Healthy Bivalves = Healthy Watersheds · Healthy Bivalves = Healthy Watersheds: Rob Brumbaugh The...

Rebuilding Bivalve Biodiversity, Populations and Ecosystem Services as a Basis for Ecosystem Restoration

Danielle KreegerPartnership for the DE Estuary

Healthy Bivalves = Healthy Watersheds:

Rob BrumbaughThe Nature Conservancy

To be discussedThe Delaware Estuary Watershed

- orientation, bivalve species

- status and trends

To be discussed

Bivalve Natural Capital

- biodiversity

- biomass and ecoservices

- bioindicators

- commercial

- cultural-historical

The Delaware Estuary Watershed

- orientation, bivalve species

- status and trends

To be discussed

Bivalve Natural Capital

- biodiversity

- biomass and ecoservices

- bioindicators

- commercial

- cultural-historical

The Delaware Estuary Watershed

- orientation, bivalve species

- status and trends

Watershed Perspectives

- desired condition

- restoration for future steady states

- synergistic restoration/conservation

Extent of Climate Change

Ecosyste

m

Response

Abrupt Response

Threshold

Links & Processes

Things in Places

FunctionsNon-Tidal and

Tidal Linkages

To be discussed

Bivalve Natural Capital

- biodiversity

- biomass and ecoservices

- bioindicators

- commercial

- cultural-historical

The Delaware Estuary Watershed

- orientation, bivalve species

- status and trends

Watershed Perspectives

- desired condition

- restoration for future steady states

- synergistic restoration/conservation

Future Needs

Photo: Neves, VA Tech

The Watershed

13,611 Square Miles

Upper Watershed:undammed mainstemrecreational areawater supply for NYC

Tidal River:4th largest US urban centerworld’s largest freshwater portlong freshwater tidal reach

Lower Estuary:wetland dominatedwater fowl, finfish, shellfishhorseshoe crabs

Seat of the NationHistory as a “Working River”

1762 map showing Philadelphia on

the Delaware River

Slides adapted from Jonathan Sharp’s 2005

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Non-Profit Organization,

Established 1996

One of the 28 EPA

National Estuary Programs

The only tri-state, multi-

region NEP

CCMP: Watershed-based,

coordination of outreach,

education, restoration and

science advancementAlong the shore of the Christina River

Wilmington, DE

Bivalves

Bivalves of the Delaware

DRBC

Crassostrea virginica

Elliptio complanata

Geukensia demissa

11 Other Species of Freshwater Unionid Mussels

Mya arenaria

Rangia cuneata

Corbicula fluminea

Mytilus edulis

Ensis directus

Mercenaria mercenaria

Bivalves of the Delaware

DRBC

Mya arenaria

Corbicula fluminea

Ensis directus

Leptodea ochracea

?

Freshwater

Tidal for 70

River Miles

Bivalves

Ortmann, A.E. 1919.A monograph of the naiades

of Pennsylvania. Part III:

Systematic account of the

genera and species. Memoirs

of the Carnegie Museum

8(1):

Freshwater Mussel

Status and Trends

•

http://www.newgarden.org/whiteclay.htm

Recent Loss of

Strophitusfrom White Clay?

Mussel Surveys

White Clay Big Elk

X2000

2008

2000

2008

Scientific Name Scientific Name DE NJ PA

ALASMIDONTA HETERODON DWARF WEDGEMUSSEL Endangered Endangered Critically Imperiled

ALASMIDONTA UNDULATA TRIANGLE FLOATER Extirpated ? Threatened Vulnerable

ALASMIDONTA VARICOSA BROOK FLOATER Endangered Endangered Imperiled

ANODONTA IMPLICATA ALEWIFE FLOATER Extremely Rare no data Extirpated ?

ELLIPTIO COMPLANATA EASTERN ELLIPTIO common common Secure

LAMPSILIS CARIOSA YELLOW LAMPMUSSEL Endangered Threatened Vulnerable

LAMPSILIS RADIATA EASTERN LAMPMUSSEL Endangered Threatened Imperiled

LASMIGONA SUBVIRIDIS GREEN FLOATER no data Endangered Imperiled

LEPTODEA OCHRACEA TIDEWATER MUCKET Endangered Threatened Extirpated ?

LIGUMIA NASUTA EASTERN PONDMUSSEL Endangered Threatened Critically Imperiled

MARGARITIFERA MARGARITIFERA EASTERN PEARLSHELL no data no data Imperiled

PYGANODON CATARACTA EASTERN FLOATER no data no data Vulnerable

STROPHITUS UNDULATUS SQUAWFOOT Extremely Rare Species of Concern Apparently Secure

State Conservation Status

Patchy, ImpairedExtirpated

Rare

Lower Delaware Watershed

Elliptio complanata Strophitus undulatus Alasmidonta heterodon

BivalvesOyster Trends

http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=25475

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Millio

ns

o

f P

ou

nd

s

1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Year

Oyster landings in Delaware Bay: 1880 - 1980s

Delaware Estuary Oyster Seed Beds

39.1

39.2

39.3

39.4

39.5

39.1

39.2

39.3

39.4

39.5

75.5 75.4 75.3 75.2 75.1

75.5 75.4 75.3 75.2 75.1

Round Island

Upper Arnolds

Arnolds

Upper Middle

Middle

Shell R ock

Ship John

Cohans ey

Nantux ent

Bennies

Bennies Sand

Vexton

Egg IslandLedge

New Beds

BeadonsHawk's Nes t

StrawberryHog Shoal

6.5 - 14.5 ppt

9.0 - 16.5 ppt

14 .0 - 20.0 pp t

17 .0 - 22.5

pp t

UPPER

UPPER CENTRAL

CENTRAL

LOWER

Sea Breeze

From Rutgers HSRL

www.livingclassrooms.org/lbo/dermo/oyster2.jpg

From DRBC

Oyster Disease, Salinity & Climate Change

From Rutgers HSRL

Salt Line Location

Rutgers: “A 2 parts per thousand increase in salinity over the seed beds may push the oysters past a point of no return”

Oyster Reef Revitalization

FMCS & NSA: Documenting the Decline

PopulationBiomass

Biodiversity

Bivalve

Natural Capital

Five Reasons Why We Value Them

1. Biodiversity

Species Loss:↓ Intrinsic Losses

↓ Niches Filled

↓ Human Health

2. Biomass (Populations)

Biomass Loss:↓ EcoServices

↓ Fish & Wildlife

↓ Human Health

CTUIR Freshwater Mussel Project

Ecosystem Engineers

CTUIR Freshwater Mussel Project

Ecosystem Engineers

Bivalve Ecological Services

1. Structure

Binding of Bottom

Bottom Turbulence

Habitat Complexity

2. Function

Suspended Particulates

Particulate N, P

Light

Sediment Enrichment

Dissolved Nutrients

Start

8 adult musselsNo mussels

Slide from Catherine Gatenby, USFWS

Clean Water

Later

8 adult musselsNo mussels

Slide from Catherine Gatenby, USFWS

Biofiltration Potential

0.30

0.50

0.70

0.90

1.10

1.30

1.50

Particle Sizes

Do

wn

str

eam

Rela

tive t

o

Up

str

eam

Co

ncen

trati

on

May

June

2-3 µm3-4 µm

10-15 µm

4-6 µm

6-10 µm

15-63 µm

Size Selection: seston particle sizes below a mussel

bed in the John Day River, OR (see CTUIR talks)

Pennate Diatoms

Phytoplankton

Heterotrophic Protists

Detritus Complex

Centric Diatoms

Bacteria

Natural Diets and Particle Type Selection

0

10

20

30

40

50

Mussel N Demands

Heterotrophic Protists

Benthic Microalgae

Nutritional Sources of N:

Bacteria

Phytoplankton

µg N h-1 [g DTW

]-1

Summer Fall WinterSpring

Pennate Diatoms

Phytoplankton

Heterotrophic Protists

Detritus Complex

Centric Diatoms

Bacteria

Water Quality & Grazing Impacts of Populations

Brandywine RiverStudied 2000 - present

Map from The Brandywine River Conservancy

Elliptio complanata

Photo by Kreeger

Study Area

Elliptio complanata

Photos by Kreeger

To Understand EcoServices, Need…

Physiology

PopulationSurveys

Ecology

Monitoring, Variability

Physiological Rates

Pseudofeces (Ps)

Clearance (C)

Ingestion (I)

Gametic(Tg)

Somatic(Ts)

Production (T)

Respiration (R)

Excretion (U)

Absorption (A)

Defecation (F)

C = I + Ps

I = F + U + R + T AE = [ U+R+T] / I x 100%

Physiology Measurements

e.g., Clearance Rate

In Lab In Field

Population Measurements

Abundance (# m-2, # mile-1)

Total Area (m2, river miles)

Size Class Structure

Body Size

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Water ColumnSediment

pN, pP, NH3, NO

3, PO

4

SPM, particle size, chl-a,

organic content,

organic content, chl-a, pN, pP

Mussel Population Abundance

•3 Sites (6 mile stretch)

•3 Habitats (riffle, tail-out, run/pool)

•3 Zones (left, middle, right bank)

•4 Quadrats (up, down, up, down)

•3 Transects (per habitat)

n=324

Spatial Heterogeneity

•Height:Weight Relationship

•Biomass = 0.669 g

LOG Hgt = [ 0.201 * (LOG Wgt) ] + 4.359

•Density =1.67 mussels m-2

•Size = 72.1 mm

•River Width = 33.1 m

•Per 100 m Reach: 5527 mussels

weighing 3.7 kg dry tissue

•Base Flow = 2.4 mg L-1 TSS and 200 cfs

•Clearance Rates (Field) = 3.4 L h-1 g DTW-1

= 301,800 L d-1 100 m-1

•Estimated Removal = 7.1 %

•TSS Upstream Inputs = 978 kg d-1 per 6 mile

•Bed Clearance = 0.724 kg d-1 100 m-1

= 69.5 kg d-1 per 6 mile study stretch

= 25.4 metric tons dry TSS per year

Mass Balance Estimate

• Brandywine River: 40,800 mussels/sq. mi

Elliptio complanata

• Upper Delaware River: 125,100 mussels/sq. miBased on data from Bill Lellis

• Assumptions: e.g., 25% of inhabitable area

• Total Elliptio in Basin (12,858 sq. mi):

= 4.3 Billion Elliptio

Basin-Wide Water Processing Potential

Elliptio complanata

4.3 Billion Elliptio

= 2.9 Million Kilos Dry Tissue Weight

= 9.8 Billion Liters per Hour

Susquehanna

Delaware Bay Oysters

Crassostrea virginica

Brandywine River, PA

Geukensia demissa

Delaware Estuary Marshes

Elliptio complanata

Brandywine River, PA

Geukensia demissaSalt Marshes

208,000 per hectare on average10.5 Billion GeukensiaClearance Rate = 5.1 L h-1 g-1(DK data)

11.7 Million Kilos Dry Tissue Weight

= 59.0 Billion Liters per Hour

Oysters on Seed Bed Reefs

2.0 Billion Crassostrea (Powell, 2003 data)

Mean size = 0.87 g dry tissue weight (DK data)

Clearance Rate = 6.5 L h-1 g-1(Newell et al 2005)

= 11.2 Billion Liters per Hour

Water Processing per Unit BiomassS

um

me

r C

lea

ran

ce R

ate

(L

h-1

g-1

)

2

3

4

5

6

7

Elliptio complanata

Geukensia demissa

Crassostrea virginica

Cle

ara

nce R

ate

(L

h-1

g-1

)

Mississippi Atlantic Pacific

Pound for Pound: Similar Ingestion

Ab

sort

pio

n E

ffic

ien

cy (m

ean

% ±

SE

)

Spring Summer

0

20

40

60

Margaratifera falcata

Gonidea sp.

Anodonta sp.

n=7

Fall

n=7

n=6

n=11

n=34

n=12

n=16

n=20

n=31

ns

AA

B

B

A A

Pound for Pound: Similar Digestion

CTUIR Project, Kreeger

Population AbundanceM

illi

on

s

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

Elliptio complanata

Geukensia demissa

Crassostrea virginica

Population-Level Water ProcessingB

illi

on

s o

f L

iters

per

Ho

ur

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Elliptio complanata

Geukensia demissa

Crassostrea virginica

Restoration for Eco Services?

Slide adapted from R. Brumbaugh’s,

and Courtesy L. Coen, SCORE

South Carolina

Importance of Shellfish to the

Delaware Estuary Watershed

Other Services – Marsh Shoreline Stabilization

Delaware Estuary Spartina Marsh

Courtesy J. Gebert, ACOE

Courtesy D. Bushek, Rutgers

ShorelineErosion

Living Shorelines

3. Bioindicator Value

International Mussel Watch

Freshwater Caging Studies

Contaminant and Site-

Specific Testing, Monitoring

Tributary and Regional

BioassessmentDeployed Cages

4. Commercial ValueShellfisheries

Jewelry

Pearl Shell Industry

5. Cultural-Historical Native American UsesWaterman LifestyleEcotourism

Comparative

Summary of

Bivalve

Natural Capital

Oysters

Crassostrea

virginica

Commercial Dockside Product + Secondary Value

Na

tura

l C

ap

ita

l V

alu

eImportance of Bivalves to the

Delaware Estuary Watershed

Oysters

Crassostrea

virginica

Commercial Dockside Product + Secondary Value

Ecological

Structural Habitat

biological hot spots

Prey

Biofiltration

top-down grazing, TSS removal, light)

Biogeochemistry

enrichment/turnover, benthic production

Shoreline Protection - nearshore reefs

Shoreline Stabilization - living edges

Na

tura

l C

ap

ita

l V

alu

eImportance of Shellfish to the

Delaware Estuary Watershed

Oysters

Crassostrea

virginica

Commercial Dockside Product + Secondary Value

Ecological

Structural Habitat

biological hot spots, bottom-binding

Prey

Biofiltration

top-down grazing, TSS removal, light)

Biogeochemistry

enrichment/turnover, benthic production

Shoreline Protection - nearshore reefs

Shoreline Stabilization - living edges

Cultural-

Historical

Waterman Lifestyle, Ecotourism

Native American - dietary staple Na

tura

l C

ap

ita

l V

alu

eImportance of Shellfish to the

Delaware Estuary Watershed

Oysters

Crassostrea

virginica

Commercial Dockside Product + Secondary Value

Ecological

Structural Habitat

biological hot spots, bottom-binding

Prey

Biofiltration

top-down grazing, TSS removal, light)

Biogeochemistry

enrichment/turnover, benthic production

Shoreline Protection - nearshore reefs

Shoreline Stabilization - living edges

Cultural-

Historical

Waterman Lifestyle, Ecotourism

Native American - jewelry, dietary staple

Bioindicator

Watershed Indicators

hallmark resource status/trends

Site-specific Bioassessment

NS&T, caged sentinels

Na

tura

l C

ap

ita

l V

alu

eImportance of Shellfish to the

Delaware Estuary Watershed

OystersMarsh

Mussels

Crassostrea

virginica

Geukensia

demissa

Commercial Dockside Product + Secondary Value

Ecological

Structural Habitat

biological hot spots, bottom-binding

Prey

Biofiltration

top-down grazing, TSS removal, light)

Biogeochemistry

enrichment/turnover, benthic production

Shoreline Protection - nearshore reefs

Shoreline Stabilization - living edges

Cultural-

Historical

Waterman Lifestyle, Ecotourism

Native American - jewelry, dietary staple

Bioindicator

Watershed Indicators

hallmark resource status/trends

Site-specific Bioassessment

NS&T, caged sentinels

Na

tura

l C

ap

ita

l V

alu

eImportance of Shellfish to the

Delaware Estuary Watershed

OystersMarsh

Mussels

FW

Mussels

Crassostrea

virginica

Geukensia

demissa

Elliptio

complanata

Commercial Dockside Product + Secondary Value

Ecological

Structural Habitat

biological hot spots, bottom-binding

Prey

Biofiltration

top-down grazing, TSS removal, light)

Biogeochemistry

enrichment/turnover, benthic production

Shoreline Protection - nearshore reefs

Shoreline Stabilization - living edges

Cultural-

Historical

Waterman Lifestyle, Ecotourism

Native American - jewelry, dietary staple

Bioindicator

Watershed Indicators

hallmark resource status/trends

Site-specific Bioassessment

NS&T, caged sentinels

ConservationBiodiversity

fw mussels most critically impaired biota

Na

tura

l C

ap

ita

l V

alu

eImportance of Shellfish to the

Delaware Estuary Watershed

Watershed

Perspective

Others?

DRBC

Crassostrea virginica

Elliptio complanata

Geukensia demissa

12+ Other Species of Freshwater Unionid Mussels

Mya arenaria

Rangia cuneata

Corbicula fluminea

Mytilus edulis

Ensis directus

Mercenaria mercenaria

DRBC

Desired Watershed Condition:A diverse and robust assemblage of

native bivalve shellfish living in all

available tidal and non-tidal ecological

niches and providing maximum possible

natural capital goods and services.

Future Needs

to Reach this

Desired State

1. More Survey DataStill limited in many freshwater and marsh areas

Important for all conservation, restoration and management needs

2. Ecosystem RoleWatershed Mass Balance Studies

- How much population biomass is needed to make a

real difference for water quality?

0

200400

600800

1,0001,200

1,4001,600

1,8002,000

Millions of

Liters

Processed

1 2 4 6 8 10 15 30

Years After Planting

Series1

Estimate of

Water Filtration

by 10,000

juvenile Elliptio

2. Ecosystem RoleWatershed Mass Balance Studies

- How much population biomass is needed to make a

real difference for water quality?- Quantitative studies needed, with physiological

ecologists, hydrodynamics experts and

geomorphologists, modelers

Slide from R. Brumbaugh - adapted from: R. Dame, 1996. Ecology of Marine Bivalves: An Ecosystem Approach

Actual Water Processing and Water Quality Effects

Also Depend on Hydrologic Conditions

1 10 1,000 10,000

1

100

1,000

10,000

Residence Time (days)

Cle

ara

nc

e T

ime

(d

ays

)

Shellfish Affect

Water Quality

No Water

Quality Benefits

10

100

Residence Times

SF Bay: 11

Ches Bay: 22-45

Narragansett: 27

Delaware Bay: 97

2. Ecosystem Role

Watershed Mass Balance Studies- How much population biomass is needed

- Quantitative interdisciplinary studies

Linkages Between Bivalves and Other Biota- How much do macroinvertebrates, fish, benthic algae,

depend on bivalves?

e.g., Biodeposits

Pseudofeces (Ps)

Clearance (C)

Ingestion (I)

Gametic(Tg)

Somatic(Ts)

Production (T)

Respiration (R)

Excretion (U)

Absorption (A)

Defecation (F)

2. Ecosystem Role

Watershed Mass Balance Studies- How much population biomass is needed?

- Quantitative interdisciplinary studies

Linkages Between Bivalves and Other Biota- Linkages with macroinvertebrates, fish, benthic algae

Linkages Between Non-Tidal and Tidal Systems- Interception of pollutants in non-tidal waters

- Enhancement of diadromous fish (hosts) by reefs

System Linkages ?

DRBC

Crassostrea virginica

Elliptio complanata

Geukensia demissa

11 Other Species of Freshwater Unionid Mussels

Mya arenaria

Rangia cuneata

Corbicula fluminea

Mytilus edulis

Ensis directus

Mercenaria mercenaria

Chesapeake Quarterly Vol 6(2) 2007

The Other Filter Feeders:

Mussels, Clams, & More

A Few Good Filter Feeders

From Headwater to Bay

Clear Water through Clam

Culture?

3. Human Health LinksPathogen Removal

- bacteria and protist grazing and assimilation

Pennate Diatoms

Phytoplankton

Heterotrophic Protists

Detritus Complex

Centric Diatoms

Bacteria

Some Bivalves are Bacterivorous

3. Human Health LinksPathogen Removal

- bacteria and protist grazing and assimilation

- capacity for antimicrobial resistance transference

3. Human Health LinksPathogen Removal

- bacteria and protist grazing and assimilation- antimicrobial resistance transference

Model Organisms- for medical sciences (e.g. cancer research)

www.livingclassrooms.org/lbo/dermo/oyster2.jpg

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sci/shelldis/images/pmdoy5.jpg

3. Human Health LinksPathogen Removal

- bacteria and protist grazing and assimilation- antimicrobial resistance transference

Model Organisms- for medical sciences (e.g. cancer research)

TMDL applications- can reassembled bivalve communities help

managers address TMDL’s?

4. Restoration for

Future Steady StatesClimate Change

Natural Resource Responses

• Disruption – species or community effects

• Disconnects – de-coupled interactions

• Thresholds – non-linear bio responses

• Synergisms – climate effects + other changes

Temp

Salinity Sea Level Rise Storms

Species Range Shifts

Opportunistic Invasive Species

Organisms, Populations: Example: Hypoxia mortality

Species: Extinction is an Abrupt, irreversible Change

Thresholds (Non-linear Responses)

Slide adapted from Carlos Duarte

Extent of Climate Change

Ecosyste

m R

esponse

Abrupt Response

Threshold

• Non linear shifts in ecosystem status

• Tipping points or breaking points of the system

• Once breached, ”recovery” may be slow or unlikely

Sta

te in

dica

tor

Driver

Threshold Point NoReturn

Status 1

Status 2

path

Knowing where these tipping points are will be extremely

valuable to set policy targets (Climate-driven Thresholds)

and for determining who the survivors might be

Pressure

Ecological Thresholds

(Climate change)

Slide from Carlos Duarte

4. Restoration for

Future Steady States

Climate Change

+Watershed Change

Synergisms – Climate & Other Changes Together

“… The interaction between

climate change and habitat loss

might be disastrous. During

climate change, the habitat

threshold occurs sooner.

Similarly, species suffer more

from climate change in a

fragmented habitat.”

Not All Doom and Gloom? Can oysters be maintained until they might see more optimal conditions?

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 1 3 5 7

Year

Num

ber

per

Bush

el

Oyster Spat Mean Oyster Mean Spat

1758 Longer

Growing

Season

Intertidal Niche

Expansion?

To

day

2030

2060

Point of No Return

No Help

With Help

2 Recruitment

Events

Historical data from Rutgers Haskin Shellfish Laboratory

Oyster Reef Revitalization

“Smart” RestorationTargeted Restoration

- species that can self-sustain- sites that are suitable

Freshwater Mussel Recovery Program

see posters by Padeletti, Gray

•Need to Prioritize Streams for Restoration

•Reciprocal Transplantsand Condition Monitoring

Tagging Mussels

Reciprocal Transplants and Condition Monitoring

Cage Deployment

Matt Gray thesis research (Drexel)

Matt Gray thesis research (Drexel)

Important for Overwintering

Matt Gray thesis research (Drexel)

Important for Reproduction

Smart RestorationTargeted Restoration

- species that can self-sustain- sites that are suitable

Conservation-Minded Propagation- genetic studies - shell middens- develop uniform policies for when and how

to permit interbasin transfers

Re-circulating System “Bivalve Bunkbeds”

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS NFH

Fish Infestation

Propagation and Reintroduction

Cheyney Hatchery

Propagation and Reintroduction

Photos, R. Neves, VA Tech

2009 Goal: Propagated Juveniles (but Elliptio)

0

200400

600800

1,0001,200

1,4001,600

1,8002,000

Millions of

Liters

Processed

1 2 4 6 8 10 15 30

Years After Planting

Series1

Not including progeny

Set Goals Based on Eco Services

Future Needs recap

Survey Data

Ecosystem Role

Human Health Links

“Smart” Restoration for Future States

Conclusions• Both freshwater and marine bivalves provide

multiple goods and services

DRBC

• Bivalves represent excellent targets for

ecosystem-based management, conservationand restoration

• Both biodiversity and population biomass

of bivalves represent important naturalcapital in American watersheds

• Fresh and brackish water mussels can be

sufficiently abundant to affect water quality atleast as much as oysters

• Efforts to maintain and improve water

quality and ecological health would benefit from

a holistic approach to conserve and restorebivalves throughout whole basins.

- End -

www.DelawareEstuary.org