Rubio, A (1) ; Winberg, P (1) ; Davies, H (2) ;Warner, R (1) ; Kirkendale, L (1) ; Davis, AR (1)

Transcription

1 Rubio, A (1) ; Winberg, P (1) ; Davies, H (2) ;Warner, R (1) ; Kirkendale, L (1) ; Davis, AR (1) (1) Shoalhaven Marine and Freshwater Centre, University of Wollongong (2) Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority

2 NEED: OYSTER MONITORING PROGRAMS Recommendation: To investigate and develop improved coastal and estuarine monitoring programs, which integrate automated and other monitoring systems

3 NEED: OYSTER MONITORING PROGRAMS Oyster Information Portal A natural resource and industry spatial information portal for knowledge action and informed adaptation frameworks Check our poster outside!

4 NEED: OYSTER MONITORING PROGRAMS Data from 36 NSW oyster growers Rank scores

5 WHY ARE OYSTER MONITORING PROGRAMS IMPORTANT? Surveillance Baseline Long- term trends Characterisation of growing areas Identification / quantification of processes/ changes/ performances Improve management operations

6 OYSTER MONITORING PROGRAMS Oyster Industry monitoring programs: Shellfish Quality Assurance Programs- Food safety - Biotoxins - Bacteria - Heavy metals - Harmful phytoplankton Standardised industry oyster growth & mortality program - REMORA PROJECT, IFREMER, France (spat, juvenile and adult growth and mortality) (IFREMER s photos) nationaux/ Resultats- nationaux- 2011

7 REMORA PROJECT

8 AUTOMATED OYSTER GRADERS Oyster Graders as sorting tools but can also as experimental / monitoring tools

9 PILOT PROJECT 2009 Science and Innovation Awards- DAFF/ FRDC Graders were tested in their ability to quantify oyster performance (growth & mortality) under different scenarios: 1. Across cultivation methods 2. Across oyster regions 3. Subject to different management practices: - Frequency of handling/ grading - Stocking densities

10 AIM OF THE OYSTER MONITORING PROGRAM (OMP) IN NSW To determine the feasibility of establishing a long- term monitoring program using automated graders across different oyster regions in NSW run by industry members

11 Current programs Next year program 1. Hawkesbury River 2 locations TPO 2. Shoalhaven/ Crookhaven River 4 locations SRO & TPO 3. Merimbula Lake 2 locations SRO 4. Pambula Lake 2 locations SRO 1,000 oysters/ loc

12 TPOs PRELIMINARY RESULTS- mortalities Hatchery Batch: Dec Oyster size at set- up 60-65mm Hawkesbury Shoalhaven

13 PRELIMINARY RESULTS- mortalities SROs Shoalhaven Merimbula Pambula Wild catch Jan- Mar 2009 Oysters at set- up 45-55mm

14 PRELIMINARY RESULTS- mortalities SROs & TPOs At same location Environment? Genetics?

15 PRELIMINARY RESULTS- Growth

16 PRELIMINARY RESULTS- Growth Hawkesbury TPO seems to be growing faster than TPO at Shoalhaven Hawkesbury set- up + 2 months

17 PRELIMINARY RESULTS- Growth Out of the 4 locations in the Shoalhaven: SROs in Berry are growing the slowest and the ones in the Crookhaven the fastest

18 PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS Significant return for small time input program was run within normal farm practices Output information : - High industry interest - Provides improved business planning and management responses - Characterisation of growing sites - Quantification of mortality levels - Linkages to climatological/ water quality data

19 WHAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE Improve accuracy: Graders need to be well maintained Protocols need to be put in place Improve plan set- up Improve grader functionality (stored data for individual oysters) FUTURE SCOPE Expand to other states Expand to other parameters (health, condition indices) Employ a program coordinator

20 Acknowledgements This work would not have been possible without the involvement and interest of the NSW Oyster Industry, in par=cular to our champions : - Steve Jones & John Stubbs - Leon Riepsamen & John Collison - Greg Carton - S=rling Cullenward arubio@uow.edu.au helen.davies@cma.nsw.gov.au

21 EXISTING OYSTER MONITORING PROGRAMS Related to Oyster Restoration Projects Oyster industry- based (Food safety)

22 OYSTER RESTORATION MONITORING PROGRAMS VIMS Molluscan Ecology group, Virginia, Chesapeake Bay UNCW & Sea Grant North Carolina- SPAT- TERED Princes Edward Island, Canada. Dept Of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development NOAA Habitat conservation- Restoration Centre oystermonitoring.html