Leveraging Aquaculture for Restoration: An Overview of the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration Program
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Breakout Session Slides Leveraging Aquaculture for Restoration: An Overview of the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration Program – Sally McGee discussed how through the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program, the Nature Conservancy and partners are working to support a resilient oyster industry and leverage aquaculture in reef restoration.
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Leveraging Aquaculture for Restoration: An Overview of the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration Program
- 1. The Nature Conservancy and Pew Charitable Trusts © Jerry and Marcy Monkman/Eco Photography Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) Leveraging aquaculture for restoration Sally McGee smcgee@tnc.org nature.org/soar
- 2. The Coastal Resilience Value of Shellfish Reefs
- 3. COVID-19 Impacts on Oyster Aquaculture in the United States Large-Scale Restaurant Closures Decreased Demand up to 90% decrease in sales Increased Surplus Oversized Oysters on Farms © Jason Houston Origins of the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration Program
- 4. Oyster Purchase Program Monitoring Resiliency Fund SOAR 1.0 – 2020 to 2022 $5 million (Private) Aquaculture Industry Oyster Restoration Stakeholder engagement Deployment Monitoring and Evaluation The Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) program supports a resilient oyster industry and leverages aquaculture in reef restoration
- 5. 3.5 million oysters purchased 125 farms supported 450 jobs sustained 25 restoration sites 40 acres of oyster reef supported © Susan Allen SOAR Phase One Outcomes: 2020 – 2022
- 6. Resiliency Fund • Established March 2021 • 20K awards to farmers • To support a resilient and sustainable shellfish industry in the U.S. and to advance marine conservation. • Proposals from industry that address the intersection of aquaculture and restoration
- 7. Shell to Shore, GA Serona Shellfish, FL OceansAlaska, AK SOAR 1.0 Resiliency Fund $1.27 million in grants 36 grants awarded 3 US coasts 12 month grant term Priorities Farmer engagement in shellfish restoration, marine conservation, or environmental outcomes Efficient farming operations Product marketing to increase demand New products and species Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the shellfish aquaculture industry Indian River Oyster Co., FL
- 8. 8
- 9. SOAR 2.0 – 2023 to 2026 $6.3 million (Public and Private) • Purchase program • Resiliency Fund • DEIJ in the Shellfish Industry • Monitor and demonstrate effectiveness • Secure long-term funding
- 10. Purchase and deploy an additional 2.5 million oysters to restore 29.7 additional acres of reef in 8 states Molly Bogeberg 2020 • Site selection • Grower eligibility • Oyster availability • Purchase and deploy • Monitoring • Socioeconomics
- 11. 3.5M 125 450 25 40 SOAR Phase One Purchase Program Outcomes: 2020–2022 2.5M 100 (50 new) 360 30 SOAR Phase 2 Purchase Program Target Outcomes: 2023–2026 Growers Participated Jobs Supported Restoration Sites Acres of Reef Supported Oysters Purchased 13 Purchase program
- 12. Monitoring - demonstrate the effectiveness of the SOAR model • Demonstrate track record • Develop a best practices guide for utilizing aquaculture oysters in restoration projects Year 4 Survival, growth, and recruitment of oysters Document ROI for large singles vs small “spat on shell” Denitrification (3 sites in northeast) Fish production in northeast (NH) Resiliency monitoring- shoreline and social
- 13. N SOAR 2.0 Provide 50 additional innovation awards to farmers (Resiliency Fund) • 18–24-month grant term • Targeting 50 industry-led projects • Release RFP in Spring 2023 • 153 proposals received 2023 WEST COAST EAST COAST GULF COAST SUBMITTED FUNDED 15 109 29
- 14. Long term prospects • USDA, NRCS • NOAA • Farm Bill • States Matt Kane, 2020
- 15. NRCS and shellfish restoration • Rhode Island • New Hampshire • Washington • New Jersey • Massachusetts • Growing interest in other states • Maybe yours? © Jerry and Marcy Monkman/EcoPhotography
- 16. Sally McGee TNC Global Marine Team smcgee@tnc.org nature.org/soar
Editor's Notes
- The origins of the SOAR program are with The pandemic – Farmers left with surplus oysters after restaurant closures - Oyster reefs one of our most imperiled ecosystems Ends up we can support jobs and ecosystems at the same time
- Two pronged approach helps not only to address the immediate need of covid but build a resilient industry Oyster purchase program – buy oysters from farmers who had no markets for them and put them on restoration sites Monitor the restoration sites to see how they are doing (oysters still alive, new oysters forming and settling, height of reef) Create a resiliency fund for farmers – small grants for farmers to make their businesses more stable
- Program was successful
- helps not only to address the immediate need of covid but build a resilient industry
- Shell to shore – shell recycling Serona – used typically discarded material – runts etc. in reef restoration and shoreline stabilization OceansAlaska – Shellfish Hatchery Intern Program—Expanding Tribal Capacity in Shellfish Indian River – urchins, co cultured with oysters
- This second, current round of SOAR is currently underway. Another purchase program. Another resiliency fund DEIJ component More monitoring Aiming for the long term
- Goals of this project include deployment of 6M oysters over 70 acres of reefs, engagement with 175 growers, increased monitoring that shows ecological benefit and cost effectiveness, and elevation of DEIJ efforts and underserved communities. TNC’s goal with this project is to show the effectiveness of the program and ultimately pass management off to USDA/NRCS so that private funding is not a constant need.
- 2.0 Resiliency fund
- USDA Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Natural Resources Conservation Service NOAA Regular comms w NOAA aquaculture Climate Ready Workforce application Congress – farm bill Advocates who want more for shellfish restoration from usda States – work closely with states and towns
- Rhode Island EQIP – coastal ponds restoration project New Hampshire https://nhsfi.com/projects/ with NH Growers Initiative Washington olympias New Jersey – need more restoration sites Massachusetts – CIG identifying more restoration sites