The Oyster Opportunity - Uncovering Solutions That Drive Reef Restoration In The Gulf Of Mexico
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The Oyster Opportunity
Uncovering Solutions That Drive Reef Restoration
In The Gulf Of Mexico
This report was prepared for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
by Future of Fish
September 14, 2012
For more information, please contact:
Cheryl Dahle
Founder, Future of Fish
cdahle@futureoffish.org
www.futureoffish.org
Table Of Contents
Executive Summary � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � vii
INTRODUCTION � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 1
DISCOVERY MAP � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5
The Question� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5
Context� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6
Tensions� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6
Barriers� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 7
Design Principles � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 8
Discovery Chart � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9
Project Profiles � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 10
SYSTEM INSIGHTS� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 23
OPPORTUNITIES � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29
Group I: Strategies for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of
current and future restoration efforts � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30
Group II: Market mechanisms to scale restoration activities � � � � � � � � � 32
Group III: Policy initiatives to support and incentivize restoration� � � 35
Opportunities Mapping � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 37
conclusion� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 39
Appendix I • NFWF Oyster Restoration Grantmaking Analysis and Recommendations � � � � � � � � � � � � 43
NFWF-Funded Oyster Projects At a Glance� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 43
Grantee Project Planning Checklist� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 48
Oyster Restoration Grant Reporting mendations � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 50
Appendix II • Policy Summary For Oyster Reef Restoration� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 54
Appendix III • Best Practices For Volunteer Management� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 59
Appendix IV • Interviewees� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 63
Appendix V • Bibliography � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 65
Appendix VI • Project Team � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 68
“T he oyster fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico need to
be managed for what they represent: likely the last
opportunity in the world to achieve both large-scale reef
conservation and sustainable fisheries.”
—Shellfish Reefs at Risk: A Global Analysis of Problems and Solutions
Executive Summary
Oysters from the Gulf of Mexico were once named for the bays where they grew wild. Their abundance provided
irreplaceable filtering, shoreline stabilization, habitat for juvenile fish, not to mention food and livelihoods
for people. Today, that once-plentiful resource, and all it represented, is desperately depleted. In the U.S. and
around the globe, an estimated 85 percent of oyster reefs have been lost.
In almost every coastal region across the country, • identify opportunity areas that outline possible next
dedicated organizations and tireless volunteers are steps to scaling, particularly options that include
working to reestablish viable oyster beds. Most market-driven mechanisms, and where the NFWF
projects are small scale, labor-intensive, high cost, could help invent and incubate a new solution.
and high risk. Scaling these efforts to a level that can
meet the enormous need for restoration nationwide Through the course of the study, we reviewed grant
poses significant financial and logistical barriers. proposals and reports from 65 NFWF-funded
restoration projects, and interviewed over 30 experts
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in the field. We solicited information about the
a long-time and primary investor in oyster restoration, challenges faced by restoration programs, and the
commissioned Future of Fish to analyze the current innovative ways those challenges have been overcome.
state of oyster restoration in order to identify We identified more than 50 unique problems and 50
opportunities to reduce costs, increase efficiency, spur distinct solutions and clustered them into related
entrepreneurship, and leverage other non-conventional themes. We then looked for patterns that pointed to
approaches that could drive and sustain large-scale overarching problems (Barriers) and the underlying
restoration. Our launching point was this question: strategies (Design Principles) used to solve them.
How can we drive more successful and efficient oyster
restoration in the Gulf of Mexico? The four Barriers identified were:
The objectives of this project were to: • Inconsistent policy: Laborious permitting
processes and obstructive laws hinder efforts to
• survey the restoration projects funded by NFWF, restore oyster reefs.
as well as external projects, and distill from those
a framework for understanding the full breadth • Resource scarcity: Material costs, labor needs,
of problems encountered and the attributes that and logistical challenges impede cost-effectiveness
distinguish successful solutions; and scaling.
• recommend potential grantmaking strategies, • Inadequate planning for environmental factors:
which may enhance the effectiveness and efficiency Failure to properly assess sites and insufficient
of restoration efforts going forward (see Appendix accounting for human and natural risks threaten
I); project success.
vii
E x e c u t i v e S u m m a r y
• Fragmented management: Lack of information- These insights led us ultimately to a set of seven
sharing among projects creates cycles of inefficiency Opportunities, each with the potential to shift the
and redundancies that inhibit widespread oyster restoration landscape toward greater efficiency,
progress. reduced costs, and scalability. These Opportunities
included two strategies for enhancing existing
The four Design Principles identified were: restoration efforts, three market mechanisms for
driving change, and two policy initiatives to support
• Use what you’ve got: Build on existing resources and incentivize restoration.
and relationships.
• Opportunity 1: Expand the support base for
• Share, share, share: Develop ways to collect and restoration activities by creating a national
share past successes and failures so future initiatives platform to connect local and regional restoration
become more efficient and effective. initiatives.
• Find a champion: Recruiting a person, organization • Opportunity 2: Facilitate information-sharing
or team to take ownership of a project can among restoration projects through a single
often single-handedly overcome an ostensibly open-source, online collaboration and information-
insurmountable challenge. sharing tool.
• Add spin: Find ways to create public messaging • Opportunity 3: Pair industry and restoration in
with context, crafting, and follow-up to motivate a way that taps into underutilized resources and
people to care about oysters. builds on infrastructure and knowhow that exists
in other industries.
These Barriers and Design Principles create a
Discovery Map, which includes organizational profiles • Opportunity 4: Turn oyster farmers into reef
for 53 projects and programs that employed unique stewards by using sales of specially branded
solutions to overcome restoration challenges. From oysters to effectively generate restoration funds,
our observations we inferred the following System raise public awareness, and bring higher profits
Insights: for growers.
• Policymakers and permitting agencies impede • Opportunity 5: Name a new value and develop
restoration to the detriment of their jurisdictions. a market for it through the use of environmental
(A summary of friendly and hostile policy and impact bonds or other strategies that use economic
permitting practices related to oyster restoration valuation to develop new funding vehicles.
can be found in Appendix II.)
• Opportunity 6: Streamline the permitting
• Many projects cite the ecosystem service benefits processes to significantly accelerate the initiation of
provided by their restoration projects, but no projects, save time and money, and encourage more
one has found a way to capitalize on this added organizations to pursue restoration activities.
value.
• Opportunity 7: Increase the supply of shell to
• Project resource management—simply pulling decrease the cost of restoration by enacting
together the logistical and human components widespread shell recycling and recovery legislation
for reef restoration—is dauntingly complex. Best and launching related businesses.
practice standards could go a long way in assisting
first-time organizers. (As an example of how such Of the seven opportunities identified, we choose
BMP might be communicated, Appendix III outlines four paths (Opportunities 2, 3+7, 4 and 5) that
recommendations for attracting, motivating, we believe are both feasible and have potential to
rewarding, and retaining volunteers.) deliver significant impact. These opportunities have
the greatest promise for serving NFWF’s restoration
• Organizations engaging in restoration projects priorities, and deserve consideration for deeper
don’t have a collaborative platform for sharing evaluation in a subsequent phase of work with Future
ideas, insights, and experiences. of Fish and other partners.
• Community support from citizens, businesses, and
local government is critical to project success.
viii
E x e c u t i v e S u m m a r yPhoto: Chesapeake Bay P ro g ra m
ix
E x e c u t i v e S u m m a r y“I
’ve always been interested in living structures that provide
support for a whole galaxy of living organisms.”
—Betsy Peabody, Executive Director
Puget Sound Restoration FundINTRODUCTION
Oysters from the Gulf were once named for the bays where they grew wild: Grand Bayou, Bayou Cook, Lake
Washington, Lake Grande Ecaille. Their flavors ran salty, grassy or sweet based on the unique “meroir,” the
distinctive blend of water salinity, mineral content, and other attributes absorbed from their reef homes. Their
abundance provided irreplaceable filtering of delta waterways and the Gulf itself, shoreline stabilization,
high-quality habitat for juvenile fish and crustaceans, and the foundation for ecosystems in which other flora
and fauna could thrive, not to mention providing food and livelihoods for humans. Today, that once-plentiful
resource, and all it represented, is desperately depleted. Estimates are that less than 20 percent of the Gulf’s
historical oyster population remains. Shockingly, these are some of the most robust reefs we have left. Oysters
in the Chesapeake Bay are down to 1 percent of former abundance, and around the globe, 85 percent of oyster
reefs have been lost.
Despite these dramatic declines, many suggest that the enormous need for restoration nationwide faces
the Gulf of Mexico is the last place in the world significant financial and logistical barriers.
where significant reef restoration, conservation,
and sustainable harvest of wild oysters might still The opportunity is to reach beyond known solutions
be possible. As such, the National Fish and Wildlife to ask: How might we discover new ideas, new
Foundation (NFWF), a long-time and primary investor funding mechanisms, or new leverage points that will
in oyster restoration, has drafted a ten-year recovery be harbingers of a breakthrough?
plan for reversing oyster decline in the Gulf, with
three main goals: (1) rebuild oyster populations to We believe that possibility resides in a methodology
25 percent of historic levels; (2) create sustainable that blends the lessons of experience with a fresh
systems of wild oyster harvest and management; and perspective, and deep systems empathy with
(3) establish “living shorelines” to mitigate shoreline entrepreneurial zeal. This is an approach we have
erosion and protect coastal wetlands. honed at Future of Fish through more than four
years of convening scores of designers, fishermen,
Currently, in almost every coastal region across economists, businesspeople, anthropologists,
the country, dedicated organizations and zealous investors, journalists, and social entrepreneurs in
volunteers are working to reestablish viable oyster the service of crafting new solutions to the global
beds in depleted areas. Most of these projects are overfishing crisis. The same approach that has yielded
small scale, labor-intensive, high cost, and high risk. the FoF cohort—a portfolio of businesses working on
For many, the long-term outcome remains unknown; market disruption on behalf of sustainability in the
for some it’s unknowable. Nearly all are implemented seafood industry—can also potentially reinvent the
by resource-strapped non-profits dependent on future of oyster restoration.
limited funding from government and foundation
grants. Scaling these efforts to a level that can meet
1
I n t r o d u c t i o nHow It Works Project Scope
The effectiveness of our approach is derived from the The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
combined 20 years of experience in complex systems commissioned Future of Fish to analyze the
analysis of the team that designed it. Its strengths current state of oyster restoration in order to
include: identify opportunities to reduce costs, increase
efficiency, spur entrepreneurship, and leverage other
It is inherently optimistic. Our analysis begins by non-conventional approaches to drive and sustain
identifying what is working and succeeding in a given large-scale restoration.
space, and then we look for ways to build on that
success. The objectives of this first-stage analysis were to:
It relies on the wisdom of those in the trenches. • Survey the restoration projects funded by the
The gap is significant between theories of academics National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well
or consultants, and what is practiced as a solution on as external projects, and distill from those a
the front lines of the fight to solve any environmental framework for understanding the full breadth of
or social challenge. Within that gap are insights and problems encountered and the underlying attributes
adaptations—flashes of brilliance—that often do not that distinguish successful solutions;
get captured by high-level views of the system.
• Recommend potential grantmaking strategies,
It distills patterns not otherwise visible. Those which may enhance the effectiveness and efficiency
insights and adaptations from the field, when of restoration efforts going forward (see Appendix
knit together, provide new possibilities: ways for I);
players working on entirely separate aspects of a
multidimensional challenge to potentially collaborate, • Identify opportunity areas that outline possible
segments of the problem that have been inadvertently next steps to scaling, particularly options that
ignored, successful insights that could be more widely include market-driven mechanisms, and where
applied. NFWF could help invent and incubate a new
solution. This last deliverable lays the foundation
It reframes challenges to allow for new thinking for Future of Fish’s next phase of work proposed
and new participants. The definition of a problem with NFWF.
shapes not only the types of approaches applied,
but also the expertise invited to the conversation. To these ends, our work included the following
Ultimately, multiple framings are necessary and activities:
compelling. For example, seafood sustainability is
a marine science issue. But it is also an investment • Evaluating restoration projects funded by NFWF
issue and a business issue. Without investors and and making observations around problems
entrepreneurs in the room, important voices are left affecting successful restoration and the solution-
out of the solution set. oriented approaches to those problems;
This report is the first phase of our approach, which • Analyzing objective project attributes and estimating
encompasses latter phases of convening, field research the comparative cost-effectiveness of different
(possibly ethnography) and strategic design. The restoration methodologies, where possible;
analysis here sets the stage for these next steps and
provides NFWF with multiple options. Our analysis • Conducting interviews with experts engaged in
is qualitative in nature, not quantitative. It is meant to restoration projects nationwide in order to capture
generate a framework for understanding and a set of insights and context that may not be revealed
viable assumptions to shape the path forward, rather within a typical grant report;
than a statistically derived proof.
• Evaluating particular policies or regulations that
serve to promote or impede restoration success;
• Researching analogous solutions in other industry
sectors in order to surface potentially transferrable
strategies.
2
I n t r o d u c t i o nThe Discovery Map: Understanding The Envisioning The Power Of
Wisdom Of The Solution Designers Partnership And Entrepreneurship
The Discovery Map is an integrative approach to The factors that have contributed to the widespread
understanding the multi-faceted nature of a problem loss of oyster reefs in the U.S. and around the world
and how its different components (Barriers) might be are a combination of tragedy-of-the-commons
overcome. By parsing the problem into Barriers, we circumstances, unfavorable environmental conditions,
acknowledge the complexity of the challenge and the and large-scale manmade disasters, like the Deepwater
need for strategies on several levels (Design Principles) Horizon oil spill. The challenges are significant. But
to engage with those problems. our research found that the story of oysters and their
many beneficial services is one that inspires hope,
The Discovery Map highlights how these varied imagination, and confidence among the people
solutions work in concert across the dimensions of involved. Real, actionable solutions for scaling
a problem to bring about real and lasting positive restoration efforts are within reach.
change—much like success in extinguishing a forest
fire requires complementary, but diverse, tactics on The opportunities we present in this report identify
multiple fronts. some specific paths for NFWF to consider as they
launch their ten-year recovery plan to scale restoration
We began by reviewing documents submitted by efforts in the Gulf of Mexico and around the country.
past and present NFWF grantees engaged in projects With NFWF’s fourteen-year history of investing
related to oyster restoration. To that group we added a total of over $13 million in oyster restoration,
external projects and interviews with field experts. We the organization is well-positioned to lead other
scoured the reports and interview notes for explicit partners and stakeholders, as well as incentivize
and implicit problems and successful solutions. Our entrepreneurship, toward large-scale, cost-effective
criteria for a successful solution was that it needed and long-term restoration.
to entail progress toward its intended goal, and that
it needed to contribute toward the ultimate goal of
large-scale and widespread oyster restoration. The
insights presented are based on the apparent success
of solutions included in our analysis, rather than on
statistical significance or impact metrics.
We sifted through the problems and solutions,
clustering them into related themes. We then looked
for patterns that pointed to overarching problems
(Barriers) and the underlying strategies (Design
Principles) used to solve them. These Barriers and
Design Principles frame the Discovery Map.
Unveiling Opportunity
The Discovery Map allowed us to gauge what was
working and what was missing among current
oyster restoration efforts. Those observations led
us to identify a number of potential opportunity
areas where new ideas or inventions could accelerate
progress, increase efficiency, improve success rates, or
scale those endeavors. We narrowed the opportunity
areas to three categories: Policy Opportunities;
Non-Profit Opportunities; Business Opportunities.
We outline seven of these opportunity areas in this
report, from which we recommend four paths for
further consideration by NFWF.
3
I n t r o d u c t i o n“W hat is needed is just more intersection of design-type
folks who have the greater vision, and the folks on
the fieldwork side who have the practical knowledge.”
—Meredith Comi, Oyster Restoration Program Director
NY/NJ BaykeeperDISCOVERY MAP
Development of the Discovery Map involved identifying more than 50 unique solutions addressing problems
that hinder successful oyster restoration. Some of the restoration solutions we analyzed were distilled from
reviewing proposals and final reports from NFWF grantees (65 total). We added other solutions to our analysis
base by researching external reports and conducting first-hand interviews with on-the-ground participants in
government agencies, academia, research institutions, aquaculture, and non-profit organizations (34 total). We
discerned the insights behind each solution, specifically when an idea was coupled with an identified problem.
In all, we noted over 50 distinct challenges in the current system. The matching total quantities of problems
and solutions is purely coincidental; problems and solutions were not one-to-one matches. Some problems
were addressed by multiple solutions, and some solutions addressed multiple problems.
The Discovery Map includes the following components:
• Context: The external conditions or climate that • Design Principles: The underlying ideas or
influence the current situation within a system. observations beneath the surface of a solution.
Principles are not tools or solutions themselves, but
• Tensions: Social, political, economic, and ways to understand the mechanism a solution is
behavioral trends and biases that perpetuate a addressing. They reveal truths about a system and
problem, but that might also be openings for new insights to address longstanding stuck points.
solutions.
• Project Profiles: Brief descriptions of the solutions
• Barriers: The core challenges of a problem which, and the organizations behind them.
if successfully resolved, could pave the way for real
progress. Barriers are not immutable conditions or • System Insights: Observations of patterns,
context; they must be moveable and changeable. trends, and holes, which lead to our subsequent
recommendations and identification of opportunity
areas.
The Question
How can we drive more successful and efficient oyster reef restoration in the Gulf of Mexico?
5
D i s c o v e r y M a pContext Despite the tens of millions of dollars invested over
The largely static background or climate the past two decades, the restoration progress to
that influences the current situation date is small relative to the total magnitude of oyster
within a system. reef loss. The field currently lacks capacity to meet
the enormous need for restoration work, as well as
Nearly every coastal state in the U.S. has pursued a process that envisions how scaling scale oyster
some form of oyster restoration to achieve ecological restoration might be possible.
outcomes. In most cases, the work is performed by
NGOs, government agencies, academic institutions, The core question underlying the framework we’ve
or a partnership among these groups. Where budgets developed is: How can we drive more successful
allow, professional contractors are hired to do the and efficient oyster reef restoration in the Gulf of
manual work. More often than not, project plans Mexico?
are carried out largely by unpaid volunteers who are
overseen by program managers with varying levels
of experience and expertise. While always initiated
and executed with the best intentions, for a variety of Tensions
reasons, these efforts have produced mixed results. Social, political, economic, and behavioral
trends and biases that perpetuate a
Establishing an oyster reef that is self-sustaining problem, but that might also be openings
and grows over time is no easy feat. Significant time for new solutions.
and energy are required before restoration activities
even begin, such as obtaining the proper permits, Tension #1 Oyster reefs are among the most important
which can be a laborious process, draining resources marine ecosystems in the world; They have the lowest
from limited budgets. Initial site assessments are public profile of any endangered marine resource.
recommended to ensure that the appropriate methods
and materials are selected for a given locale, as what As far as public awareness of marine ecosystems
works in one location may not work in another. But goes, oyster reefs are obscure. They’re not typically
the scientific and technical expertise needed to perform associated with charismatic or sympathetic marine
these assessments can be difficult to obtain or cost- creatures, and they rarely receive national press.
prohibitive. Some project managers choose to forgo With a few exceptions in regions that have explicitly
this step in the process, which can be detrimental to adopted oysters as part of their cultural heritage,
the success of the project. individual knowledge of oysters rarely goes beyond
the experience of eating them. That general lack of
Ideally, preliminary site information is available to awareness is partly because, until recently, oyster
inform the particular restoration strategy. That strategy reefs had been overlooked as an important marine
involves multiple decisions, including substrate type ecosystem worth preserving. This could prove to be a
(e.g., shell, spat-on-shell, artificial substrate), planting tactical advantage moving forward: The combination
method (e.g., shell mats, bags of shell, loose shell), of an historic lack of public exposure, the ‘newness’
planting density, and timing. Some materials and and urgency of the issue, and the ability to provide
methods may be more expensive or labor-intensive tangible engagement activities for the general public,
than others, so the ultimate strategy chosen might creates a rare and meaningful feel-good experience
be more a function of the project budget than what for people overwhelmed by the panoply of ocean
nature requires. degradation issues. That experience, if nurtured,
could create broader public support for all issues and
The plan is then executed in the selected site by project policies related to ocean protection.
managers and, quite often, an army of volunteers.
Because of limited resources, many projects are forced Tension #2 Short-term cultivation is a thriving,
to cut corners and fail as a result, while the fates of profitable business; Long-term restoration is a bust.
other projects are never evaluated; funding for long-
term monitoring is difficult to secure. Oyster aquaculture, a $117.6 million (2010) industry,
makes up 90 percent of the 28.1 million pounds of
Oftentimes successful projects can be linked to those oysters harvested domestically each year. Like natural
employing contractors with the experience and reefs, cultivated oysters are beneficial to their home
knowhow to do the physical work. However, a lack water bodies, offering important water-purifying
of competition among contractors for reef restoration services. However, unlike natural reefs, farmed oysters
projects drives costs ever higher. are temporary. Within a couple of years of being
6
D i s c o v e r y M a pplanted, they grow to commercial size, are harvested, other cases, projects fail because concern arises over
and sold. Thus, they are not adequate substitutes for the potential poaching and selling of oysters from
the permanent, three-dimensional structures that restored reefs, which if contaminated, could result in
provide the gamut of ecosystem services for marine the shut-down of the state oyster industry.
life and coastal communities. Because those benefits
are still not adequately valued, short-term oyster Resource Scarcity Successful restoration efforts
aquaculture receives precedence—including far more require significant resource inputs and support. Of
public funds, resources, and political support—over primary importance (and highest cost) is the substrate
long-term reef restoration. The fact that an industry or cultch (most commonly empty oyster shells) on
of this magnitude is built on oyster cultivation, while which new larvae can settle and grow. Logistical
restoration work has languished, suggests that if challenges and costs include transportation, storage,
market incentives could be applied to restoration, and cleaning of substrate. Human resources, such as
affordable capacity to execute would follow in scientific expertise, technical skills, and raw labor,
time. are also needed for project design, building reef
structures, and/or filling bags with shell. In some
Tension #3 Oyster shell is valuable; The easiest and cases, the presence or absence of public support
most efficient thing to do with an oyster shell is throw (and, therefore, manual labor availability) can be the
it away. determining factor for whether a project gets off the
ground.
Oyster shell is the best substrate for restoration. Yet,
the need for shell far outstrips supply. In addition Inadequate Planning for Environmental Factors
to demand for shell by other industries (e.g., Once deployed in a bay, estuary, or gulf, a restoration
construction, oil drilling, cosmetics, poultry, etc.), the reef is at the mercy of nature and human influence.
transport of oysters to inland restaurants results in a Finding a suitable site is paramount if the oysters
net loss of shell from coastal regions. In the absence are to survive, grow, and reproduce. Disease, water
of adequate recycling programs and a coordinated quality, native oyster larvae recruitment, predators,
logistics network, these valuable shells are ultimately soft sediment, wave action, boat wakes, poaching,
tossed into landfills. As a result, restoration projects and inclement weather can all threaten the success of
are forced to purchase shell—which can consume a project. In many cases, this risk can be mitigated
a significant portion of their overall restoration with proper site-assessment and planning, as well as
funding—or use an inferior, but slightly less expensive, regular monitoring. But often, adequate risk planning
substrate alternative. The unmet demand for shell either falls to the wayside because of cost, or because
in the face of these wasteful practices suggests a of ignorance of historical failures that should inform
latent force that could drive collection and recycling an analysis.
activities, if properly harnessed.
Fragmented Management While there is no
universal formula for restoration, as the conditions
and resources available can vary from site to site,
Barriers the knowledge and know-how gleaned from project
The core challenges of a problem which, experience is not readily shared or available. Thus,
if successfully resolved, could pave the a fair amount of inconsistency exists with respect
way for real progress. Barriers are not to how restoration projects are executed, as well as
immutable conditions or context; they to how success is measured. There is a tendency to
must be moveable and changeable. re-make the same mistakes. The nature of funding
and grant cycles hinders efforts to engage in long-
Inconsistent Policy Oyster restoration projects term monitoring to determine the ultimate success
require permits. But the permitting process is complex, or failure of projects and the contributing factors to
time-consuming, and varies wildly across states. In these outcomes.
many places the same process designed for polluting-
activity permits is used for restoration, which results
in false assumptions that derail approval. Projects
can require authorization from multiple agencies
holding jurisdiction over a single site. For novices,
that complication can be a significant hurdle. In some
cases, the hard substrate used for oyster cultivation is
framed as ocean-dumping, and permits are denied. In
7
D i s c o v e r y M a pDesiGn PrinCiPles
The underlying ideas or observations beneath the surface of a solution. Principles
are not tools or solutions themselves, but ways to understand the mechanism a
solution is addressing. They reveal truths about a system and insights to address
longstanding stuck points.
UseWhatYou’veGotIdentify and leverage existing resources that are aligned with restoration efforts to
overcome resource and logistical challenges. That could mean tapping into local organizations with ready-
made volunteer bases, creating shell recycling programs alongside restaurants with existing supply chains, or
utilizing local suppliers for materials, handling, shipment, and storage needs.
Share,Share,Share Overcome inefficient and ineffective approaches to restoration by sharing information,
knowledge, and resources among projects and programs. Currently the learnings are lost or become siloed in
stand-alone reports or conference proceedings, many of which are not easily accessible publicly. This lack of
dissemination makes for unnecessarily steep learning curves, constant wheel reinvention, redundancies, and the
perpetuation of mistakes that could be otherwise avoided through better communication and collaboration.
FindAChampion Recruit a person, organization, or community to take ownership, create enthusiasm, and
motivate others. Whether those champions are individual volunteers, aquariums, branches of the military,
dock owners, or even private clubs, they can often single-handedly overcome an ostensibly insurmountable
challenge.
AddSpinFind ways to motivate people to care about oysters. That is no easy task, given the non-charismatic
and immobile nature of these often unfamiliar invertebrates. But public perception can greatly influence the
ease with which a project is implemented. Messages to rally volunteer and community support require context,
crafting, and follow-up. Tactics can include targeted educational programs, marketing campaigns, appeals to
people’s self-interest, or linking a restoration project with another topic of high value or concern.
Photo: Chesapeake Bay Program
8
D i s c o v e r y M a pDiscovery Chart
Each circle represents the number of solutions employing the given Design Principle to address the specific
Barrier. The proportion of NFWF-funded projects in each area is represented in blue. The proportion of
non-NFWF projects is represented in black.
Inadequate
Planning For
BARRIERS Inconsistent Resource Environmental Fragmented
Policy Scarcity Factors Management
DESIGN
PRINCIPLES
Use What You’ve Got 1 12 8 1
Share, Share, Share 2 3 7
Find A Champion 4 2 1 1
Add Spin 10 1
1 Total Projects NFWF-Funded Projects Non-NFWF Projects
© F u t u r e O f F i s h / I m p a c t A s s e t s
9
D i s c o v e r y M a pProject Profiles goals of the restoration activities is to re-establish viable
sport-fishing grounds in areas decimated by Hurricane
Katrina and, thus, demonstrate the benefits of oyster
Design Principle One restoration to users of the preserve. Barrier: Inadequate
Planning for Environmental Factors
Use What You’ve Got
Copano Bay Reef Restoration, Harte Research
Build on existing resources and relationships. Institute Corpus Christi, TX Nearly four acres of oyster
reef habitat were restored using over 1,600 cubic yards of
100-1000 Restore Coastal Alabama Mobile Bay, recycled shell and crushed concrete in Summer 2011. The
AL The 100-1000 Restore Coastal Alabama project is the scientists used clean, crushed concrete to form the base of
brainchild of several major conservation organizations that each reef mound, and then topped each with the recycled
joined together in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil oyster shell collected from area restaurants through Harte’s
spill to determine how best to create effective restoration shell recycling program. These structurally complex,
on the Gulf Coast. The goal of the project is to restore high-relief reefs were expected to be less subject to
100 miles of oyster reef—which would provide protection sedimentation, allow higher oyster densities, and support
and support for recovery of 1000 acres of saltmarsh and larger fish populations. Within a month after the Copano
seagrass habitat—to revive local fisheries and protect Bay project’s completion, fish had found the new reef.
shorelines against continued erosion. The scaled-up Within six months, new oysters were growing. Barrier:
restoration effort (1/4 mile already deployed) required Inadequate Planning for Environmental Factors
assistance from local contractors who innovated new
technologies for automating shell-bagging in order to Deadman’s Island Restoration Project, City of Gulf
increase the efficiency of the process. This bold effort Breeze Pensacola Bay, FL (EZG 5863 & 2385,
is now supported by over 35 public-private partnerships 2008 & 2009) The Deadman’s Island Restoration
and has spurred development of a living shoreline general Project established a natural, sustainable breakwater
permit within the Army Corps to streamline the permitting to protect an eroding shoreline in Pensacola Bay. The
process. Environmental and economic studies related to 1,240-foot breakwater was made from natural shell with
the project show the ecological and job creation potential structural support provided by welded rebar. Students from
of the larger project vision. Barrier: Resource Scarcity a local technical school were enlisted to weld the reef units
using school equipment, instructor time, forklifts, etc.
Alternative Substrate Research, Harte Research They then helped fill the breakwater units with shell and
Institute Corpus Christi, TX Researchers at Harte transport them to the restoration site. Through the process
Institute have begun experiments to test the feasibility of of learning about and building the oyster breakwater,
using new substrates for oyster reef restoration projects. project directors noted that the students, many of whom
Namely, they’re interested in whether ceramic and were avid anglers, became particularly motivated to
porcelain (from caps on telephone poles as well as sinks participate when they learned that new oyster habitat
and toilets) could be viable alternatives to shells, which would enhance fish populations in Pensacola Bay. Thus,
are becoming increasingly more expensive, despite their in addition to supplying thousands of dollars of free labor
successful shell recycling program. If these substances and equipment, the student volunteer program created a
turn out to effectively attract and grow oysters, a program new community of advocates for oyster reef restoration.
could be developed to divert them from landfills, saving Barrier: Resource Scarcity
disposal fees and providing free substrate to restoration
projects. Barrier: Resource Scarcity Delaware Bay Oyster Habitat and Population
Enhancement, Rutgers University Delaware Bay,
Biloxi Bay Oyster Habitat Restoration, The Nature DE and NJ (EZG 1001, 2009) The restoration of
Conservancy Biloxi Bay Estuary, MS (EZG 29044, natural oyster beds in Delaware Bay is an ongoing project
2012) The objective of this active project (as of Fall 2012) that began in 2005 and primarily focuses on the timely
is to construct an additional 15-20 acres of sub-tidal oyster planting of fresh clean shell cultch on natural oyster beds
reef in Biloxi Bay, as part of ongoing restoration activities in order to provide a suitable substrate for maximizing
in this estuary. Prior to this project, 19 acres of sub-tidal larval oyster settlement and survival. The Haskin Shellfish
reef habitat had already been created. The oyster reefs Research Laboratory at Rutgers University works with
restored by this project are not only constructed by an local government agencies and fisheries to conduct
organization with experience and expertise, but they’re an annual area-wide survey of oyster populations and
located in areas that are currently closed to commercial and spawning conditions in order to inform oyster harvesting
private oyster harvest. As such, these reefs are protected quotas, as well as to determine the best locations and times
from poaching by the State of Mississippi. One of the key to plant shell to enhance existing populations. For this
10
D i s c o v e r y M a pproject, cultch was planted on 38-acres of the Silver Bed Oyster Habitat Restoration in the Cape
in Delaware Bay, which subsequent monitoring suggests Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina
has contributed to restoring the site’s carbonate balance, Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR)
which is critical for maintaining natural oyster beds. It is Awendaw, SC (EZG 26426, 2011) Through relationship-
expected that this shell will continue to provide a substrate building and clever use of resources, this project,
for spat settlement for many years, thereby expanding implemented through SCDNR’s community-based South
abundance and biomass of oysters on the Silver Bed. Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement (SCORE)
Barrier: Fragmented Management Program, successfully restored 75 square meters of oyster
habitat. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Mosquito Lagoon and Intertidal Reef Restoration, provided boats for site selection and monitoring, as well as
University of Central Florida Indian River Lagoon storage and security for stockpiling of shell bags. USFWS
System, FL (EZG 4600, 2002) This project staff and the South Eastern Wildlife and Environment
involved the restoration of six intertidal oyster reefs Education Association assisted in volunteer recruitment
in Mosquito Lagoon by constructing 360 oyster mats, for bagging, water monitoring and reef building through
where shells are tied to mesh screens. An alternative to their contacts with ~1,500 area volunteers. Reefs were
other shell deployment methods, shell mats not only constructed of recycled oyster shells, collected by
utilize fewer shells per unit area, but they mitigate volunteers and DNR staff from local restaurants, caterers,
damage from boat wakes, which can cause shell and public events. Reefs consisted of 600 volunteer-filled
movement, dislodging of oysters from their reefs, shell bags, which were loaded onto boats donated by
and sediment resuspension. In Mosquito Lagoon, the Coastal Conservation Association. Volunteers were
this process has resulted in the formation of dead transported at no cost to the restoration sites aboard the
zones and piles of broken oyster shells accumulating Bulls Island Ferry, courtesy of Coastal Expeditions,
on the seaward edges of the reefs. After six months a project partner. Through the course of the project,
of monitoring, recruitment and survival were high, additional relationships were forged, which are expected
and only one of the 360 reef mats had sustained to contribute to the ongoing success of this and future
damage. This success rate led Canaveral National projects. For example, a teacher workshop, which was
Seashore’s resource management officers to approve developed during the project phase, has been submitted
the relocation of some of the mats to areas most in to the Education Department for approval as continuing
need of restoration.Barrier: Inadequate Planning for education credit. Barrier: Resource Scarcity
Environmental Factors
Oyster Reef Restoration in Charlotte Harbor, Florida
Olympia Oyster Recovery in Puget Sound, Puget Gulf Coast University Lower Charlotte Harbor, FL
Sound Restoration Fund Puget Sound, WA (EZG (EZG 14191, 2003) This project focused on creating,
18671, 2010) The primary objectives of this project training, and mobilizing an intergenerational citizen group
were to install shell enhancement projects on 7.25 acres to construct 12 reefs at 12 demonstration sites over two
at selected sites in Puget Sound in order to augment years. Over 200 volunteers participated in site preparation,
remnant Olympia oyster populations and accelerate shell bagging, reef construction, and monitoring of water
the recruitment process for new populations. All shell quality, reef development, and oyster growth. The project
enhancement sites were surveyed for natural oyster set, was supported by the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary
but some showed little to no recruitment over several Program, a partnership of citizens, elected officials,
years. Considering that contemporary Puget Sound oyster resource managers and commercial and recreational
beds were estimated at 4% of historical abundance and resource users working to improve the water quality
recruitment was low, project partners turned their focus and ecological integrity of the greater Charlotte Harbor
toward advancing the conservation use of hatchery- watershed. Many of these partners also financially support
propagated native oysters. Hatcheries can be an important the program, which affords the program opportunities to
restoration tool to restore source populations in historic fund projects such as this. Barrier: Resource Scarcity
habitat areas where a sustainable source population is
absent in the water body. As a result of the project, genetic Oyster Restoration in St. Mary’s River, Sustainable
protocols were developed and a collaborative effort began Development Institute St. Mary’s City, MD (EZG
in Washington State to establish a hatchery facility to 5494, 2006) The St. Mary’s River oyster gardening
produce restoration-grade Olympia oyster seed. This program tested the use of “floats” with oysters that had
will enable project partners to rebuild Olympia oyster been selectively bred by the Circle C Oyster Ranch, as
populations in Puget Sound in order to restore ecosystem an alternative to the less-than-successful conventional
services provided by native oyster habitat. Barrier: practice of reviving native oyster beds by fortifying old
Inadequate Planning for Environmental Factors oyster reefs with extra shell, and planting seed oysters
raised by volunteer amateur farmers. The main problem
11
D i s c o v e r y M a pwith the latter approach is the presence of pollution and After hurricane Ike, Texas Parks and Wildlife utilized
disease (MSX and dermo), which tend to attack and kill side-scan sonar to determine which areas of reef had
young oysters before they are big enough to harvest. The the least sediment and instead of planting cultch, they
Circle C oysters are raised close to the surface on floats employed local commercial fishermen to drag their rakes/
(to reduce susceptibility to disease) and bred for their dredges over the areas and re-expose the hard substrate.
fast growth rates. After a number of controlled and field Analysis showed they were able to successfully re-expose
experiments, researchers found that the Circle C oyster almost 30% of the area (1100 acres out of 3800 acres
(called the Linebacker) was found to remove significantly assessed). Factoring in this success rate drove the cost of
more algae and sediment than the wild-type species. The “restoration” down from nearly $36,000 an acre to $740
results provided support for the possibility of utilizing an acre. Though limited in application, this partnership
specially bred oysters to enhance wild reefs. An ancillary shows that shallow sediment deposits can be efficiently
benefit of the project was the fact that it converted 10 removed to re-expose oyster reef. Barrier: Inadequate
waterfront homeowners, who had agreed to host a Circle Planning for Environmental Factors
C float, into private oyster growers. Barrier: Inadequate
Planning for Environmental Factors Project PORTS (Promoting Oyster Restoration
Through Schools), Rutgers University Delaware
Oyster Shell Drillers, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Estuary (EZG 5881 & 7471, 2007 & 2008) Project
Indian River Lagoon, FL The Nature Conservancy’s PORTS is a strategic effort to raise awareness of the
Mosquito Lagoon oyster restoration project utilized importance of oysters to the local environment and
“oyster mats”—18-inch square mats with 36 oyster economy. Since its NFWF-funded inception, Project
shells vertically attached with zip ties—as starter reefs PORTS has worked with more than 2,000 local fourth-
for intertidal restoration. To build the mats requires through eighth-grade students in 14 area schools. Each
oyster shells that are drilled with holes where zip ties year, teachers and students receive classroom instruction on
can fasten. Previously a bottleneck for the project, the role of oysters in their local environment and economy,
TNC found a reliable and efficient source of oyster then spend an afternoon filling mesh bags with shells,
shell drillers in the crew of Royal Caribbean’s Mariner which eventually make their way to oysters beds within
of the Seas ship. While out to sea, the crew drill holes a 10-acre plot designated for restoration in the Delaware
in the shells and then, when in port, they swap buckets Estuary. As an initiative of the Rutgers University Haskins
of drilled shell for undrilled. The partnership has Shellfish Lab, Project PORTS leaders work with Haskins
made it possible for the project to meet the demand scientists to determine the precise location and volume
for mat-building projects among the many community of oyster restoration to be carried out each year. Project
and school groups that now engage in volunteer PORTS conducts restoration at sites that are permissible
efforts to restore the reef. In addition to hands-on based on approval of New Jersey state agencies involved
labor, Royal Caribbean has also awarded money to with water quality and shellfisheries, thus streamlining the
the project. Barrier: Resource Scarcity permitting process. As a result, Project PORTS has been
able to carry out restoration projects each year without
Perdido and Pensacola Bay OYSTER, Florida needing to apply grant funding to either the permitting
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) process or toward determining where or how to conduct
Escambia County, FL (EZG 4160, 2006) New the restoration. Barrier: Resource Scarcity
restored oyster reef habitat in non-harvestable
waters was constructed with recycled shell from Rapid Oyster-bagging, J&W Marine Enterprises,
local restaurants and volunteers from community Inc Mobile Bay, AL Laying down and stacking bags of
organizations (e.g., churches, Boy Scouts). Boats to oyster shell is one of the main methods used to construct
transport the shell to the site were loaned at no-cost three dimensional oyster reefs. Creating these sacks of
from DEP and a volunteer. The project drew on shell is a herculean effort, often requiring large numbers of
past restoration experience to modify deployment volunteers to hand-stuff the bags. Normally, one volunteer
techniques on soft sediment, which tend to cause can fill two or three bags in an hour. When tasked with
berms to sink and scatter. To prevent that, they used filling 80,000 sacks for a TNC Alabama project, Wayne
coconut fiber matting to disperse the weight, and jute Eldridge knew he had to innovate a new, faster way to bag
netting to prevent loose shell from scattering. Barrier: shells. He modified his conventional conveyor machine
Resource Scarcity to accommodate oyster shells so that a six-person team
could fill 300 bags per hour. Operating two machines at
Plowing Oysters, Texas Parks and Wildlife once and employing 12 people, Eldridge successfully
Department Galveston Bay, TX One of the major created 150,000 shell bags for the expanded project.
threats to oysters along the Texas coast is burial from Such innovation offers promise for supporting larger-scale
sedimentation, especially after large storms and hurricanes. restoration efforts. Barrier: Resource Scarcity
12
D i s c o v e r y M a pRestoring the Olympia Oyster in Southern events, currently more than 100 restaurants and seafood
California, KZO Education, Inc Long Beach, CA distributors participate in the program and tens of
This program represents one of only two scientific pilot thousands of bushels of shell are collected per year. As
studies to determine the feasibility of oyster restoration the program has grown, efforts have succeeded in getting
in Southern California waters. KZO Education founders distributors to backfill their trucks with empty shell as they
Phil Cruver and Debbie Johnson leveraged their personal deliver fresh product to restaurants, making use of existing
connections with key players (yacht club members, supply chains. Barrier: Resource Scarcity
government officials) in the Long Beach City Council to
secure permission for the project within the uniquely city- ShellfishRestoration,CoastalSteward,Inc Port
owned Jack Dunster Marine Reserve, thereby bypassing JeffersonHarborComplex,NY(EZG5546,2006)
the “byzantine” permitting process that otherwise hampers The objective of this project was to raise 98,000 oysters
restoration efforts in the region. Partnership with local from seed and to release 250,000 adult oysters into four
oyster restoration scientist Danielle Zacherl with CSU selected sanctuaries and harbors, where the population of
Fullerton overcame the insurance barrier faced by many oysters has fallen to 1% of its historical high. While the
small non-profits. The project seeks to raise public explanations of the methodology were sparse, and success
awareness of the value and need for native oysters as part was anecdotal, one notable characteristic of the project
of a healthy coastal ecosystem through KZO Innovation’s was that all replanted oysters had been bred to have a
novel learning platform (originally designed to help with black stripe, which distinguished them from wild-type
increasing education in Pakistan). It will also establish oysters. Such genetic markings could be utilized in future
scientific baselines for best practices for native oyster projects to deter poachers from harvesting and selling
restoration in the region. Barrier: Inconsistent Policy restoration oysters. Barrier: Inadequate Planning for
Environmental Factors
San Francisco Bay Native Oyster Habitat
Restoration,TheWatershedProject SanFrancisco
Bay,CA(EZG2786,2009) This project was initially
intended to restore and monitor a ¼ acre oyster reef in the
San Francisco Bay. However, because matching funding did
not materialize, a new goal was set. Organizers recognized
that much of the shell planted during a restoration project
does not result in live oyster growth. This is largely because
fouling agents (algae, sediment, etc.) prevent oyster spat
from settling. So, in lieu of establishing new reef, local
volunteers cleaned shell from previously restored reefs, in
order to increase their chances of long-term survival and
growth. Follow-up monitoring revealed that the process
of removing fouling agents allowed oyster density on
washed shells to rival that of newly-planted shell. Washed
shells also dramatically outperformed shell on reefs that
had not been washed. In the end, the Watershed Project
created significant new oyster habitat without the use of
new shell, and without the need for more funds. Barrier:
Resource Scarcity
Shell Recycling Alliance, Oyster Recovery
Partnership ChesapeakeBay The Shell Recycling
Alliance collects used oyster and clam shells on a weekly
basis from restaurants, caterers, and seafood wholesalers
throughout Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and
Delaware. Shells are deposited into shell collection
Photo: Fi l e Photo, Coastal and Aquati c Managed A rea s, F D EP
containers distributed throughout the region, and then
delivered to the University of Maryland’s Center for
Environmental Science Horn Point Hatchery for use Shellfish Restoration Hatchery, Puget Sound
as substrate for spat raised to replenish the Chesapeake Restoration Fund Puget Sound, WA As part of
Bay oyster population. A program begun in 2008 the Washington Shellfish Initiative, the Puget Sound
with a Chesapeake Bay oyster community that was Restoration Fund has engaged in a unique partnership with
frustrated to see oyster shell thrown away at shucking NOAA’s Manchester Lab to build a hatchery to support
13
D i s c o v e r y M a pgrowth of seed (spat on shell) specifically for restoration Design Principle Two
purposes. Prior to this development, all seed came from
commercial aquaculture, which focuses its efforts oyster Share, Share, Share
characteristics that are good for production (such as fast
growth), not necessarily for natural population survival. Develop ways to collect and share past successes and
The Manchester Lab facility will work not only to provide failures so future initiatives become more efficient
more seed in order to meet scaled-up restoration goals, and effective.
but utilizing the genetic expertise of lab staff the hatchery
will also work to build diversity of seed population Community-basedRestorationMatchingGrants
and ensure appropriate strains are matched with the Program, The Nature Conservancy and NOAA
right environment. Barrier: Inadequate Planning for Nationwide The Community-based Restoration
Environmental Factors Matching Grants Program is a partnership between
TNC’s Global Marine Team and NOAA’s Restoration
Whale Island Oyster Reef Creation, Tampa Bay Center with the goal to bring together local non-profit,
WatchWhaleIsland,FL(EZG2244,2009) Tampa public, private, and tribal groups to implement
Bay Watch, in partnership with the Pinellas County habitat restoration projects by providing technical
Environmental Fund, Crabby Bill’s Restaurant, and and monetary support at a community level. The
510 local volunteers, created approximately 550 partnership began in 2001 and has funded several
linear feet of oyster shell bar along the northern oyster reef restoration projects around the country.
shoreline of Whale Island in the Pinellas National TNC works with project sites and regional programs
Wildlife Refuge. Much of the success of the project to promote information exchange and coordination
was attributed to Crabby Bill’s donating roughly 40 across projects. NOAA staff are also available to
tons of recycled oyster shell for the construction of provide site-specific guidance on project design and
the shell bar. Tampa Bay Watch, thus, chose to extend engineering, environmental compliance, and science-
its partnership with the restaurant for the continued based project monitoring. This type of coordination
use of recycled oyster shell in reef restoration projects helps to reduce project redundancy and promote
around Tampa Bay. Barrier: Resource Scarcity sharing of best practices for reef restoration. Barrier:
Fragmented Management
Development of National-Scale Oyster Reef
Restoration Goals, The Nature Conservancy
Nationwide(EZG1047,2009)This project developed
quantitative estimates of the extent and health of
native oyster habitat in 72 current and historical
bays across 8 eco-regions in the continental U.S. It
established standard terms for describing individual
oyster reefs and oyster reef systems, as they have been
described and catalogued using a range of measures
and terms, making comparison of the health and
status of oyster reefs in different areas difficult, if not
impossible. For example, the researchers confirmed
that the extent of an oyster reef is not necessarily a
good proxy for oyster abundance. Data were used
to produce maps of existing and historical reefs, and
to develop models for estimating the provision of
ecosystem services provided by oyster reefs in U.S.
estuaries. These tools are intended to enable new
restoration projects to be located in optimal areas,
and to help project managers and agencies establish
realistic budgets and goals for oyster restoration in
specific regions. Barrier: Fragmented Management
Ph oto :Ch esap eakeBay Program
14
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