AL) and new volunteers to deploy and maintain large
numbers of oyster cages at these oyster gardeners’ private piers (e.g., 25 cages at each of 4 piers).
As a primary responsibility, the steward will ensure cages and oysters are properly maintained and
monitored by volunteers to meet the restoration target of 75,000 oysters/year.
Additionally, the steward will maintain a weekly blog on the MBOGP website (currently being
developed with Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium for Jan. 2010 implementation), make
presentations to > 4 local groups and schools (building on relationships established by MBOGP to
educate 100+ individuals about oyster restoration), develop an ‘adopt an oyster garden’ program
(see below) where individuals & corporations can make donations to make this program
sustainable beyond the duration of this funding, coordinate relays of the oysters with the MBOGP
and USA, and assist with subsequent monitoring efforts and dissemination of monitoring results.
Each fall, the oysters will be collected from the community gardens at Mullet Point and relayed to
experimental high and low relief reefs (8 total) on Shellbank Reef, created and monitored by USA
since 2006. Each year, oysters raised in the community gardens will be stocked at ~150/m2 over 24 replicate areas, totaling > 500 m2. Survival, growth and recruitment will be monitored over time
by USA personnel. Additionally, oyster recruitment will be monitored for at least 4 years at 4
previously established USA monitoring stations (2006-2008) within BSB (W. Walton, as matched
time) to assess any effects of the restoration beyond Shellbank Reef. Short-term success will be
defined as > 50% survival of relayed oysters @ 6 mos after stocking (with an alternative
restoration site selected by consultation with project partners if this goal is not met). Long-term
success (5 yrs) will be defined as a statistically significant increase in average oyster recruitment
and establishment of oyster reefs with > 100 oysters/m2.
Finally, in an effort to increase public involvement and make this restoration program
economically sustainable, an ‘adopt an oyster garden’ program will be developed. Based on prior
work in Massachusetts with the Wellfleet Bay Audubon Sanctuary and The Nature Conservancy
(B. Walton), citizens were willing to donate money to shellfish restoration by ‘adopting a reef
ball’. Here we will develop a program in the next 18 months where each year an individual, group
or corporation can opt to sponsor the program by making donations (at pre-designated recognition
levels). These funds will be deposited into a restricted account to support ongoing and future
MBOGP expenses, such as supplies, salary and contracted work to ultimately allow this program
to be self-sustaining and reach the long-term (5 yr) restoration targets. Additionally, this aspect of
the program will give members of the public a sense of ownership of this restoration project.
Oyster Restoration in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama
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In the event of major storms that lead to the loss of oyster gardening cages, the project partners
will strive to increase production in subsequent years to compensate for any storm-related losses,
by increasing the number of cages, community gardens and volunteers. The requested budget
allows for funds for replacement cages.
3. Larger regional effort
This project ties together two larger regional efforts. First, it expands and builds upon the capacity
and framework of the MBOGP to provide large (1-2”) juvenile oysters for restoration and involve
volunteers in the restoration process. This program, now in its seventh year, has grown to over 50
gardeners and has supplied oysters to numerous locations within Mobile Bay.
Second, it further restores and enhances the investment made by USA and NOAA (as part of the
University of South Alabama Oyster Restoration Program) in creation of reefs within Bon Secour
Bay. This project will contribute to their ongoing research into the science of oyster restoration.
4. On the ground activities to be undertaken to achieve project objectives
i. Nursery culture of additional 75,000 oyster seed in 100 cages at community garden site per
year, including weekly maintenance and monitoring of oysters
ii. Contribute to restoration of 1,000 m2 of experimental reef at Shellbank in BSB within 1822 months through distribution of MBOGP oyster seed (75,000/yr) and potentially 2,500
m2 of oyster reef over five years.
iii. Monitoring of oyster survival, growth and recruitment by USA and AUSL (matched effort)
5. Project partners and contributions
i. Principal Investigators
1. Waters: Oversight of entire oyster gardening program (MBOGP) and the funded
project, extension programming, volunteer recruitment, public education
2. B. Walton, Community Garden Steward: Manager of day to day project operations,
oyster maintenance, volunteer coordination, public education, donor program
development and implementation
3. W. Walton: Coordination of monitoring of effects of oyster restoration, presentation
and publication of results in peer reviewed journals
ii. MBOGP: Provides framework for program, contributions to MBOGP newsletter and
website, source of community garden hosts
iii. AUSL: Provides bags of oyster-set shell and training to MBOGP volunteers, assists with
monitoring larval recruitment in BSB broadly
iv. USA: Provides reefs suitable for stocking at Shellbank, monitors oyster survival, growth
and recruitment at Shellbank sites, provides historical data for context
v. Mobile Bay National Estuary Program: Supports CCMP Implementation Action LR-C2 #2
and several EPI-A1 objectives
6. Community involvement
i. Hands-on care of oyster cages and monitoring of oyster growth and survival in this nursery
stage by 12+ volunteers at Mullet Point (480+ hours of volunteer time)
ii. Development of ‘adopt-an-oyster garden’, where individuals and corporations can
contribute funds to the program to allow the program to become self-sustaining
iii. Education through newspaper articles (weekly Sea Grant column), website blog,
newsletter, workshops and presentations (4+ to 100+ people) by the project manager
Oyster Restoration in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama
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V. Budget
1. NEP/CRP requested funds: $26,606
i.
Community Garden Steward (B. Walton), $20/hr @ 36 hrs/mo @ 18 mos Includes
TES Fee
1. The position is central to the success of this project with responsibilities including
oyster maintenance, volunteer coordination and management, updating a weekly
blog, public presentations, implementing a fund-raising effort, coordinating relays
to the restoration sites and assisting with monitoring. This position is essential for
coordination of volunteers and education/outreach effort
ii. Travel, $165/mo @ 18 mos (Waters, B. Walton, ~ 300 miles/month @ $0.55/mile)
iii. Equipment, $25/cage @ 150 cages (including 50 replacements for 2011 field season)
iv.
Contractual, AUMERC boat time, $207/day @ 8 days
v. Other, Oyster seed on bagged shell, 60 bags @ $30/bag (30 bags/yr)
1. Standard rate for Auburn University Shellfish Lab
2. Past efforts have yielded oyster set rates well over 4,000/bag
vi.
Indirect Charges of 15% (maximum rate allowed by funding agency) on $23,136
2. Matching contributions: $27,789
i.
W. Walton, 1.5 months salary over 18 months of project (Nine Month Appointment)
1. Additional time will be invested after project funding ends but is not included here
ii. Volunteers, 12 volunteers @ 2 hrs/wk @ 20 wks @ $20/hr
1. Includes volunteers tending oysters, helping with relay and assistance with
workshops with majority of activity during the warmer oyster growing season
iii. Fringe benefits, 33.19% of W. Walton’s matched salary
iv. Indirect Costs of $3,996 total
1. 5% of 20% off-campus rate waived on requested funds ($23,136) due to 15% cap
by funding agency for $1,157 match
2. 20% off-campus rate on matched W. Walton salary & fringe benefits ($2,839)
2/1/10 – 7/31/11
Personnel
- Staff
Partnership Request
12,960
- Volunteers
Fringe Benefits
Travel
Supplies
Contractual
Other
Total Direct Charges
Total Indirect
Charges
Total Budget
Amount of Funding
Match
Source of
Funding
Match
10,656
Auburn
University
9,600
3,537
Volunteers
Auburn
University
2,970
Monitoring
efforts by USA,
Project
management
by Waters
Monitoring by
USA
3,750
1,656
1,800
23,136
3,470
3,996
26,606
27,789
Oyster Restoration in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama
Additional
Effort*
Auburn
University
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