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Niles and Associates Lawrence Niles, Dianne Daly & Joseph Smith American Littoral Society Tim Dillingham, William Shadel & Aleksandr Modjeski NJ Div Fish and Wildlife Amanda D. Dey & Matthew S. Danihel Stockton Coastal Research Center Steven Hafner Conserve Wildlife Foundation David Wheeler Wetlands Institute Lenore Tedesco & Lisa Ferguson
Evaluating the success of horseshoe crab and migratory shorebird habitat restoration on Delaware Bay beaches damaged by Superstorm Sandy
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Delaware bay’s horseshoe crabs population is the largest in the world
Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Sanderling, Red Knot rely on Delaware Bay Crabs to breed
Long migrations leave birds emaciated and in need of easily digestible fat- producing horseshoe crab eggs
Bird numbers followed declines in overharvested horseshoe crabs. After 15 years of ineffective regulation, recovery remains elusive. .
Then hurricane sandy devastated delaware bay beaches in 2012, threatening another catastrophic loss of shorebirds
Our restoration began within months of Sandy and continues this year. The following slides describe the key aspects of the beaches and the response of both crabs and birds
Moores Beach Before
Gra
phic
mea
n (p
hi)
-0.4
-0.2
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0 coarse sand
v. coarse sand
restored
unrestored
1 mm
0.6 mm
Sand grain size
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
restored unrestored
13.3%
5.6%
Sand moisture %
moi
stur
e
0
100
200
300
400
May 12-18 May 19-23 May 26-30
control beaches restored beaches Thompsons beach
Mea
n ho
rses
hoe
crab
co
unt p
er tr
anse
ct
Horseshoe crab abundance
mm
restored in 2014 restored in 2013
2013 2014 2013 2014
Hor
sesh
oe c
rab
coun
t pe
r 50m
tran
sect
mea
n +/
- SE
0
200
400
600
800
Moores Beach: restoration increases spawning crabs
Horseshoe Crab Eggs
0
10
20
30
May 12-18 May 19-23 May 26-30 Jun 5-9 Jun 16-20 Jun 23-29
control beaches restored beaches Thompsons Beach
Egg
clus
ter d
ensit
y Pe
r m2,
0-2
0cm
dee
p (m
ean
+/- S
E)
Egg cluster density
Date
0
10
20
30control beaches restored beaches Thompsons Beach
May 12-18 May 19-23 May 26-30 Jun 5-9 Jun 16-20 Jun 23-29
Embr
yo a
nd la
rva
clus
ter d
ensit
y Pe
r m2,
0-2
0cm
dee
p (m
ean
+/- S
E)
Embryo and larva cluster density
Date
Egg
clu
ster
s 0-
20cm
dee
p pe
r m2
0
5
10
15
20
25
0-10cm 11-20cm 21-30cm 31-40cm >41cm
Significantly lower egg density 30cm and below
Less egg clusters at shallower sand depths
Shorebird numbers
Red Knot
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Sand movement from restoration sites
-2%
-3%
-38%
-25%
S. Reeds
Cooks
Kimbles
Pierces
• sand moved into tidal creek mouths
• and into unrestored areas
Baycove Control beach – only 40% of sample sites were >40cm deep in 2013 while 100% were >40cm depth in 2014
Moores Beach Elevation change 3 months after restoration, 2014
1-2’ 0-1’ 0
-0-1’ -1-2’ -2-3’
Our project goals for the next 2 years of restoration
South Fortescue
Restoring Thompsons Beach
1932 1995 2002 2012
We will re-create natural oyster reefs to improve beach resiliency
Oyster Reef Experiment on B. Hollinger shellfish lease will test impact of reefs and aquaculture racks on horseshoe crabs
Stockton Center for Coastal Resources will conduct a NJ bay-wide sentiment transport study to determine best path to long-term resiliency
American Littoral Society and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ thanks:
• US Fish and Wildlife Foundation • Community Foundation of NJ • NJ Natural Lands Trust • Partnership for Delaware Bay Estuary Inc. • US Fish and Wildlife Service –Department of Interior • Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership • Downe, Maurice River, Middle Townships • Cape May County • NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife –NJ Dept of Environmental
Protection
And volunteers from NJ and all over the world
