A COMMUNITY-BASED OYSTER RESTORATION STRATEGY FOR DELAWARE'S COASTAL (INLAND) BAYS John W. Ewart 1, E. J. Chalabala 2, Frank Marenghi 3 and Aaron Gibson 3 1 Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, Graduate College of Marine and Earth Studies, Lewes, Delaware USA 2 Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, Rehoboth, Delaware USA 3 Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware USA

Declining water quality species diversity & habitat loss Nutrient eutrophication agriculture & suburbanization

Shellfish Field Research & Demonstration 2001 & 04 Shellfish pathogen surveys Year Seasonal growth & survival L. Assawoman Bay stock assessment Establish & monitor a pilot scale reef LAB restoration strategy Oyster gardening program

Oyster Gardening Overview Why: Supply oysters for restoration/stock enhancement Citizen involvement and education Citizen involvement and education Applied research & demonstration Who: Inland Bay residents and volunteers What: Nursery culture of 10 mm oyster spat to juvenile/adult What: Nursery culture of 10 mm oyster spat to juvenile/adult When: April to November ………all year for FTR Where: Residential lagoon communities Where: Residential lagoon communities

Oyster Gardening Locations 2003 & locations locations locations locations locations * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

D. Parks, NOAA

Partnerships financial support education/training technical support local & county governments Community businesses - materials, supplies, equipment and in-kind services Inland Bays volunteers (oyster gardening & water quality)

address: 2005 Oyster Gardener Registration Form Name(s): Address: Phone: Please provide written directions to your gardening site: Date Delivered: ____________________ Date Collected: ____________________ ID Code: _________________

16.8% to 43.4% Macroalgae/anoxia 43% to 75% Winter Kill

Fenwick Island, Delaware Lynnhaven, Virginia

Source: Govt. of British Columbia Adaptive Management Source: Govt. of British Columbia Hold oysters for two seasons to promote natural spawning Utilize rip rap as a base for oysters vs artificial reef

2007 Remote Setting of Oyster Larvae

Little Assawoman Bay Shellfish Restoration Strategy Fenwick Island, Delaware

June 2008 July 2007 D. Parks, NOAA

Little Assawoman Bay September 2008

Education & Outreach

Summary  Continue Stocking Rip Rap  Network of Monitoring Sites  Remote Setting Operation  Setting options  Promote Natural Recruitment

Delaware Center for the Inland Bays Oyster Gardeners

Acknowledgements Don Merritt Greg DeBrosse THANKS Gulnihal Ozbay Jim Alderman Nancy Stokes