Christine Thompson1,2, Aleksandr Modjeski1, Quinn Whitesall1, Shane Goodshall1, Cayla Sullivan3

1American Littoral Society2Stockton University

3Monmouth University

Core Partners

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

Stockton University Coastal Research Center

LJNiles and Associates

Funding provided by

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Department of Interior (US Fish and Wildlife Service)

William Penn Foundation

Geraldine R, Dodge Foundation

Project Components

Beach Restoration

Intertidal Reefs

Marsh Restoration

Monitoring

Outreach and Engagement

• Part of creating informed and resilient communities

• Creates jobs, strengthens communities

• Goals, benefits extend beyond the species being restored

• Track record of shellfish restoration lags behind other states• Do more to incorporate

science!

Importance of Restoration in New Jersey

Reeds Beach Restoration: Delaware Bay

Reeds Beach

• In 2015, South Reeds Beach was restored to pre-Hurricane Sandy Conditions

• Provide habitat for Red Knot and Horseshoe Crab

• Secondary goal of oyster reef creation and biodiversity enhancement

Reeds Beach Living Shoreline Design

Monitoring Ecosystem Services on Oyster Reefs

Many programs do not do this, or methods are not consistent (science-based restoration)

What can actually be assessed on the small-scale?

Oyster populations – tends to focus on marketable oysters

Biodiversity and fish habitat – sample community structure over time

Wave attenuation – intertidal reefs

Reeds Beach Biodiversity Monitoring

• Research questions:

• How does reef community/oyster abundance on inshore reef differ from offshore reef?

• How does reef community change with time?

• How might the reef structures promote benthic diversity and richness?

Reeds Beach Biodiversity Monitoring

• Performed bi-monthly from Aug-Oct 2015, then Apr, Aug, Oct 2016• Oyster recruitment• Community structure• Biodiversity enhancement

• Top bags sampled inshore (n = 3) and offshore (n = 2)• Mobile organisms - whole bag• Encrusting organisms (solitary and

colonial) – 5 shells per bag• Oyster abundance and size

structure (Oct and Apr) - 10 shells / per bag

• Benthic sampling transects

Reeds Beach: Oyster Abundance (Oct ‘15 – Oct ‘16)

• Oysters showed preference for settlement on inshore reef

• Higher winter mortality in inshore vs offshore

• Grow slightly bigger offshore

• New spat set observed in Oct-16

77% mortality

44% mortality

Reeds Beach: Species Richness

INSHORE

OFFSHORE

Reeds Beach: Mobile Organisms by Group

INSHORE OFFSHORE

• Molluscs dominated inshore, crabs offshore

• Abundance peaked mid-Sept

Reeds Beach: Mobile Dominant Taxa by Species

INSHORE OFFSHORE CRABS

MOLLUSCS

Reeds Beach: Encrusting Species

INSHORE OFFSHORE SOLITARY

COLONIAL

Reeds Beach: Summary

• Not-recruitment limited, diverse epifaunal communities

• Oysters fare better inshore than offshore (despite higher mortality)

• Xanthid crabs, mud dog whelk dominate mobile community inshore

• Xanthrid crabs, mud dog whelk dominate mobile community offshore (more diverse)

• Tube worms dominated early on inshore, and then oysters during fall set, offshore barnacles, Colonial Bryozoan

• Future work: compare to other sites constructed this year (Thompson’s beach, Moore’s beach)

For More Infowww.LittoralSociety.org

Project Websitewww.RestoreNJBayshore.org

Capt. Alek ModjeskiHabitat Restoration Program DirectorAmerican Littoral Societyalek@littoralsociety.org

Interested in learning more?Check out our “Hidden Coast” series

Wednesday 1:30-3:00 Newberry Room (3rd floor)