Aquaculture By Design, Chesapeake BayOyster Aquaculture: Communicating The Science of

Ecosystem Services

Is the growing oyster aquaculture industry accelerating the restoration of Chesapeake Bay?

Andy Lacatell, Conservation Specialist, Virginia

Photo credit: Dave Jasinski

Photo credit: Andy Lacatell

TNC Goals for the Chesapeake BayEnsure the watershed produces clean water and abundant fisheries that help to meet the needs of people and nature that depend on the nation’s largest estuary

Overarching StrategiesAccelerate large-scale improvements to water quality

Coordinate investments in restoration and protection of key habitats that provide lower-cost, effective and sustained water quality improvements

What We KnowOne oyster filters up to 50 gallons of water per day, removing nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from the water. Excess nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment have significant impacts on the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Eastern Oyster(Crassostrea virginica)

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We Also Know……that the Chesapeake Bay oyster population is at 1% of historic levels. The Bay’s natural ability to remove pollutants has been severely diminished.

Photo credit: Andy Lacatell

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PUBLIC VS PRIVATE OYSTER HARVEST

Private Bu

Public Bu

What We’re SeeingA growing industry of entrepreneurs producing food and providing jobs in a way that cleans our rivers and the Bay.

Photo credit: Danielle McCullough

Source: Jim Wesson, VMRC

TNC Aquaculture Video (AVI) TNC Aquaculture Video (MP4)

What are the Goals of the Project?The goals of the project are to scientifically measure the water quality benefits of oyster aquaculture and to share our findings, here and around the world.

Partnering with:- Virginia Institute of Marine Science- Four commercial oyster aquaculture operations

We will be able to determine:- The benefits of aquaculture- Assess potential impacts

What is the net benefit of oyster aquaculture on water quality?

Chlorophyll-a - Turbidity - Total suspended solids - Total fixed solids - Dissolved nitrogen – DO – pH – Temp - Salinity

Photo credit: Andy Lacatell

“We see a big opportunity to work with The Nature Conservancy…to do scientific research along side of our business. We have so many

questions that we need answers to.”

Photo credit: Andy Lacatell

How Are We Measuring Benefits and Impacts?

HowMini-ROVSediment CoresFlowMacrofaunal Community

- Fish and crabs (highly mobile)- Worms (less mobile)

AnalysisCompare floating bags vs bottom cagesCompare different geographies

Expected Output3-D map of ecosystem servicesNarrative reportVideo and social media products

www.aquabotix.com

Bristle worm (Hans Hillewart/Wikipedia Commons)

Our first video project is complete.

Social media content and several additional videos will be produced over the course of the project.

Web and print products are in development.

How Are We Sharing the Results?

Photo credit: Andy LacatellPhoto credit: Dave Jasinski

Photo credit: Andy Lacatell

The Larger Vision

We hope to measure additional ecosystem services provided by oyster aquaculture around the world

We hope to use research to provide support for the growing industry globally

We hope to communicate these benefits to the public and policymakers as large-scale marine restoration strategies

are developed

Oyster aquaculture promises to play a significant role in restoring our rivers and bays

Photo credit: Andy Lacatell