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The Tuckerton Oyster reef was established in 2016 in the Little Egg Harbor region of Barnegat Bay. This multi-partner effort has resulted in planting about 7 million oysters on the site and is currently the largest oyster restoration site in Barnegat Bay. Oysters provide habitat for marine species and filter water. This page contains descriptions of the monitoring methods used to determine the impact of the oyster reef on the Barnegat Bay ecosystem.
Oyster Population Surveys
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Oysters are sampled twice a year in Spring and Fall to represent the start and end of the oyster growing season in the mid-Atlantic. We use hydraulic patent tongs to sample a 1meter-squared area of reef bottom and take 3-5 samples from each planting location. Samples are rinsed and sorted onboard Stockton's RV Petrel. These surveys assess universal metrics for oyster habitat restoration:
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1) Oyster density
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2) Settlement and recruitment
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3) Size frequency
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Additional assays are performed from subsamples of oysters for biomass (dry weight), Condition Index, and disease testing (Dermo and MSX).
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