OA Impacts on the Pacific Northwest Oyster Industry RESILIENCE THROUGH COLLABORATION AND ADAPTATION Pacific Northwest Shellfish Industry
Commercial harvest of shellfish in the Pacific Northwest dates from the 1860s
Currently provides over 3000 family wage jobs for workers in WA, OR, CA, AK, and Hawaii
Farm gate value of $110 million per year, representing a total contribution of $278 million annually to rural coastal communities Commercial Hatchery Production
Three major commercial hatcheries supply larvae and seed to the Pacific Northwest shellfish industry
- Taylor Shellfish - Pacific Seafood - Whiskey Creek Shellfish
Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery - 30 year history of consistent production - Experienced losses in 2007-2008 that reduced production to 25% of normal levels Life Cycle of the Pacific Oyster Commercial Oyster Farming
Hatchery Production of Eyed Oyster Larvae
Plantout and Harvest of Adult Product Fall 2007
Prolonged larval mortality at Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery led to near-zero production throughout late summer / fall 2007
Systems developed with Dr. Chris Langdon at the Molluscan Broodstock Program (MBP) were upgraded to commercial scale for use at Whiskey Creek in 2008 growing season Spring 2008
Treatment systems proved ineffective at improving production at Whiskey Creek
Series of trials were conducted to investigate other potential causes of larval mortality
Feeding trials Broodstock Trials Vibrio Monitoring July 2008
Massive mortality in larvae of all size classes at Whiskey Creek
Major upwelling event along the Oregon Coast transported low pH (7.6) seawater into Netarts Bay
Managers shifted focus of research toward investigating the impacts of carbonate chemistry on larval survival Summer 2009
Comprehensive monitoring program initiated at Whiskey Creek in close collaboration with Oregon State University (Burke Hales lab)
Comparison of monitoring data with hatchery production records showed a strong correlation between saturation state of spawn water and ultimate survival of larvae groups
Commercial egg development bioassays confirmed the connection between initial spawn chemistry and ultimate survival of larval groups (‘carryover’effects related to mortality by day 12) 2009 data published in Barton et al 2012
15
10 units 0
N SN wind (m/s) -15 06/06 06/16 06/26 07/06 07/16 07/26 34
32
30
Salinity (ppt) 28 06/06 06/16 06/26 07/06 07/16 07/26 5
South winds produce downwelling 0 Growth Survival Lower salinity -5 Ω>>1 (easy to form shell) 06/06 06/16 06/26 07/06 07/16 07/26
Performance of Small
Larvae microns)(<120 2.5 Fast growth and good survival of small larvae 2 North winds produce upwelling 1.5
Aragonite 1 Higher salinity
Saturation State 0.5 Ω <= 1 (difficult to build shell) 06/06 06/16 06/26 07/06 07/16 07/26 Poor growth and mass mortality of small larvae Spring 2010
Formalized relationship between Whiskey Creek and the Waldbusser lab at OSU
Work conducted by the Waldbusser lab provided insight into the mechaisms behind larval mortality observed in 2009 Spring 2010
Award from Senator Maria Cantwell’s office/NOAA funds the PCSGA Monitoring Program
Monitoring stations established in six areas of commercial importance to the shellfish industry
Funding allowed construction of continuous pCO2 monitoring systems (‘Burkilators’) for hatchery sites Narrowing the Focus – Global vs. Coastal Scales
45° 32’124° 00’ 123° 54’
Whis key Narrowing the Focus Cree k Hatc Global vs. Coastal hery Scales
45° 20’ July 2010
C-CAN workshop in Costa Mesa, CA
Provided a forum for interaction between researchers, shellfish growers, and government agencies
Ultimately resulted in definition of benchmarks for data quality (Ω measured within +/- 0.2)
Helped formalize connection between PCSGA Monitoring efforts and IOOS web portal Summer 2011
Upgrade of monitoring equipment at Whiskey Creek allows near real time calculation of Ω through measurement of tCO2 and pCO2
Addition of Durafet pH probes allows for independent calculation of Ω from several pairs of measured carbonate system parameters Spring/Summer 2012
WA state convenes a Blue Ribbon panel of Ocean Acidification experts Panel recommendations lead to formation of the WA Ocean Acidification Center Recommendations lead to additional funding for the PCSGA Monitoring Program, and funding for research to mitigate OA’s impacts on commercial hatcheries Separate award from the OREGON legislature provides support for monitoring at Whiskey Creek, and for selective breeding to mitigate OA impacts on the PNW oyster industry FY 2013-2014 NOAA Activities
NOAA funds development of three Burke-o-lators installed at shellfish growing sites in California and Alaska
FY 2014 award ‘Turning the Headlights on High’ supports development of low cost pCO2 sensors to be deployed in important shellfish growing areas
Putting Larvae in the Box ADAPTATION STRATEGIES ADOPTED IN COMMERCIAL SHELLFISH HATCHERIES Managing around the problem
SPAWN!
• Put small larvae into tanks filled in the afternoon or overnight - Works if the suns out
• 24 hour notice- Upwelling takes a day or two to start up, so when winds from the North, fill tanks late in the day and spawn like crazy
DON’T SPAWN! Managing around the problem
• Put small larvae into tanks filled in the afternoon or overnight - Works if the suns out
• 24 hour notice- Upwelling takes a day or two to start up, so when winds from the North, fill tanks late in the day and spawn like crazy
SPAWN DON’T LOTS! SPAWN! Seawater Treatment Systems - pH
Automated buffering systems installed in 2011 maintain constant pH in seawater supplied to the hatchery Early season high pCO2 effects on larvae are very different than late season high pCO2 effects on larvae
Early Summer - Direct Effects of Upwelling - Elevated pCO2 concentrations (and lower pH) - Slow growth and mass mortality of small larvae after 10-12 days
Late Summer / Fall - Indirect Effects of Upwelling - Prolonged upwelling through the summer leads to high concentrations
of decaying organic matter and low O2, high pCO2 concentrations - Mortality of larvae of all sizes in the hatchery Seawater Treatment Systems – O2 / ORP
Automated systems installed in 2013 maintain High oxygen saturation in seawater supplied to the hatchery Drivers of pH 390 variability observed ppm in Netarts Bay
Photosynthesis and respiration of eelgrass/benthic macroalgae within Netarts Bay Intrusion/relaxation of low pH, deep ocean water upwelled across the continental shelf and into Netarts Bay Drivers of low DO concentrations observed in Netarts Bay
Decomposition of organic matter generated by photosynthesizers within Netarts Bay Decomposition of organic matter generated by prolonged upwelling throughout the summer months The “Butterfly Effect” Non-linear respones to acidification in Coastal estuaries Aren’t we done yet?!
Changes in speciation of compounds in coastal zone, particular in complexes with organic matter
Increased magnitude and duration of HABs over the continental shelf Bacterial blooms associated with decomposing organic matter Understanding the Rest of the Story
Ongoing research at WCSH conducted by Waldbusser lab (C. Allen, J. Johnson) focuses on additional parameters potentially affecting larval survival and growth, as well as carryover effects to seed after settlement
Current Monitoring at WCSH records BOD, COD, Chl, Nutrients, Trace metals
New instrumentation to be installed for 2018 season will record plankton species and abundance We must stop these carbon polluters before it’s too late!
WCSH is one of the largest propane consumers in Tillamook County OA Impacts on the Pacific Northwest Shellfish Industry Resilience through Collaboration and Adaptation