1. Marilyn Latta Eden Landing Working Group October 27, 2009 Subtidal Habitat Update Eden Landing Living Shoreline Project Ideas

2. Historical Abundance Commercial oyster farms Eden Landing Dungeness crab fishery Salmon fleet Bay shrimp fishery Hunting and shellmounds Hydrographic surveys The Albatross surveys Steelhead streams

3. Habitats in San Francisco Bay Tidal marsh ~40,000 acres Tidal flats ~30,000 acres Eelgrass beds ~3,000 acres Native oyster and other shellfish beds (?) Creeks – over 1,000 miles Shallow and deep subtidal ~250,000 acres Photo credits: www.lorenz-avelar.com

4. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Artificial Structures Shellfish Beds Sandy shoals Mud/silt/clay/shell mix Pebble/cobble/gravel Rocky Outcrops Algal Beds Photo credits: www.bluewaterimages.com

5. GIS Maps Being Produced Subtidal Habitat Types Habitat Stressors Informed Siting of Projects

6. Subtidal Habitat Conceptual Models Wim Kimmerer

7. Functional Connections Across Habitats Habitats and Function are Linked Watershed: elevational gradient of sediments Sloughs/channels: hydrology, food, larval transport Offshore shoals: shallow water spawning/rearing Estuary wide: Migratory and feeding routes Species use multiple depths and vegetation types invertebrates, crabs, shrimps, shellfish herring, salmon, smelt, sturgeon, rays, sharks shorebirds, diving ducks and waterfowl marine mammals Ecosystem-based Approach arrays of natural habitat types multiple objectives Graphic: www.baynature.org

8. Transition Zones on Both Edges Upland transitionSubtidal transition Wetland edges: sand bars, shell beds, kelp and eelgrass fringe, rocky intertidal

9. Increase Subtidal Design Integration shoreline-tidal-submerged habitats Design Integration 1. Reduce habitat fragmentation, increase connectivity 2. Plan for more shallow water habitat and maximum edges 3. Design gradual slopes and a variety of topography 4. Pay attention to “subtidal transition zones” 5. Optimize natural sediments to promote self-maintenance Artificial Structures 6. Reduce and modify hard structures to protect habitat

10. Increase Subtidal Design Integration shoreline-tidal-submerged habitats Monitor existing native species 7. Survey existing subtidal resources and species use 8. Enhance current habitat for aquatic species 9. Restore offshore shellfish, eelgrass beds, fish habitats Manage invasive species 10. Survey for Aquatic Invasive Species 11. When feasible, eradicate invasives Control marine debris 12. Identify trash hot spots, prevent sources of debris Photograph at low tides 13. Photomonitor sites at extreme low tides

11. Native Olympia Oysters: Ostrea conchaphila Habitat Engineers: Range: Chile to Alaska Small: usually 1.5 - 2”, some to 3” Attach to shell, hard substrate, mud/cobble Planktonic larvae, settle in embayments Filter feeders, water quality Co-evolved with natives, key niche space Food source for other invertebrates, birds, fish

13. 2007 Native Oyster Recruitment

14. Native Eelgrass: Zostera marina Habitat Builders: sediment infauna (clams, worms, etc.) epibenthic invertebrates (sponges, etc.) fishes (pipefish, anchovy, etc.) Traps sediments, reduces erosion Breeding ground for Pacific herring Foraging area for dungeness crabs, birds, & marine mammals

15. Two Marin Restoration Sites: > 10,000 new shoots

16. Assessment Projects Native Eelgrass, Shellfish, and Creosote Pilings Eelgrass and Shellfish: Ecosystem Engineers niche space for invertebrates fish forage and spawning habitat for Dungeness crabs, salmon, diving ducks & marine mammals Project Elements: Key functions Restoration methods Bay-wide acreage goals Priority areas for research Creosote and Artificial Structures: benefits and impacts of pilings proposed action plan potential removal, encapsulation

17. Living Shorelines: A soft bioengineering approach

18. Living Space: employ natural habitat elements to protect shorelines from erosion while also providing water quality benefits and critical habitat.

19. Living Shorelines: Issues for study in SF Bay Scale: what acreage is needed to slow wave action? Suitability: must be matched to site conditions Permitting: fill considerations in the subtidal zone Monitoring: functional connections between habitats Pilot: test effectiveness thru experimental designs Katharyn Boyer, SFSU Robert Abbott, Environ

20. Proposed Eden Landing Project May 2010- May 2011: Monitor existing populations Final Design and Permitting Summer 2011: Install two acre project 2011- 2013 Monitoring Tasks: Number of oysters recruited/year; number of adults persisting/year Number of eelgrass shoots propagated/year, persisting/year Presence/absence and diversity of species use (epifauna, fish, birds) at the treatment sites and at control sites at each location Measurement of change in sedimentation rates between subtidal treatments and marsh/riparian edge, at the treatment sites and at control sites Measurement of change in flow velocity rates between subtidal treatments and marsh/riparian edge, at the treatment sites and at control sites

21. Marilyn Latta, Project Manager Subtidal Habitat Goals Project State Coastal Conservancy 510.286.4157 mlatta@scc.ca.gov Thank You