An overview of the FWRI Oyster Monitoring Program

Everglades Restoration Mosquito Lagoon Long-term monitoring of population 2005-2007 responses to changes in water quality resulting from restoration activities Sebastian River Tampa Bay 2005-2007 ▪ Initiated in 2005 at 7 estuaries St. Lucie Estuary ▪ Continuous monitoring in the SLE, LRE Loxahatchee Estuary and LWL since 2005 Lake Worth Lagoon ▪ FWRI began monitoring in CRE in 2017 to Caloosahatchee Estuary continue work initiated by Dr. Aswani 2017 Volety, Lesli Haynes, students and staff at Biscayne Bay FGCU in 2000 2005-2007 SFWMD Historic Flow Current Flow Restored Flow U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District

30 Stations St. Lucie Estuary

Tampa Bay

Loxahatchee Estuary

Caloosahatchee Estuary

Lake Worth Lagoon

Natural Reef Stations Restoration Stations

Reproductive Development Spat Settlement

Disease Analyses Growth and Survivorship SLE CRE

LWL LWL Oyster Program: Part Two Apalachicola Bay

NFWF Oyster Restoration Fishery Disaster Recovery Population Monitoring Research to determine the most Monitoring to evaluate the success Monitoring of Apalachicola’s efficient methods for increasing of large-scale habitat restoration commercially fished oyster bars potential oyster habitat and following the collapse of the for fisheries management resilience of the commercial fishery commercial oyster fishery in 2012 purposes

▪ Oyster Density and Size Frequency ▪ Pre and Post Season Assessments ▪ Oyster Health ▪ Predator Densities of Oyster Density and Distribution ▪ Reproductive Development ▪ Oyster Health ▪ Monthly Spat Settlement Rates ▪ Predator Densities

Funded by NFWF Oil Spill Funds Funded by Federal Disaster Funds Funded each year by the State from 2014 – 2019 from 2014 – 2019 of Florida since July 1, 2015 Karl Havens, Florida Sea Grant Apalachicola Bay Joe Shields, FDACS

Spat 4

Apalachicola Bay Florida

3

2

Million Pounds Million 1

0 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

161 stations sampled • 66 had live oysters Boring Sponge holes Picture from NOAA Tech. Mem

Oyster drill Ripe eggs “Clean” Spat Block Predators ~800 oyster drills Deployed 1 month Questions?