1. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
TNC Mission statement

2. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Acknowledgements
Megan Callahan-Grant & Kerry Griffin, NOAA Restoration Center, Portland
Sue Cudd, Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, Netarts
Mark Witwer, Netarts Bay oysterman
Volunteers
TNC Mission statement

3. Historic Sites of Olympia Oysters in Oregon
Netarts Bay, Yaquina Bay, and Coos Bay had
documented pops.
Other larger bays are
suspected to have had native oysters

4. Late 1800s: California Gold Rush Drove Demand for Native Oysters
San Francisco Bay quickly depleted of Olympia Oysters
Demand moves to WA and OR where oyster farms become major agricultural business
3000 baskets shipped from Tillamook Bay (Netarts) in 1862

5. Netarts Bay
2747 acres
Cape Lookout-
Sand Lake
Conservation
Area

6. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Project Goal
Restore a Self-sustaining Native Oyster Population
TNC Mission statement

7. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
NOAA/TNC Funded
Work with Partners and
Local Community
Learn from Local
Oystermen
Develop techniques
and Monitor progress
TNC Mission statement

8. Ecological Role of Olympia Oysters (Ostrea conchaphila)
Habitat Development —subtidal reefs, benthic complexity supporting eelgrass beds
Water Quality Management —filter feeders capable of filtering 8-12 gallons/day/oyster reducing turbidity and algal blooms while maintaining nutrient balance
Food Chain —larvae and adults sought by many organisms

9. Netarts Bay Shellfish Reserve
*Established by ODFW *Submerged Lands Managed by DSL *Site Administered by OSU *No Provisions in Regs for Restoration or Conservation Leasing *Approx. 30 ha in size

10. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Collecting Broodstock
TNC Mission statement

11. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Spawning & Setting Native Oyster Spat
TNC Mission statement

12. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
TNC Mission statement

13. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Placing Shellbags in the Bay
TNC Mission statement

14. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Proper Care and Handling of Shellbags
TNC Mission statement

15. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Shellbag Placement in Upper Bay
TNC Mission statement

16. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Management Issues in Netarts Bay
Eelgrass Beds
Essential Salmon Habitat
Wildlife
Commercial Oyster Farms
-12 Growers
-325 acres in leases
Recreational Use of bay
Multiple Agencies
Inability to Lease Site for
Conservation
TNC Mission statement

17. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Native Oyster-Eelgrass Research Plots
TNC Mission statement

18. Native Oyster-Eelgrass Research Plots

19. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Spreading Shells in Plots
TNC Mission statement

20. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Restoration Results
2 outplantings over 2 yrs
400 shellbags, 10M. spat
0.5 ha tidelands covered
Growth rates average
16 mm after 1 season,
30 mm after 2 seasons
2000 volunteer hours
Local community
involvement
TNC Mission statement

21. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Ecological Challenges
Substrate Habitat Loss
Sedimentation
Coastal Development
Invasive Species
Natural Predators
Changing Ocean
Conditions??
TNC Mission statement

22. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Invasive Species
Japanese Oyster Drill Removal
using volunteers,
collect feral Pacific
oysters from tidelands that may harbor drills
TNC Mission statement

23. Netarts Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project
Next Steps
Secure Restoration Site Through Conservation Lease
Develop Substrate by Adding Shell
Continue Re-introduction of Oysters
Increase Monitoring Effort to Detect Recruitment
TNC Mission statement

24. TNC Global Marine Initiative Program Available at: nature
TNC Global Marine Initiative Program Available at: nature.org/initiatives/marine