54578
Evaluating Whether Oyster Aquaculture Can Help Restore Water Quality - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)
Data Set
Published / External
47021
NERRS
Project
Completed
2020-12
The project team established an experiment that mimicked commercial aquaculture practices and allowed for a robust comparison of nitrogen removal rates from three commonly used gear types: floating bags of oysters, oyster condos suspended in midwater, and bottom cages of oysters. All gear was deployed in the same environmental setting (Waquoit Bay, Falmouth, MA) and maintained by the Town of Falmouth in a manner that a typical grower would follow. The growing systems were maintained for two full growing seasons (2018 and 2019) and compared to a nearby control site. Every two weeks during the growing season, the team conducted a series of measurements to provide a robust estimate of nitrogen fluxes and microbial activity below each of the aquaculture operations. Measurements included: (1) nutrient analyses of sediment, porewater and bottom water samples, (2) genetic sequencing of RNA and DNA extracted from sediment samples to determine the presence and activity level of certain bacteria; and 3) measurements of N2 fluxes from sediment cores placed in flux chambers to measure N2 production rates. All three oyster growing methods enhanced nitrogen removal relative to the control site. However, gene expression data indicate that nitrogen retention may be induced under some gear, particularly after the end of July under bottom cages, and to a lesser extent other gear types.
Towns along Cape Cod are under pressure to reduce and mitigate nitrogen inputs to improve coastal water quality. Many towns are exploring the use of various shellfish aquaculture systems as a cost effective way to remediate water quality. This project addressed a critical information gap identified by water quality managers and regulators, specifically: how much nitrogen is removed from coastal waters by common oyster aquaculture methods, and what culturing practices should be adopted to maximize benefits for water quality? This information is helping regulators decide how much credit they can give towns for installing shellfish aquaculture as part of their water quality improvement plan, and provide guidance to towns and growers on best practices to maximize water quality benefits.
==Project lead and contact information:
Dan Rogers, Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry, Stonehill College
Email: drogers2@stonehill.edu
==List of Project Datasets
Five related datasets are described in this document
1. Microbial community structure data - iTag Amplicon library
2. Microbial processes data - RNA-Seq Metatranscriptomic sequences
3. Bottom water, porewater and sediment chemistry
4. Gene expression (RT-qPCR) and nitrogen flux measurements
5. Oyster weight data
Theme
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > ESTUARY
Spatial
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > MASSACHUSETTS
Theme
16S hypervariable
Theme
Ammonia
Theme
Crassostrea virginica
Theme
Denitrification
Theme
Eastern oysters
Theme
Illumina pair-end
Theme
Metatranscription
Theme
N2 production
Theme
Nitrate, Ammonia, Sedimentary Carbon and Nitrogen
Theme
RNA-seq
Theme
RT-qPCR
Theme
Sedimentary Carbon and Nitrogen
Theme
aquaculture
Theme
gene expression
Theme
iTag
Theme
lux chambers
Theme
oyster farms
Theme
shellfish
Spatial
Waquoit Bay NERR, MA
Data Set
None Planned
The distributor does not assume liability.
Data Steward
2015
Organization
Office for Coastal Management
OCM
2234 South Hobson Avenue
Charleston
SC
29405-2413
https://www.coast.noaa.gov/
Distributor
2015
Organization
Office for Coastal Management
OCM
2234 South Hobson Avenue
Charleston
SC
29405-2413
https://www.coast.noaa.gov/
Metadata Contact
2017-10-31
Person
Cothran, Jeremy
jeremy.cothran@gmail.com
Originator
2017-11
Person
Rogers, Daniel
drogers2@stonehill.edu
Ground Condition
-70.555
-70.482
41.64
41.544
Waquoit Bay, MA NERR
Range
2017-11
2020-12
Unclassified
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).
http://www.nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Rogers17
2015
Organization
Office for Coastal Management
Rogers17
Multiple formats
http://www.nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Rogers17
Online Resource
This site provides a project overview and links to all associated products, including data.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.633314/full
Online Resource
Online article describing the project.
N/A
This information is detailed within the project links.
This information is detailed within the project links.
N/A
1
N/A
Organization
Office for Coastal Management
OCM
2234 South Hobson Avenue
Charleston
SC
29405-2413
https://www.coast.noaa.gov/
64606
Entity
N/A
gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:54578
Jeremy Cothran
2018-11-01T11:23:34
SysAdmin InPortAdmin
2022-08-09T17:11:42
2019-11-08
Office for Coastal Management
OCM
1002
Public
No
2019-11-08
1 Year
2020-11-08