Community Based Oyster Gardening in Sussex County Delaware for Education and Shellfish Restoration

John W. EwartDelaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program

EJ Chalabala & Jim Alderman Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Inland Bays Oyster Gardening & Shellfish Restoration

• CIB James Farm (1998)

• Shellfish field research & demonstration

• Declining water qualityspecies diversity & habitat loss

• Nutrient eutrophicationagriculture & suburbanization

Shellfish Field Research & Demonstration

2001 & 04 Shellfish pathogen surveys

Year

1998- 01 Seasonal growth & survival

2002- 03 L. Assawoman Bay stock assessment

2001- 06 Establish & monitor a pilot scale reef

2005- 06 LAB restoration strategy

2003- 06 Oyster gardening program

Community Partnerships

local & county governments

financial support

technical support

education/training

Community businesses - materials, supplies, equipment and in-kind services

Inland Bays volunteers (oyster gardening & water quality)

Oyster Gardening Overview

Why: Supply oysters for restoration/stock enhancement

Citizen involvement and education

Applied research & demonstration

Who: Inland Bay residents and volunteers

What: Nursery culture of 10 mm oyster spat to juvenile/adult

When: April to November ………all year for FTR

Where: Residential lagoon communities

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Oyster Gardening

Sites

2003 & 2004

21 volunteers @ 15 locations

2005

48 volunteers @ 29 locations

2006

70 volunteers @ 47 locations

Taylor Floats

Taylor Floats provide habitat and refuge for…..

Oyster Toadfish

Oyster drill

Blue crab

Barnacle

Ulva “sea lettuce”

Gracilaria

Enteromorpha

American Eel

Tunicates “sea grapes”

Clam worm

Anenome

Butterfly fish

Grass Shrimp

Black-clawed Mud Crab

White-fingered Mud Crab

Flat Mud Crab

Striped Blenny

Naked Goby

Education & Outreach

Little Assawoman Bay Shellfish Restoration Strategy

10/0311/04

8/05Little Assawoman Bay

Hard ClamSeasonal Growth

2003-2005

Little Assawoman Bay Shellfish Restoration StrategyEstablish adult “spawning”

populations of oysters and clams to retain larvae and encourage natural

recruitment

Oyster Gardening w/ Taylor Floats

Hard clam in-bottom plantings& oyster “reefs” usingoff-bottom trays and rip rap

Summary

Community Education & Participation

Local Business• Equipment, materials, supplies and in-kind services

County and Municipal Government• Sussex County, Fenwick Island, South Bethany

Volunteers• 70 oyster gardeners @47 sites

• 25 water quality monitors @35 stations (Citizen Monitoring Committee)

• Responsive network to environmental events, pathogen monitoring

SummaryPublic Education, Training & Outreach

• Public seminars, display @ community events, annual open houses

• Water quality and oyster gardening workshops

• Oyster gardening Web pages

• CIB newsletter, local radio and print media

• CIB James Farm field ecology programs

• DTCC Upward Bound program for “at risk” youth

• Field research experience for volunteers, interns and students

Successful restoration efforts require community

partnerships & support

2005 Delaware Center for the Inland Bays Oyster GardenersLittle Assawoman BayKen Arni Vicki & Wayne Carmean Troy & Cynthia Hardin Buzz & Betsy Henefin Lloyd Hughes Martha Keller Natalie & Steve Madeburger David & Suzanne Tucker Anna & Charles Welsh

Indian River BayPeter DeMarie Nancy & Graham Purchase Bruce Maurer Gary King Dave Wolzansky

Rehoboth BayLouis Allman Steven & Dodee Black John Cristea Jeff & Deborah Dershem Gil Ekdahl Al Goldfarb Blair & Missy Jones Michael Kenjorski & Jane Nigg Dave & Sandy Munchel Bob & Winnie Oggenfuss Ted Parker Glenn & Molly Ruoff Dom & Sue Scaglione Justin Sikora William Timmons Nancy & Jerry Weinberg

2006 Delaware Center for the Inland Bays Oyster Gardeners

Little Assawoman BayDavid & Lynn Andrews Ken & Lisa Arni Wayne & Ceil Bergner* Art Borden* Paul Buehrle* Sandi Cabot* Vicki & Wayne Carmean Joyce Chanconas Chris & Jessica Clark* Craig Engle* Marjorie & John Fenton Troy & Cynthia Hardin Buzz & Betsy Henefin Bruce & Janet Hoover*Lloyd Hughes Mike Jandzen* Martha Keller Natalie & Steve Madeburger Robert (Bob) Moschel* Todd Smallwood* Diane Tingle* David & Suzanne Tucker Anna & Charles Welsh* Victoria (Vicki) & Roy Williams* Tom Wirt*

Indian River BayRick Chamberlain*Peter DeMarie Bruce Maurer* Nancy & Graham Purchase Walter (Hilly) Purnell*Gary King & Dave Wolzansky

Rehoboth BaySteven & Dodee Black John Cristea Jeff & Deborah Dershem Gil Ekdahl Al Goldfarb Blair & Missy Jones Ken & Judy Kulakowsky*Michael Kenjorski & Jane Nigg Dave & Sandy Munchel Bob & Winnie Oggenfuss Ted Parker Glenn & Molly Ruoff Dom & Sue Scaglione Nancy & Jerry Weinberg