Shellfish Restoration Aquaculture

Restoration aquaculture in Puget Sound is laying the groundwork for the recovery of native species, including Olympia oysters, Pinto abalone and Bull kelp.  A collaboration of NGOs, resource agencies, shellfish growers, tideland owners, tribes and research organizations are developing hatchery-based techniques to recover coastal resources that have defined life in the Northwest for thousands of years.  The species targeted for restoration meet two important criteria:  1) they are either imperiled/diminished; and 2) they provide valuable ecological services.  For instance, native oyster beds help cleanse nutrient loaded bays and provide structured habitat for a host of other species, including salmon prey species; abalone graze rocky surfaces, clearing spaces for other organisms to settle; kelp beds provide both refuge and forage opportunities and are important vectors for nutrient sequestration and distribution throughout the estuary. 

 Modern-day hatcheries, conservation genetics and disease prevention are important components of these recovery efforts for the simple reason that there aren’t always enough animals or plants left in the wild to rebuild a population.  For example, the Pinto abalone population in Washington has sunk below an effective population size:  remaining adults are not located in close enough proximity to one another to reproduce successfully, leaving hatchery propagation as the only viable recovery option.  Significant hatchery space is required to rear juvenile abalone for outplant and effectively address genetic and disease issues associated with hatchery propagation.  Native oyster rebuilding efforts also illustrate the role of aquaculture in the restoration of both species and habitat.  Although habitat enhancement is the preferred restoration strategy in places that still support remnant populations, seed production is needed in bays that have lost natural larval production.  To maximize the genetic diversity of hatchery-produced seed, Puget Sound Restoration Fund has been working with the University of Washington and Department of Fish & Wildlife to develop genetic protocols that will guide the production of genetically diverse, restoration-grade seed.  Thanks to partnerships with Taylor Shellfish Co, NOAA, University of Washington, The Nature Conservancy and National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, small-scale restoration aquaculture programs have been developed at existing facilities.  Increasing the scale of these efforts will require larger spaces dedicated to producing restoration-grade seed. 

 In conclusion, advances in the recovery of many species cannot be made without state-of-the-art hatchery propagation.   To succeed, modern-day aquaculture needs to be married with conservation genetics in order to produce seed that is genetically fit to survive in a particular area.