Virginia Coastal Program: 2003 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2003 Task 12.03
Grantee:
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Eastern Shore Laboratory
Project Title:
Shorebird Prey Characterization and Aquaculture BMPs
Project Description as Proposed:
Rapid growth of
hard clam aquaculture in the seaside bays over the past decade has
lead to a number of real and perceived user conflicts. In an effort
to support the development of aquaculture practices and management
options that reduce these conflicts and support environmentally-sound,
sustainable aquaculture in the seaside bays, the VIMS Eastern Shore
Laboratory will continue ongoing efforts from year 1. The goal of
this effort is to develop a planning and management framework within
which specific resource-related user conflicts can be addressed
and to utilize that framework in addressing a specific, potential
resource conflict. VIMS will continue to engage the aquaculture
industry and other user groups in the development of Environmental
Codes of Practice and Best Management Practices (BMPs). These BMPs
will address a wide range of issues, including the industry’s
role in environmental stewardship, waste management, disease and
genetic impacts of culture practices and aethetics considerations.
Equally as important as the BMPs themselves is achieving “buy-in”
by the aquaculture industry and other user groups. Thus, a draft
set of BMPs will be developed this year with input from various
stakeholders, with the expectation that in year 3, we can build
concensus for adopting these BMPs as guidelines for the industry.
VIMS will also continue characterization of the impacts of clam
aquaculture on benthic invertebrate prey for migratory shorebirds.
Working with information provided from Task 12.02, they will characterize
benthic composition and abundances before and after seasonal shorebird
migrations, and in areas with and without clam aquaculture. The
findings will then be incorporated into site selection criteria
for clam aquaculture in the developing BMPs.
Federal Funding:
$35,000.00
Project Contact:
Mark W Luckenbach, 757.787-5816; luck@vims.edu
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
Development of Aquaculture Codes of Practice and BMP's-The goal of this work was to develop, inconjunction with the clam aquaculture industry, an Environmental Codes of Practice (ECOP) that outlined general concepts and guiding principals for the industry and specific Environmental Best Management Practices (BMP's) for clam aquaculture in Virginia. Shortly after this project began the industry association, the Virginia Shellfish Growers Association, disbanded, so no formal industry group existed through which these could be developed. Thus, the project manager worked with individual industry members and other stakeholders in the region to develop working versions of these documents that could serve as a framework for a future industry-driven process to develop consensus-based set of guidelines for environmentally sound and socially acceptable management practices for the industry. The ECOP provides a set of guiding principals for environmental stewardship by the industry. The Environmental BMP's (i) identify specific environmental and social issues and potential conflicts, (ii) propose best management practices that minimize undesirable environmental consequences and promote social acceptance of clam aquaculture, and (iii) identify where information gaps exist for the further development of BMP's. The final deliverables for this portion of the project are the ECOP and Environmental BMP's delivered to the Virginia Coastal Program with this report; however, the project manager will continue to work with the industry in an effort to use these product to initiate a more industry-driven process.Shorebird Prey and Clam Aquaculture Conflicts-Benthic organisms that serve as potential prey for shorebirds were quantified at 3 clam aquaculture sites from 4 sub-habitats-(1) in the macroalgae on top of the nets, (2) in sediments between the nets, (3) in sediments at the location of old nets ("ghost nets"), (4) 50 - 100 m away from the nets-and from (5) a site that had no history of clam aquaculture. A total of 48 benthic and epibenthic taxa were identified across all sites, with the clam aquaculture sites having a higher species richness and abundance compared to the reference site (see Attachment). These survey data indicate considerable variation in the species composition and abundance of potential prey within the various sub-habitats within aquaculture sites. Aerial survey data from earlier phases of this work lack the resolution to indicate where within these sites shorebirds forage. Thus, in the continuation of this work in the coming year, ground-based surveys of shorebirds will quantify where shorebird foraging is occurring within clam aquaculture sites.
Form C end
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
