Musseling our way from the Headwater to the Bay:Shellfish as a Basis for Restoration Ecosystem

A. T. Padeletti; D. A. Kreeger; L. Whalen

Watershed A

pproach

Watershed A

pproach

Elliptio complanata

Crassostrea virginica

Geukensia demissa

Lampsilus cariosa

Linkages

Bivalve Natural Capital Oysters Marsh Mussels

FWMussels

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Categories Specific Services/Values Relative Importance Scores

Provisioning: Food & Fiber Dockside Product

Regulating Shoreline & Bottom Protection

Shoreline Stabilization

Supporting

Structural Habitat

Biodiversity: Imperiled Species

Bio-filtration

Biogeochemistry

Prey

Cultural/ Spiritual/ Historical/ Human Well Being

Waterman Lifestyle, Ecotourism

Native American

Watershed Indicator

Bio-Assessment

NaturalC

apital

Picture from R. Brumbaugh’s, and Courtesy Coen, SCORE South Carolina

ShorelineStabilization

Crassostreavirginica

Geukensia demissa

8 adult musselsNo mussels

Slide from Catherine Gatenby, USFWS

Bio-filtration

Water Processing per Unit BiomassSummer Clearance Rate (L/h/g)Population Abundance

Millions

Population-level Water ProcessingBillions of Liters per Hour

Bio-filtration

Freshwater Mussel

MarshMussel

Oyster

59.0 Billion L/h

A diverse and robust assemblage of bivalves in available niches and providing natural capital goods and services.

11 Other Species of Freshwater Unionid Mussels

Mya arenaria

Rangia cuneata

Corbicula fluminea

Mytilus edulis

Ensis directus

Mercenaria mercenaria

Desired C

ondition

StrategiesHabitat Restoration Projects

Delaware Estuary Living Shoreline

39.2

39.3

39.4

39.5

39.2

39.3

39.4

39.575.5 75.4 75.3 75.2 75.1

Round Island

Upper Arnolds

Arnolds

Upper Middle

Middle

Shell Rock

Ship John

Cohansey

Nantuxent

Bennies

Bennies Sand

Vexton

Egg IslandLedge

New Beds

BeadonsHawk's Nest

StrawberryHog Shoal

6.5 - 14.5 ppt

9.0 - 16.5 ppt

14.0 - 20.0 ppt

17.0 - 22.5ppt

UPPER

UPPER CENTRAL

CENTRAL

LOWER

Sea Breeze

Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration

Fish gill with glochcidia

Juvenile mussel

StrategiesPopulation Restoration Projects

Freshwater Mussel Restoration Program

•Restoring single habitats or species in a watershed is •Efforts to maintain and improve the ecological

health of coastal and estuarine systems may benefit from a holistic approach to conserveand boost the natural capital of bivalvepopulations throughout the basin

•Freshwater and marsh mussels provide just as many goods and services as oyster

• New technologies exist for restoring and enhancing populations and habitat of all bivalve species

Conclusions

• Bivalves represent excellent targets forecosystem-based management, conservationand restoration ADD

Thank youPartners

Could Climate Change benefit oysters?

Longer Growing Season

Intertidal Niche Expansion?

Today

2030

2060

Point of No Return

No HelpWith Help

2 Recruitment Events

Historical data from Rutgers Haskin Shellfish Laboratory

0200400600800

1,0001,2001,4001,6001,8002,000

Millions of Liters

Processed

1 2 4 6 8 10 15 30

Years After Planting