Native Oyster Restoration Monitoring (NORM) Program
 
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Monitoring Elements
 

A comprehensive monitoring strategy is an important component of any restoration project. Development of monitoring strategy that identifies relevant metrics of restoration success at appropriate spatial and temporal scales for particular sites is crucial. This type of integrated, comprehensive monitoring strategy provides:

  • Support for adaptive management decisions by providing data on critical stages in reef development that can guide subsequent restoration activities.
  • Data to evaluate intermediate restoration conditions that can be used to track progress towards the final restoration goals
  • Data to evaluate established success criteria for a project
  • Assistance identifying unexpected stresses, environmental conditions, and/or ecological interactions that may affect the success of the project

The Native Oyster Restoration Monitoring (NORM) Program is based on ten monitoring elements. Each of these monitoring elements has been carefully chosen and designed to provide a specific data type that directly addresses a stated data need. Note that not every monitoring element is relevant to every restoration and monitoring project and it is not realisitic to collect data that does not address a fundamental question with regard to the success or failure of a restoration project within a unique river system.

 

  
 

Many of the NORM restoration projects involve stocking constructed three dimensional reefs with cultured disease tolerant oysters. Prior to planting of these oysters on the reefs, data describing the demographics, disease status, and genetic profile of these oysters is collected to establish a baseline for all subsequent samples. After deployment, cultured oysters are sampled periodically to provide data describing mortality after planting as well as disease status over time.

Planting cultured oysters on sanctuary reefs establishes a source of breeding oysters in the river with a known genetic profile. After the seasonal settlement and recruitment period, samples of oyster young of the year are collected and genetically profiled. Comparison of the genetic profiles of the cultured parent oysters that were planted on the reefs and those of the surrounding "natural" or wild oysters with the profiles of young oysters that survived to settle provides data that indicate the relative contribution of the cultured oysters to the overall recruitment within the river system and thus, the zone of influence that the restored reef has ecologically in the river.

Annual sampling of oyster populations within the river on natural oyster beds as well as two dimensional restored shell plants provides data to evaluate trends in population abundance, demographics, and disease status through time and with regard to environmental conditions such as water temperature and salinity.

Given that all forms of oyster restoration involve the planting of oyster shell substrate, data assessing potential changes in the quality of oyster shell substrate post-deployment provides a barometer for the long-term viability of these projects. Oyster shell is the primary ingredient in Chesapeake oyster restoration projects because oyster larvae settle preferentially on oyster shells. The long term success of restoration projects is dependent on the availability and suitability of oyster shells to attract and maintain the settling oysters which will provide the foundation for independent, restored oyster communities.

Native Oyster Restoration Monitoring (NORM) Project elements include:
Monitoring element
Status
Dates active
Active
2005-present
Active
2004-present
Active
2004-present
Active
2004-present
Active
2004-present
Active
2004-present
Active
2004-present
Spat on shell oyster production in support of native oyster restoration
Active
2006-present
     
Inactive
2004-06
Inactive
2004
Inactive
2004-2007
Inactive
2004-05
Inactive
2004-2007
Inactive
2005-2006
Inactive
2004-2007
     
 

Date last modified 03.27.2008

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Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

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