SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SCOM] — May 23, 2014 — NOAA and the Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF) have signed a formal agreement to work with state, tribal and industry partners in Washington State on a 10-year plan to rebuild populations of native Olympia oysters in Puget Sound and restore 100 acres of oyster habitat by 2020.
According to the PSRF native oyster populations in Puget Sound are at less than 4% of historic levels. This significant decline affects the region’s ecology, as well as the cultural tradition of tribes who harvest shellfish for a living.
The project will be headquartered along the shores of Washington state’s Kitsap Peninsula at NOAA’s Manchester Research Station. The PSRF said the facility has been at the forefront of aquaculture since the 1970s, and with the completion of a modern shellfish hatchery onsite, scientists, research and restoration partners are better equipped to improve the conservation of native shellfish.
Goals of the project include: Culture genetically-diverse native oysters and preserve local populations; expand the ability to restore native shellfish habitat in the Pacific Northwest; advance the technology and practices of the shellfish aquaculture industry; understand the impacts of ocean acidification on shellfish and other marine life and improve monitoring to better predict changes in seawater chemistry that may affect shellfish hatchery operations.
Meanwhile, future research will focus on the culture of other marine life in Puget Sound, including rock scallops, Pinto abalone, and macroalgae.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.