Geoduck Aquaculture Research Program (GARP)
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FINAL REPORT Publication and Contact Information This report is available on the Washington Sea Grant website at wsg.washington.edu/geoduck For more information contact: Washington Sea Grant University of Washington 3716 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. Box 355060 Seattle, WA 98105-6716 206.543.6600 wsg.washington.edu [email protected] November 2013 • WSG-TR 13-03 Acknowledgements ashington Sea Grant expresses its appreciation to the many individuals who provided information and support Wfor this report. In particular, we gratefully acknowledge research program funding provided by the Washington State Legislature, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Department of Ecology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and University of Washington. We also would like to thank shellfish growers who cooperated with program investigators to make this research possible. Finally, we would like to recognize the guidance provided by the Department of Ecology and the Shellfish Aquaculture Regulatory Committee. Primary Investigators/ Contributing Scientists Washington Sea Grant Staff Recommended Citation Report Authors Jeffrey C. Cornwell David Armstrong Penelope Dalton Washington Sea Grant Carolyn S. Friedman Lisa M. Crosson Marcus Duke (2013) Final Report: P. Sean McDonald Jonathan Davis David G. Gordon Geoduck aquaculture Jennifer Ruesink Elene M. Dorfmeier Teri King research program. Report Brent Vadopalas Tim Essington Meg Matthews to the Washington State Glenn R. VanBlaricom Paul Frelier Robyn Ricks Legislature. Washington Aaron W. E. Galloway Eric Scigliano Sea Grant Technical Report Micah J. Horwith Raechel Waters WSG-TR 13-03, 122 pp. Perry Lund Dan Williams Kate McPeek Roger I. E. Newell Julian D. Olden Michael S. Owens Jennifer L. Price Kristina M. Straus Contents 1 Overview .........................................................................................................................1 2 Background .....................................................................................................................1 3 Summary of Research Projects .......................................................................................4 4 Research Priorities & Monitoring Recommendations ................................................10 5 Program-Related Communications .............................................................................12 6 Appendices ....................................................................................................................17 Appendix I ................................................................................................................................ 19 Ecological effects of the harvest phase of geoduck clam (Panopea generosa Gould, 1850) aquaculture on infaunal communities in southern Puget Sound, Washington USA. Appendix II .............................................................................................................................. 49 Effects of geoduck (Panopea generosa Gould, 1850) aquaculture gear on resident and transient macrofauna communities of Puget Sound, Washington, USA Appendix III ............................................................................................................................. 73 The influence of culture and harvest of geoduck clams (Panopea generosa) on sediment nutrient regeneration Appendix IV ............................................................................................................................. 91 Temporal and spatial variability of native geoduck (Panopea generosa) endosymbionts in the Pacific Northwest Appendix V ............................................................................................................................ 107 Changes in seagrass (Zostera marina) and infauna through a five-year crop cycle of geoduck clams (Panopea generosa) in Samish Bay, WA Northwest Workshop on Bivalve The three selected projects together comprise the Geoduck Aquaculture Research Program (GARP). Project titles, prin- Aquaculture and the Environment cipal investigators, research institutions and a brief descrip- o articulate a scientific baseline and encourage interest tion of selected studies are as follows: Tin the research program, Washington Sea Grant con- A. Geochemical and Ecological Consequences of Distur- vened the Northwest Workshop on Bivalve Aquaculture and bances Associated with Geoduck Aquaculture Opera- the Environment in Seattle in September 2007. Experts from tions in Washington (Glenn VanBlaricom, UW; Jeffrey the United States, Canada and Europe were invited to discuss Cornwell, University of Maryland). The project exam- recent findings and provide recommendations for research ined all phases of the aquaculture process — geoduck needed to support sustainable management of geoducks harvest and planting, presence and removal of predator and other shellfish resources. The diverse range of attendees exclusion structures, and ecosystem recovery. It as- included state, federal and tribal resource managers, univer- sessed effects on plant and animal communities, includ- sity researchers, shellfish farmers, conservation organizations ing important fish and shellfish, in and on Puget Sound and interested members of the public. All workshop materi- beaches, as well as the physical and chemical properties als are available on the Washington Sea Grant website at wsg. of those beaches. washington.edu/research/geoduck/shellfish_workshop.html. B. Cultured–Wild Interactions: Disease Prevalence in Review of Current Scientific Knowledge Wild Geoduck Populations (Carolyn Friedman, UW). Thestudy developed baseline information on pathogens SHB 2220 required a review of all available scientific to improve understanding of geoduck health and man- Sresearch that examines the effect of prevalent geoduck agement of both wild and cultured stocks. aquaculture practices on the natural environment. Wash- ington Sea Grant contracted with experts at the UW School C. Resilience of Soft-SedimentCommunities after Geo- of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences to conduct an extensive duck Harvest in Samish Bay, Washington (Jennifer literature review of current research findings pertaining to Ruesink, UW). Capitalizing on eelgrass colonization of shellfish aquaculture. The researchers evaluated 358 primar- an existing commercial geoduck bed, this project exam- ily peer-reviewed sources and prepared a draft document ined the effectof geoduck aquaculture on soft-sediment for public comment in September 2007. WSG received four tideflat and eelgrass meadowhabitats. formal comment submissions, which were considered by the authors while editing the final document and responded Research Program Implementation to in writing. The final literature review, “Effects of Geoduck unding for research and related program activities ini- Aquaculture on the Environment: A Synthesis of Current Ftially was provided through state appropriation to the Knowledge,” was completed in January 2008. It was revised geoduck aquaculture research account established under and updated to include recent findings in October 2009; the 2007 law. This state funding of $750,000 supported the 1 it was then significantly revised in April 2013 to include program through June 30, 2010 (Table 1). Although no addi- the evaluation of 62 additional publications. The literature tional monies were deposited in the account in fiscal year review is available for download on the Washington Sea 2010–2011, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Grant website at wsg.washington.edu/research/geoduck/lit- provided $300,827 through an interagency agreement with erature_review.html. the UW. The largest project,the VanBlaricom-led distur- bance study, also secured $39,972 from the UW’s Royalty Commissioning of Research Studies Research Fund and $22,207 from Ecology to supplement n October 2007, WSG issued a request for proposals and student and technical support that was not included in the Ireceived responses from seven research teams. After rig- DNR agreement. orous scientific review, four projects were selected for fund- Scientists adjusted their efforts to minimize research costs, ing, two of which were combined to develop a more inte- and DNR, UW and Ecology funding ensured completion of grated and comprehensive study. Selected projects addressed the three research studies and program support. In October three of the six legislatively established priorities (1, 2, 4). 2010, the National Sea Grant College Program awarded the Research on genetic interactions, priority (5), was already VanBlaricom research team a competitive aquaculture grant underway using funding from other sources. Funding for to investigate the effectsof aquaculture structures on related priority (6) and selection of a project to address the remain- predator–prey interactions and food-web dynamics in geo- ing priority (3) were deferred until later in the program, sub- duck aquaculture. While the goals of the new project differ ject to the availability of additional resources. somewhat from the priorities established in the 2007 law, the studies are complementary and permit resources to be lever- 1 Straus K. M., P. S. McDonald, L. M. Crosson, and B. Vadopalas. 2013. Effects of Pacific geoduck aquaculture on the environment: A syn- aged as part of a shared program infrastructure. thesis of current knowledge. Washington Sea Grant, Seattle (Second Edition Edition). 83 p. 2 | Washington Sea Grant Geoduck Aquaculture Research Program | Final Report 2013 Ecology provided