2016 Oyster Reef Monitoring Report

Description

The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement includes a goal to restore oyster populations in ten Chesapeake Bay tributaries by 2025. In Maryland, Harris Creek was the first tributary selected for large-scale oyster restoration, followed by the Little Choptank and Tred Avon rivers. Partners have developed tributary plans to guide restoration in each tributary, and scientists and resource managers developed a set of oyster restoration success criteria, commonly known as the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Metrics, prior to implementing restoration work. Consistent with the Harris Creek Tributary Plan and the Oyster Metrics success criteria, partners collaboratively monitor each restored oyster reef three years, and again six years, after restoration treatment.

The first cohort of Harris Creek reefs, restored in 2012, were monitored in 2015, three years post restoration. The second cohort of Harris Creek reefs, restored in 2013, was monitored in fall 2016, three years post restoration. Data and analysis from those 30 reefs (90 acres) are provided in this report. Additional reefs were also monitored, including Harris Creek reference reefs, and sentinel reefs including five in Harris Creek and two each in the Little Choptank and Tred Avon rivers. This report describes how each reef in the 2013 cohort performed relative to the preestablished Oyster Metrics success criteria, as of fall 2016.