Evaluation of the Ecosystem Services of Shellfish Culture Operations in North Carolina - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This project will assess the ecosystem services of shellfish farming by measuring impacts of newly established farms in the North Carolina Research Reserve. Because there is an opportunity to assess conditions before farm installation, North Carolina estuaries provide an ideal place to measure these effects. Two years of intensive sampling in and adjacent to oyster farms, concentrating on wild shellfish resources and the physical and chemical environment, will aim to link small-scale changes with larger-scale ecosystem-level alterations. Coastal managers, state agencies, and shellfish farmers will provide input throughout the course of the project to ensure that the study parameters align with decision-making needs. The project will culminate with the production of visualization tools and models to allow resource managers, culturists, and reserve staff members to make better decisions when determining the locations and scales of shellfish farming operations.

The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve is interested in better understanding the potential impacts of shellfish cultivation on wild shellfish resources. While ecosystem services provided by wild oysters, such as water filtration and nutrient cycling, are often also attributed to shellfish farming, recent siting of shellfish farms in a coastal reserve has raised some concerns for resource managers. North Carolina's shellfish aquaculture industry has been small but stable for over 30 years; however, current legislative changes are aimed at creating the potential for rapid growth. The southern portion of the North Carolina coast has consistently provided more than 50 percent of the wild harvest in the state, which has contributed to the interest in creating oyster farms throughout the region.

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Elizabeth Darrow

University of North Carolina,

Wilmington

darrowe@uncw.edu

(910) 962-7153

Partners:

Longline Environment Ltd

North Carolina NERR, NC

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Oyster farmers

University of North Carolina Wilmington

The distributor does not assume liability.

None

Cite this dataset when used as a source: NOAA retains the right to analyze, synthesize and publish summaries of the NERRS/NSC data. The NERRS/NSC retains the right to be fully credited for having collected and process the data. Following academic courtesy standards, the NERR site where the data were collected should be contacted and fully acknowledged in any subsequent publications in which any part of the data are used. The data enclosed within this package/transmission are only as accurate as the quality assurance and quality control procedures that are described in the associated metadata reporting statement allow. The user bears all responsibility for its subsequent use/misuse in any further analyses or comparisons. The Federal government does not assume liability to the Recipient or third persons, nor will the Federal government reimburse or indemnify the Recipient for its liability due to any losses resulting in any way from the use of this data. Requested citation format: NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative(NSC).