Coastal Issues | Aquaculture | Case Studies
Aquaculture: Case Studies
Below are a few examples of projects states have supported through their coastal zone management funds.
Virginia Oyster Heritage Program
In 1999 the Virginia Coastal Program, together with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and others, launched a bold initiative to capitalize on recent advances to restore oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay. The Coastal Program established a partnership of Virginia state agencies, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and business groups to form the Virginia Oyster Heritage Program. This Program marshaled the collective resources of its partners toward a large-scale oyster restoration effort. It served as a catalyst for a baywide commitment for a tenfold increase in oyster populations by 2010 and helped galvanize a baywide strategy to meet this commitment.
Map of oyster reef restoration sites throughout Virginia's intertidal waters.
To date, the Virginia Oyster Heritage Program has constructed nine major reefs in the Rappahannock River, several in Tangier Sound, and others in Hampton Roads and on the seaside of Virginia's Eastern shore. Hundreds of acres of enhanced harvest area have been cleaned and improved by the addition of live oysters and clutch. A main element of the Virginia Oyster Heritage Program is monitoring and evaluating the success of these reef building efforts in order to improve restoration practices. A study by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is currently investigating oyster survival on varying reef surfaces.
Other states have shown interest in the Virginia Oyster Heritage Program model of partnership and reef restoration. Maryland has approached reef restoration in its portion of the Chesapeake Bay with a reef construction model similar to Virginia's.
Rhode Island Marine Resources Aquaculture, Fisheries and Habitat Map Server
Rhode Islands's coastal waters are an important resource and used for many activities including aquaculture, recreational boating, vessel mooring, recreational and commercial fishing, military training, and the transport of commercial goods. These activities are not always compatible with one another. To address potential user conflicts the Rhode Island Aquaculture Initiative funded a project to provide charts that identify the areas of Rhode Island's waters that are used for fishing, aquaculture, and other activities.
The Rhode Island Marine Resources Aquaculture, Fisheries and Habitat map server enables managers to identify areas that are important to different users. The map server has been a critical tool in planning future aquaculture development in the state. The maps allow planners to ensure stakeholders are included in the first phases of any planning process.
For additional information contact Matt Gove.