VIMS

Box 12: Mouth of the Piankatank River & Gwynns Island

Location: Mouth of the Piankatank River and Gwynns Island
History of location: Small tributary on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. History of modest (intensity) and consistent natural spat settlement with focused VMRC efforts to cultivate the river as a seed river in the 1960s and beyond. Baylor and private productivity mostly maintained by regular addition of shell cultch.
Current status: Low population levels on Baylor Grounds subject to consistent disease (MSX and Dermo) mortality. Cultch condition on Baylor Grounds is modest. One sentinel site present. Regular collection of additional data. Data held by VIMS and VMRC. Private lease activity is low.
Recent restoration activity (reefs and other) to date: Occasional shell cultch planting. The risk to private oyster production is high because of disease. 
Restoration potential:Limited because of consistent disease risk.
Mouth of the Piankatank River and Gwynns Island