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The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Network: Lessons from a National Perspective. Rob Brumbaugh & Mike Beck The Nature Conservancy Global Marine Initiative www.nature.org/marine. Acknowledgements. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Rob Brumbaugh & Mike BeckThe Nature ConservancyGlobal Marine Initiativewww.nature.org/marine
The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Network:
Lessons from a National Perspective
Acknowledgements
• TNC staff leading shellfish restoration projects in 11 U.S. states: Anne Birch, Marci Bortman, Cindy Brown, Rafael Calderon, Chris Clapp, Jeff DeBlieu, Mark Dumesnil, Patrick Ertel, Jared Laing, Carl LoBue, Betsy Lyons, Wayne Grothe, Aaron McCall, Jay Odell, Adam Starke, Barry Truitt, Dick Vander Schaaf, Nicole Vickey, Jacques White;
• National Partnership with NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program;
• Many partners in public management agencies, conservation organizations and academic research institutions who contribute to the Shellfish Restoration Network;
Outline
• Shellfish Restoration Network – history, purpose, initial outcomes
• Current activities
• Progress
• Challenges
• Next Steps and Hope for the Future
Shellfish Restoration Network - early steps
• First suggested by Mike Beck at ICSR in 2004;
• Purpose: improve cohesion and communication among projects sharpen the focus on ecosystem services as outcome
• Initial meeting with TNC and few partners in 2004 and a workshop focused on project design in 2005;
• Early outcomes: communications tools (quarterly E-newsletter “Clamor”) guidance on design of projects development of new projects workspace on www.conserveonline.org
“Restoration Clamor”
Initial Products
Brumbaugh, R.D., M.W. Beck, L.D. Coen, L. Craig and P. Hicks. 2006. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington VA. 28 pp.
New handbook summarizes lessons learned and provides advice on:
The case for restoration Identifying target species Site selection Monitoring approaches Forming effective partnerships
TNC’s Shellfish Network Sites
Olympia oyster Eastern oyster Bay scallop Hard Clam Blue mussel
Partnership based
Testing restoration strategies
Multiple sites are leased or owned
Multi-species approach
Focus on Ecosystem Services
From Assessments to Action
Graphic provided by NC Division of Marine Fisheries
2 – 3 m
2 m
Sanctuary reefs in NC:Class B rip-rapLimestone marl150 – 300 tons per reef
5 – 1 0 m
• Monitoring is integral part of projects
• Using similar metrics (oyster density, size frequency, etc)
• Adaptive management
http://www.coastal.edu/marine/sgoyster
Restoration Progress
State-managed program for sanctuary-based restoration
Spawner sanctuaries guard againstrecruitment failure
3-Dimensional reefs mimichistoric reef habitat
Restoration Progress
Increase filtration with clams
Improve ecosystem function and resilience
Shellfish restoration spurs ecosystem-based management plans
• Olympia oyster restoration gaining momentum along Pacific coast
• TNC is combining restoration with field test of new state-wide conservation leasing policy in Washington state
Restoration Progress
Puget Sound, Olympia oyster restoration on leased bottom
Scales of projects
Small Medium Large
But, mostly, working around the margins…
Sunlight Sunlight
HealthySystem
EutrophicSystem
BalancedAlgae Growth
Minimal Nutrient Inputs
Excessive Nutrient Inputs
HealthyBay Grasses Reduced
Bay Grasses
Algae Die-off
Algae DecompositionAdequate
Oxygen No / Low Oxygen
Algal Bloom
Adapted from Chesapeake Bay Program
Much more progress is needed
Abundant oysters Depleted
oysters
Lotze et al 2006, SCIENCE
Condition of Common Estuarine Taxa in 12 Systems around the Globe
Challenges Remain
• Fisheries a higher priority than other ecosystem services
• Regulatory constraintsrestoration in closed watershabitat enhancement
• Ecosystem services not valued ($)
• Insufficient restoration funding to return ecosystem services at large scales ($)
Next Steps – Engage the Network
Address key issues through working groups:
1) Ecosystem Services - what is a healthy oyster reef actually worth ($) in terms of filtration, nutrient removal, shoreline protection, and ‘productivity’ of fish and shellfish?
2) Regulatory issues surrounding restoration in closed waters
3) Global assessment: “Shellfish Reefs at Risk”
Ecosystem Services
• Provisioning – shellfish landings
• Regulating – erosion control, fish habitatPeterson et al (2003): 2.6kg/m2/yr fish production in SE estuaries
• Cultural – tourism, recreation
• Supporting - nutrient cyclingNewell et al (2005): $314,836/yr N removal in Choptank River
Framework from Millennium Assessment, 2006
Need this to justify scaling up
Restoration in Closed Waters: attractive solution or attractive nuisance?
Lynnhaven RiverSub-Watershed Area: 166 km2
Chesapeake BayWatershed Area: 166,000 km2
A ten year restoration effort
Impetus for water quality improvement
Lynnhaven River 2007
LowLow MediumMedium HighHigh
Coral Reefs at Risk
An impetus for research, conservation, improved management
Bryant et al, 1998
Low Risk-- Intact Shellfish Reefs & Beds
No synthesis of distribution, condition or threats (risk)
No compelling case for action
Temperate Northern Hemisphere
Looking Globally…Shellfish Reefs at Risk
Seeking data: Spatial distribution, abundance, condition & threats
Conclusions
• A lot of progress - new and innovative partnerships have elevated restoration and enhanced monitoring;
• Need to sharpen focus on ecosystem services to make ecological restoration more mainstream and large scale;
• Shellfish Restoration Network should help to fill in gaps, provide support for enhanced and expanded restoration;
Seeking your involvement: Rob Brumbaugh
rbrumbaugh@tnc.org
Our challenge
“The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
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