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