Olympia Oyster Restoration
in Sequim Bay
CLALLAM MARINE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Ralph Riccio
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
November 2016
Why is Clallam MRC Interested?
• Olympia oysters are capable of filtering 8-12
gallons/day removing nutrients from the
water and reducing the frequency of harmful
algal blooms.
• Olympia oyster beds provide habitat for a
diverse community of organisms including
juvenile salmon.
• Olympia oysters may have evolved resilience
to some of the effects of ocean acidification.
• Voted “Cutest Oyster” year after year.
What Are the Restoration Goals?
•
1.5 acre self-sustaining bed on Jamestown
S’Klallam Tribe’s tidelands in Blyn, Sequim Bay.
•
0.5 acre self-sustaining bed at Pitship Point
adjacent to John Wayne Marina, Sequim Bay.
Initial Restoration Efforts
2002-2005
• Clallam MRC planted Olympia oyster pilot plots in
Sequim Bay, Dungeness Bay, Port Angeles Harbor
and Pillar Point.
• Only the sites in Sequim Bay showed promise.
SITE SELECTION
Expert advice is key.
Restoration Effort on Tribal Tidelands
• 2012: The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
designating one acre of their tidelands in Blyn
at the south end of Sequim Bay for Olympia
oyster restoration.
• With the help of PSRF,
grow-out bags with
approximately 6,200
oyster seed were set
out onto the tidelands.
Restoration Effort on Tribal Tidelands
• Sequim Bay had great
conditions and the seed
seemed to like being
snuggled together…
…a lot!
(foreshadowing)
Restoration Effort on Tribal Tidelands
• 2013: 200 bags of seeded cultch with
approximately 500,000 oysters were spread
throughout the 1 acre restoration area.
How Was the Population Monitored?
What Were the Survey Methods?
• Haphazard sample placement.
• 60 samples collected using 0.25 m2 quadrats.
• All substrate within each sample was examined;
the live and dead Olympia oysters were
counted, collected and shell heights measured.
• A survey grade GPS unit was used to walk the
perimeter of the population area and restoration
area to determine population density.
• 2015 Population
Density = 30 oysters m2
Restoration Effort on Tribal Tidelands
• 2014 - 100 seeded cultch bags with
approximately 250,000 seed were over
wintered and spread onto an additional 0.5
acre of tidelands…
• 2016 Population
Density = 18 oysters m2
OLYMPIA OYSTERS LOVE SEQUIM BAY
Olympias found well outside the1.5 acre.
Restoration Effort on Tribal Tidelands
• 2015
• No new seed was added
• 100 more bags of blank shell were spread
throughout the 1.5 acre restoration area
• Shellstring spat collectors deployed
• Experimented with spawning pools
Population monitoring continues…
SPAWNING POOLS
Oyster Population Size
2016 = 0.74 Acres
Density = 19 oysters m2
What Were the Survey Methods?
2016
• Stratified random samples.
• 7 transects 25 feet apart
along the southern
boundary of the restoration
site.
•
•
51 samples were collected using 0.25 m2 quadrats.
Sampling and perimeter delineation protocol similar
to 2014 and 2015.
What Is the Current Population in Blyn?
It depends on how you look at it.
• Oyster density is 15 Olympia oysters per m2 in
1.5 acres restoration area.
• Oyster density is 19 Olympia oysters per m2 in
0.74 acre population area.
• The estimated population size for the 1.5 acre
restoration area is 89,510 Olympia oysters.
• The estimated population size for the 0.74 acre
population area is 55,770 Olympia oysters.
What Has Been Done at Pitship Point?
• The original restoration site in Washington
Harbor was abandoned because of access
issues.
• In 2016 suitable habitat
was identified at Pitship
Point near John Wayne
Marina.
• A landowner agreement
was reached with the Port
of Port Angeles.
What Has Been Done at Pitship Point?
• The site was classified as an enhancement site
by WDFW and Clallam County so no permits
were needed.
• Two bags of seeded
cultch were transferred
from Blyn to the Pitship
restoration site.
• The cultch was spread at
two tidal elevations.
What Are the Future Plans?
Pitship Point
• Survival and growth will be monitored in fall, winter
and spring 2016-17.
• 50 bags of seeded cultch have been purchased from
PSRF to be delivered in the spring of 2017.
• The bags will beach harden/overwinter in Blyn and be
spread in fall 2017 or spring of 2018.
Project Partners
Questions?
• 2014 Population
Oyster Population Area
2014 = 0.42 Acres
2015 = 0.64 Acres
2016 = 0.74 Acres
Restoration Area = 1.5 Acres