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Deborah Hart <[email protected]>
Fall 2014 Coastal Fish Habitat PartnershipNewsletterLisa DeBruyckere <[email protected]> Thu, Sep 11, 2014 at 12:31 PMReply-To: [email protected]: [email protected]
Coastal Fish Habitat Partnerships Newsletter Fall 2014
September 2014 - In This Issue:
The Engaging Lifecyle of GTMNERR Oyster Reef Restoration
Coastal FHPs to host session atRAE Conference
WNTI News
Southeast Alaska - Home toThousands of Estuaries
Eel River Delta Event Sept. 18
Canada geese inthe Eel RiverDelta. Photocredit: Dave
Erickson.
Coastal FHPS tohost session at
Restore America'sEstuaries
Conference inNovember
The Coastal FHPs are hosting asession, "Advancing estuaryrestoration, awareness, and sciencethrough the coastal fish habitat
The Engaging Lifecycle of GTMNERR Oyster Reef RestorationSubmitted by the Southeast Aquatic Resources
Partnership (SARP) and the Atlantic Coastal FishHabitat Partnership (ACFHP)
The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine ResearchReserve (GTM NERR) on Florida's First Coast located in St.Johns and Flagler counties, is part of a network of 28 protectedcoastal areas along the United States coast from Alaska toPuerto Rico, known as the National Estuarine Research
partnerships," on Wednesday,November 5, from 10:30am to noon inRoom Maryland 3 at the RestoreAmerica's Estuaries Conference inWashington, DC.
The session will consist of two 45-minute blocks. The first block willinclude three speakers - Debbie Hart(Southeast Alaska FHP), Lisa Havel(Atlantic FHP), and Lindsay Gardner(SARP) - sharing examples of projectsfrom different regions of the country,highlighting protection and restoration,science and data, and outreach andeducation. All of the coastal FHPs areproviding content for Debbie, Lisa, andLindsay to share.
The second block will consist of apanel comprised of DavidWigglesworth (USFWS), Kelly Hepler(NFHP Board Chair), Buck Sutter(NOAA), Rua Mordecai (South AtlanticFishery Management Council), andGeorge Schuler (The NatureConservancy). The panel will bediscussing opportunities, challenges,messaging, coordination, andcollaboration among the coastal FHPsand the governmental and nonprofitorganizations represented on thepanel.
"The sea, the great unifier, is man'sonly hope. Now, as never before, theold phrase has a literal meaning: we
are all in the same boat." ~ Jacques Cousteau
Western NativeTrout Initiative
News
Robin Knox, Project Coordinator for theWestern Native Trout Initiative since2006, will be retiring on September 30,2014. During Robin's tenure, WNTI hasdirected over $4 million in federal fishhabitat funds leveraged to $14 millionpublic and private matching dollars for110 priority native trout conservationprojects, removing 48 barriers to fishpassage, and reconnecting orimproving 466 miles stream miles ofnative trout habitat and placing 26protective fish barriers to conserve 570miles of important native troutconservation populations. The WNTISteering Committee thanks Robin forhis years of dedication in preserving
Reserve System. The GTM NERR, which receives an average of 300,000visitors annually, is managed by the Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection (DEP) in partnership with theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forestuarine an upland environments, including coastal strandand maritime forest habitats (73,000 acres). There, scientists,educators, and restoration specialists are working withstudents, businesses and other members of the localcommunity to construct valuable oyster reefs and livingshorelines. These projects, which are supported by theSoutheast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP), the AtlanticCoastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP), and others arereducing shoreline erosion, increasing sedimentation andproviding nursery habitat for marine species. Florida's native Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is akeystone species because of its critical role in maintaininghealthy coastal ecosystems. In addition to the ecological goalsof these restoration projects and in order to ensure a regularand bountiful supply of oyster shell for reef construction, aSARP-funded NOAA Community-based Restoration Program(CRP) project established an oyster shell recycling program forSt. Johns County. The recycling program has provided shell forthe SARP and ACFHP living shoreline projects, as well asmaterial for future reef construction. Significantly, the recycling and reef building projects areresulting in other outstanding educational, economic and socialbenefits as well. "Over time, the area has been impacted by water pollution,increasing wave action as a result of river traffic and channeldredging, other human-induced factors, and sea level rise,"stated Andrea Small, aquatic preserve manager and lead onthis project at the Reserve. "These restoration projects will notonly provide benefit to the ecosystem, but they are also animportant way to connect the local community to the naturalenvironment through volunteer and educational opportunities."
and protecting native trout across thewestern U.S. If you want to contactRobin after October 1, he can bereached at [email protected].
Robin Knox
Therese Thompson, WNTI's Director ofStrategic Partnerships, will take thehelm as of October 1st. Therese canbe reached [email protected].
Southeast Alaska -Home to Thousands
of EstuariesNational Estuaries Week is a goodreminder for us all to take a momentand reflect on the value andimportance these habitats play both forus and for many of the fish species wecare about. Southeast Alaska is truly a mosaic ofestuaries, with nearly 12,000 estuarieslying within 19,000 miles of shorelinethat includes the island make-up of theAlexander Archipelago. Yep 12,000,that's a lot of estuaries! Thesebiologically rich habitats unite theworld's three most dominant naturalrealms - the terrestrial environment, thefreshwater environment, and themarine environment; no wonder theyprovide such a valuable nursery settingfor many fish species. It is also notsurprising that many of our cities andcommunities settle in these importantareas as they form importanttransportation corridors and provideaccess to vital natural resources. To get a better understanding of howthese estuaries function in SoutheastAlaska recent efforts have mapped theshoreline and assessed the unique
View of the GTM NERR. Photo credit: Lindsay Gardner, SARP.
The GTMNERR Community Oyster Shell Recycling and LivingReef Construction Project was successfully initiated throughthe Friends of the GTM Research Reserve's partnership withthe St. Johns Technical High School (SJTHS). Nestled withinan easily accessible spot in the Reserve, off to the side of aparking area off of the A1A Hwy., piles of shell that have beencollected from area restaurants are processed. Each pile has asmall sign above it noting the date the shell was placed (thetop date) and the date the shell will be ready for harvesting andreuse. In Florida, the oysters are required to bake in the sunfor 90 days and are raked during that time to remove bacteriaand pathogens and to prevent any potential cross-contamination, as many oysters sold in area restaurants arenot actually local, but brought in from other states. Studentsfrom the St. John's Technical High School and many othershave helped with the oyster raking and bagging.
Oyster Shell Recycling Staging Area. Photo credit: Lindsay Gardner, SARP.
characteristics of these estuaries thatlie within the fjorial landscape that ischaracteristic of this region. Through the ShoreZone Partnershipthe majority of Southeast Alaska is nowmapped and biological data is availablefor the nearshore environment. Youcan find more information on theShoreZone website at: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/shorezone/. In addition research by two NatureConservancy scientists, "An EstuarineClassification for a Complex FjordalIsland Archipelago," which appeared inthe journal Estuaries and Coasts, is ahelpful tool for planning how toconserve these biologically richhabitats in a region that currentlysupports healthy and vibrant fishpopulations. The classification is asimple model that tests theunderstanding of the relationshipsbetween physical conditions and thespecies likely to be found in theseplaces. An informative interview withthese researchers can be found here.
Distribution of estuary habitat class categorymapped in the study area of Southeast
Alaska.
Oyster Shells Being Processed. Photo credit: Lindsay Gardner, SARP.
SJTH has an Academy of Coastal and Water Resources thatwas established in 2011 and is dedicated to providing studentswith high quality, industry relevant curriculum to assuresuccess in post-secondary education and coastal and waterresources career opportunities. Through collaboration withbusiness partners, students are engaged in applied learningand develop confidence, long lasting relationships and a senseof community. Students participate in a STEM program ofstudy that focuses on coastal, environmental and waterresources and a valuable hands-on curriculum designed inpartnership with the St. Johns County Utilities, GuanaTolomato Matanzas Research Reserve, Florida GatewayCollege, and Jacksonville University's Marine ScienceResearch Institute. They explore the environment andecosystems through environmental and water resourceclasses and experience water quality testing, wetlandmanagement, wildlife, and fisheries management. Indiscussions with Linda Krepp, SJTHS Career Specialist andPrincipal Wayne King, the hands-on learning opportunitiesafforded by the restoration projects and work experience, haveactually had a tremendous impact by offering project-basedlearning opportunities.At the outset of the project, then SJTHS Principal Wayne Kingexpressed his enthusiasm for the program. "I'm so excited about the opportunity to partner with the GTMResearch Reserve on this project," said King. "Our vision hereat SJTHS is to provide opportunities, through Project BasedLearning for our students to apply knowledge. The Oyster ReefRestoration Program will help create awareness and provide alegacy for our students." The oyster shell recycling process is "fed" by several arearestaurants that are enrolled in the shell recycling program(current participants include Cap's on the Water, Aunt Kate's,Hurricane Patty's, Matanzas Innlet Restaurant and SouthBeach Grill). At the restaurants, there is an excellentopportunity to see the "supply chain" of the recycling programfull circle, as there are GTM NERR-developed cards for thetables with QR codes directing smartphone users toinformation about the oyster reef recycling program andcollection cans in the back of the restaurants (pick-ups aredone three times a week).
Ensuring that there isn't any disruption in the collectionprocess in critical to maintaining the supply of oyster shell forfuture restoration efforts, but also to the restaurants, as thereis a tremendous cost savings/economic benefit in that they nolonger have to pay waste disposal costs associated with shellbeing taken to area landfills. Billy Blanchard, Front of HouseManager at Aunt Kate's Restaurant, is glad they can help.
"The project makes us feel more like a part of theneighborhood rather than just being a business in theneighborhood," said Blanchard. "It's our waterway and itaffects us. The more we can do the better."
Ultimately, the oyster shells come to their final resting place asthey are bagged and then strategically placed along theshoreline to form the reef. Bernard de Raad, owner of Cap's onthe Water restaurant, sees repopulating local oyster beds as an
Eel River DeltaEvent Sept 18in Fortuna, CaA perfect storm is coming together onSeptember 18 in Fortuna, California aslandowners, tribal sovereign nations,businesses, nonprofit organizationsand local, state, and federal agenciescelebrate estuary restoration efforts inthe Eel River Delta, the Eel River as a2104 10 Waters to Watch, and NationalEstuaries Week. Field trips andpresentations will highlight the eventthat is intended to celebrate thedecades-long restoration efforts in theDelta.
The event is hosted by CalTrout,Humboldt RCD, the Pacific Marine andEstuarine Fish Habitat Partnership, theCalifornia Fish Passage Forum, andNOAA, and will include many of theorganizations and entities that haveplayed a critical role in restoring the EelRiver Delta to a working landscape thatprovides habitat for fish and wildlife andthe many landowners that make theirliving from these productive acres.
Inhabited by humans for thousands ofyears, the Eel River estuary is one ofthe most important and sensitiveestuaries on the West Coast, with8,700 acres of tidal flats, both perennialand seasonal wetlands, and about 75miles of river channel and tidal sloughs.The Eel River Delta provides habitat formany aquatic and terrestrial species,and supports flourishing agriculturalcommunities. Long before the "farm totable" movement, the Eel River Delta,and Ferndale in particular, suppliedCalifornia with some of the world'sfinest dairy products. The Eel Delta stillprovides high quality dairy and beefproducts, while also hosting one ofCalifornia's major salmon andsteelhead runs. However, flooding, sealevel and other issues challenge theviability of some agricultural operationsand infrastructure such as roads andwaste treatment facilities. Balancingecosystem restoration with thepromotion of high quality agricultureand infrastructure in the coastal zone ischallenging, but several key projectsillustrate the importance and successof this approach.
Although nearly 60% of the estuary has
important long term goal of the program.
"It would be a nice thing if we could get enough local oystershere," said de Raad. "[Their decline] has become a problem inthis county."
Combined with the planting of marsh grass (Spartinaalterniflora), these living shorelines are successfully recruitingoyster larvae called spat, and are providing habitat for fish andother aquatic species. Michael Shirley, Ph.D., Director of theGTM Research Reserve notes, "Over the long term we expectthat these projects will protect and restore eroding coastline,subsequently improving aquatic habitat and water quality."
Given time, the continuation of the oyster shell recyclingprogram and the expansion of the reefs at the Reserve, it ishoped that there will be ever increasing numbers of oysterssupporting a variety of aquatic life in the area for years tocome.
Oyster Shell Bags Awaiting Deployment. Photo credit: Lindsay Gardner, SARP.
been lost due to the construction oflevees and dikes, 10% of salt marshhabitats remain today. Restoring theestuary is a key component towardsrecovery of salmon, but also othersensitive and listed species.
Ecosystem restoration in the Eel Deltaalso affords unprecedentedopportunities to improve drainage andinfrastructure for the agriculturalcommunities around the Delta. TheSalt River Ecosystem RestorationProject and the Eel River EstuaryPreserve Project, two of many projectswithin the Eel River Delta, seek torestore ecological integrity to reclaimedareas, while also enhancing agriculturalproductivity and prosperity in the regionby providing land management optionsfor landowners that support enhancedbusiness security, stability andhydrological integrity.
Hydrologically intact and functionalchannels tend to improve drainage forfarmers. It also ensures a complex anddiverse estuary with suitable cover ofdeep channels and sloughs, connectedto productive brackish wetlands thatwill help to increase size and fitness ofjuvenile salmon prior to entering theocean, and ultimately improve overallmarine survival for adults.
Numerous landowners as well as local,state, and federal agencies, industryrepresentatives, and nonprofitorganizations are working together toensure the Eel River Delta is a workinglandscape that can support sustainableagriculture and other land managementpractices while providing healthy fishand wildlife habitats. The Eel Deltaprovides an historic opportunity toenhance coastal agriculturalproductivity while ensuring the long-term, recovery of Eel River salmonstocks capable of supporting theregional fishing economy of California'snorth coast.
The three projects that will be featuredduring the event:
Eel River Estuary Preserve Historically a network of extensive tidalmarshlands and dunes, today theWildlands Conservancy's Eel RiverEstuary Preserve encompasses anassortment of environments includingtidal marsh, dunes, agricultural land,estuarine, and freshwater ponds thatprovide diverse habitat for a complex ofspecies. Preserve will provide
Students transport bagged shell to the river to build the reef.Photo credit: Florida DEP.
SJTHS students planting marsh grass. Photo credit: GTM NERR.
Shoreline at the oyster reef site on the TolomatoRiver. Photo credit: Lindsay Gardner, SARP.
abundant opportunity for enhancementof estuarine and tidal marsh habitatand the fish, wildlife, waterfowl and rareplant species that are dependent onthese habitats.
Salt River Ecosystem RestorationThe Salt River Ecosystem RestorationProject includes four key components;1) tidal marsh enhancement; 2) SaltRiver channel restoration; 3) upslopesediment management, and; 4)adaptive management planning - all willassist in the hydrologic andgeomorphic function of the Salt Riverfor flood alleviation, and to providehabitat to benefit Pacific salmon,migratory waterfowl, Tidewater goby,Green sturgeon and scores of otherspecies that once flourished in theDelta.
Ocean RanchEel River Wildlife Area's Ocean RanchUnit, owned and managed by theCalifornia Department of Fish andWildlife, is located on the northwestportion of the Eel River estuary, about13 miles south of Eureka, California.The Ocean Ranch project will restoretidal processes at the 375-acre EelRiver Wildlife Area-Ocean Ranch Unit.The project will breach and/or removelevees to restore tidal prism andincrease estuarine habitat for thebenefit of north coast fish and wildlife,including coho and Chinook salmon,steelhead, and cutthroat trout.
Coho salmon spawn in the SouthFork of the Eel River.
Photo credit: eelriver.org
A section of installed oyster reef. Photo credit: GTM NERR.
Oyster spat settlement at the reef. Photo credit: Lindsay Gardner, SARP.
