Rob Brumbaugh & Mike BeckThe Nature ConservancyGlobal Marine Initiativewww.nature.org/marine

The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Network:

Lessons from a National Perspective

Acknowledgements

• TNC staff leading shellfish restoration projects in 11 U.S. states: Anne Birch, Marci Bortman, Cindy Brown, Rafael Calderon, Chris Clapp, Jeff DeBlieu, Mark Dumesnil, Patrick Ertel, Jared Laing, Carl LoBue, Betsy Lyons, Wayne Grothe, Aaron McCall, Jay Odell, Adam Starke, Barry Truitt, Dick Vander Schaaf, Nicole Vickey, Jacques White;

• National Partnership with NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program;

• Many partners in public management agencies, conservation organizations and academic research institutions who contribute to the Shellfish Restoration Network;

Outline

• Shellfish Restoration Network – history, purpose, initial outcomes

• Current activities

• Progress

• Challenges

• Next Steps and Hope for the Future

Shellfish Restoration Network - early steps

• First suggested by Mike Beck at ICSR in 2004;

• Purpose: improve cohesion and communication among projects sharpen the focus on ecosystem services as outcome

• Initial meeting with TNC and few partners in 2004 and a workshop focused on project design in 2005;

• Early outcomes: communications tools (quarterly E-newsletter “Clamor”) guidance on design of projects development of new projects workspace on www.conserveonline.org

“Restoration Clamor”

Initial Products

Brumbaugh, R.D., M.W. Beck, L.D. Coen, L. Craig and P. Hicks. 2006. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington VA. 28 pp.

New handbook summarizes lessons learned and provides advice on:

The case for restoration Identifying target species Site selection Monitoring approaches Forming effective partnerships

TNC’s Shellfish Network Sites

Olympia oyster Eastern oyster Bay scallop Hard Clam Blue mussel

Partnership based

Testing restoration strategies

Multiple sites are leased or owned

Multi-species approach

Focus on Ecosystem Services

From Assessments to Action

Graphic provided by NC Division of Marine Fisheries

2 – 3 m

2 m

Sanctuary reefs in NC:Class B rip-rapLimestone marl150 – 300 tons per reef

5 – 1 0 m

• Monitoring is integral part of projects

• Using similar metrics (oyster density, size frequency, etc)

• Adaptive management

http://www.coastal.edu/marine/sgoyster

Restoration Progress

State-managed program for sanctuary-based restoration

Spawner sanctuaries guard againstrecruitment failure

3-Dimensional reefs mimichistoric reef habitat

Restoration Progress

Increase filtration with clams

Improve ecosystem function and resilience

Shellfish restoration spurs ecosystem-based management plans

• Olympia oyster restoration gaining momentum along Pacific coast

• TNC is combining restoration with field test of new state-wide conservation leasing policy in Washington state

Restoration Progress

Puget Sound, Olympia oyster restoration on leased bottom

Scales of projects

Small Medium Large

But, mostly, working around the margins…

Sunlight Sunlight

HealthySystem

EutrophicSystem

BalancedAlgae Growth

Minimal Nutrient Inputs

Excessive Nutrient Inputs

HealthyBay Grasses Reduced

Bay Grasses

Algae Die-off

Algae DecompositionAdequate

Oxygen No / Low Oxygen

Algal Bloom

Adapted from Chesapeake Bay Program 

Much more progress is needed

 

Abundant oysters Depleted

oysters

Lotze et al 2006, SCIENCE

Condition of Common Estuarine Taxa in 12 Systems around the Globe

Challenges Remain

• Fisheries a higher priority than other ecosystem services

• Regulatory constraintsrestoration in closed watershabitat enhancement

• Ecosystem services not valued ($)

• Insufficient restoration funding to return ecosystem services at large scales ($)

Next Steps – Engage the Network

Address key issues through working groups:

1) Ecosystem Services - what is a healthy oyster reef actually worth ($) in terms of filtration, nutrient removal, shoreline protection, and ‘productivity’ of fish and shellfish?

2) Regulatory issues surrounding restoration in closed waters

3) Global assessment: “Shellfish Reefs at Risk”

Ecosystem Services

• Provisioning – shellfish landings

• Regulating – erosion control, fish habitatPeterson et al (2003): 2.6kg/m2/yr fish production in SE estuaries

• Cultural – tourism, recreation

• Supporting - nutrient cyclingNewell et al (2005): $314,836/yr N removal in Choptank River

Framework from Millennium Assessment, 2006

Need this to justify scaling up

Restoration in Closed Waters: attractive solution or attractive nuisance?

Lynnhaven RiverSub-Watershed Area: 166 km2

Chesapeake BayWatershed Area: 166,000 km2

A ten year restoration effort

Impetus for water quality improvement

Lynnhaven River 2007

LowLow MediumMedium HighHigh

Coral Reefs at Risk

An impetus for research, conservation, improved management

Bryant et al, 1998

Low Risk-- Intact Shellfish Reefs & Beds

No synthesis of distribution, condition or threats (risk)

No compelling case for action

Temperate Northern Hemisphere

Looking Globally…Shellfish Reefs at Risk

Seeking data: Spatial distribution, abundance, condition & threats

Conclusions

• A lot of progress - new and innovative partnerships have elevated restoration and enhanced monitoring;

• Need to sharpen focus on ecosystem services to make ecological restoration more mainstream and large scale;

• Shellfish Restoration Network should help to fill in gaps, provide support for enhanced and expanded restoration;

Seeking your involvement: Rob Brumbaugh

rbrumbaugh@tnc.org

Our challenge

“The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.”

- Theodore Roosevelt