THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 1

An Oyster Grows in BrooklynLessons learned from monitoring oyster restoration in New York Harbor

A collaboration

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Billion Oyster Project (BOP) is an effort to restore a sustainable oyster population and to foster awareness, affinity, and understanding of the Harbor by engaging

New Yorkers directly in the work of restoring one billion oysters.

Co-author

Liz Burmester, Ph.D.Restoration EcologistBillion Oyster Project

2018 Edition: May 2019

New York Harbor

New York HarborCrassostrea virginicaFew remnant oystersClosed to harvestUSACE goals:

- 20 ac by 2020 - 2000 ac by 2050

SITES

Site Selection A combination of: • Ecological suitability • Organizational mission• Safety & accessibility• Permits

Community Reefs

• Bush Terminal Park/Sunset Park (BTP)

• Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP)

• Paerdegat Basin/Canarsie (PB)

• Coney Island Creek (CIC)

Nurseries

• Brooklyn Navy Yard (BNY)

• Governors Island EcoDock (GI)

• Great Kills Harbor (GKH)

• Lemon Creek (LCN)

Bagged Shell Reef

• Lemon Creek Lagoon (LCL)

• Bush Terminal Park/Sunset Park (BTP)

The Sites

Bush Terminal ParkBrooklyn Bridge ParkConey Island CreekPaerdegat Basin

Community Reefs

Nurseries

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 11

Lemon Creek

Great Kills HarborBrooklyn Navy YardGovernors Island EcoDock

Lemon Creek LagoonBush Terminal Park

Bagged Shell Reefs

MONITORING

MonitoringOyster growth & survivalDisease, condition index, & reproductive statusWater qualityFood quantityNutrientsBiodiversity

Community Involvement

MAIN FINDINGS

Oyster growth is promising.Error bars: 95% CI

Shel

l hei

ght (

mm

)

Date

June 2018

Ripe Spawning

Signs of maturity.

Ripe

Perc

ent

Stage of Development

Some recruitment.

Recruitment Study w/ Matt Hare (Cornell) Aug – Oct

Spat per 2 shell bags

Keep an eye on disease.

MSX November 2017

Perc

ent

Site

Low oxygen is common.

July 2017June 2017

% O

bser

vatio

ns <

4 m

g/L

Site

Biodiversity changes are hard to detect. trap

trap seine

seine

CPU

EC

PUE

SubstrateSubstrateC

PUE

CPU

E

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 23

Adaptive management is the name of the game.

New sites are new opportunities for learning.

2016: 5 sites2017: +1 site2018: +3 sites 2019-2020: +3 sites

Oyster growth is promising.Some signs of maturity. Some recruitment.

Main Findings (1 of 3)

Keep an eye on disease.Low oxygen is common.

Main Findings (2 of 3)

Biodiversity changes are hard to detect.Adaptive management is the name of the game.New sites are new opportunities for learning.

Main Findings (3 of 3)

Mike McCann, Ph.D.Urban Marine Ecologist

The Nature Conservancy in New York

phone: (646) 465-5889email: michael.mccann@tnc.org

Thank You!