National Fish and Wildlife Federation

NOAA Restoration Center

Puget Sound Restoration Fund

West Coast

Native Oyster Restoration

Workshop Proceedings

September 16-17, 2010

Suquamish, WA

Suquamish Tribe

The Nature Conservancy
Suggested Citation: 

NOAA Restoration Center and Puget Sound Restoration Fund. 2010. West Coast native oyster 

restoration: 2010 workshop proceedings. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Restoration 

Center. 49 pp. 

Limited copies of this document may be obtained from:

NOAA Restoration Center Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Office of Habitat Conservation 590 Madison Ave N. 

NMFS, NOAA Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 

1315 East-West Highway, F/HC3 (206) 780-6947 

Silver Spring, MD 20910 

(301) 713-0174 

Or online at:

http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/media/publications.html

i 

West Coast Native Oyster Restoration:

2010 Workshop Proceedings

September 16-17, 2010 

Suquamish, Washington 

Publication Date: February 2011 

These proceedings were funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration 

Center through The Nature Conservancy-NOAA Community-based Restoration Partnership. All materials were 

compiled and edited by the workshop committee members. Abstracts and presentations are included in lieu of full 

papers, as requested by the workshop organizers, and abstracts vary in length at the preference of the author. 

Presentations have not undergone peer review, and the content is the sole responsibility of the author(s). Sponsors 

make no warranty with respect to the use of any information included. Views expressed are those of the authors, and 

do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. This document does not constitute a formal publication, and is 

being distributed with the intent of facilitating information sharing only. Its contents should not be copied or 

reproduced without the express permission of the individual author. Reproduction in these proceedings does not 

preclude supplementation and further publication of work in reviewed journals or similar productions.

 

Workshop sponsored by:

Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

NOAA Restoration Center

The Nature Conservancy

The Suquamish Tribe

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword 

Betsy Peabody, Executive Director, Puget Sound Restoration Fund___________ 1 

Sessions: summaries, abstracts, and presentations

 

Tribal Welcome

 Leonard Forsman, Chair, Suquamish Tribal Council_________________ 3 

Proceedings Structure______________________________________________ 3

Restoration Updates

 Session Summary____________________________________________ 5 

 Dick Vander Schaaf__________________________________________ 7 

 Christopher Eardley__________________________________________ 8 

 Chela Zabin_________________________________________________ 9 

 Chela Zabin_________________________________________________ 10 

 Rena Obernolte______________________________________________ 11 

 Paul Dinnel_________________________________________________ 12 

 Brian Allen_________________________________________________ 13 

 Restoration Tools 

 Session Summary____________________________________________ 15 

 David Stick_________________________________________________ 17 

 Brent Vadopalas_____________________________________________ 18 

 Nate Wight_________________________________________________ 19 

 Steve Rumrill_______________________________________________ 20 

Population Surveys and Assessments

 Session Summary____________________________________________ 22 

 Brian Allen_________________________________________________ 24 

 Tammy Norgard_____________________________________________ 25 

 Brady Blake________________________________________________ 26 

10-Year Goal Setting

 Session Summary____________________________________________ 28 

 Rob Brumbaugh (w/ TNC Project Summary) ______________________ 29 

 Marilyn Latta_______________________________________________ 33 

State-by-State 10-Year Goals: “Breakout Sessions” 

 Washington_______________________________________________________ 35 

Oregon___________________________________________________________ 38 

Canada___________________________________________________________ 41 

California_________________________________________________________ 42 

iii
Conclusions

Betsy Peabody_____________________________________________________ 43 

 

Appendices

 Workshop agenda___________________________________________________ 45 

 Attendee contact list_________________________________________________ 48 

iv
Foreword

The 2010 West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop united 55 people spanning eight

tribes, three states, and our Canadian neighbors in a full-on, 2-day exchange of current practices 

and research priorities for native oyster restoration efforts on the West Coast. Our thanks to the 

Suquamish Tribe for hosting the 2010 West Coast Native Oyster Workshop and to the other cosponsors of the event, including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Nature 

Conservancy, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. 

The goal of the workshop was to renew contact among practitioners and produce tangible 

outcomes that would guide native oyster restoration efforts along the West Coast. In addition to 

discussing current restoration practices and tools, monitoring methodologies, research priorities 

and natural aggregations, the goal of the workshop was to draft 10-year restoration goals for 

California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. 

Agencies, tribes, NGOs and researchers along the West Coast have been undertaking native 

oyster restoration projects for over a decade. The drive to rebuild the West Coast’s only native 

oyster (Ostrea lurida) takes place within the context of regional ecosystem recovery efforts and a 

national effort led by The Nature Conservancy, NOAA and National Fish and Wildlife 

Foundation to identify ecologically-meaningful goals for restoration. 

The first annual West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop was held in 2006 in Marin, 

California. This was followed by a 2007 workshop in Shelton, Washington and the 2010 

workshop in Suquamish, Washington. A community of close-knit practitioners has developed 

over the years to advance restoration of the West Coast’s only native oyster. The workshops 

ensure that disparate efforts have occasion to cross fertilize. Research conducted in Oregon 

coastal estuaries is shared with Washington and California. Methods and materials tested in 

Washington provide a template for projects beginning in Southern California. Populations in 

British Columbia may help supply brood oysters for restoration efforts in North Puget Sound. 

Recent efforts to identify 10-year and 50-year goals help drive more targeted strategies and cost 

estimates for undertaking larger-scale restoration in specific estuaries. 

Native oyster restoration is driven by an ecological imperative. Structured oyster beds provide 

filtration services and complex habitat vital to estuary function. Oysters sequester both carbon 

and nitrogen in ways that can compensate for human inputs. But as we work to increase the 

scale of native oyster restoration efforts we are keenly aware that human-generated carbon 

emissions are changing the systems we are trying to restore. Oceans absorb approximately 25

percent of all the carbon dioxide (CO2) we emit, which changes ocean chemistry over time, 

making seawater more acidic. Calcium-dependent organisms (including shellfish) are vulnerable 

to acidic conditions. Studies conducted over the past several years show a clear correlation 

between low pH and larval mortality in shellfish hatcheries. Though biological responses in the 

real world are as yet unproven, we know that over the long-run, the viability of native oyster 

restoration will depend on natural larval settlement. And we can surmise that the viability of 

human communities, in turn, may depend on our ability to maintain healthy marine systems. 

Such is our connected world. 

1 
As we continue our work to re-establish an iconic native species, we are mindful that we humans 

would do well to emulate the ways of the lowly mollusk. Native oysters give food and shelter to 

other creatures. They filter and cleanse the surrounding water. They are connected to the world 

around them—ingesting what the incoming tide has to offer, spawning according to the phases of 

the moon, alert to a shifting of the wind. To be truly grounded in one’s world is a good and 

worthy thing.

Betsy Peabody

Puget Sound Restoration Fund

2 
Tribal Welcome

Leonard Forsman, Chair of the Suquamish Tribal Council, welcomed the group to the 

Suquamish Tribe’s new community house, called “House of Awakening.” The tribe has been an 

active partner in efforts to rebuild native oyster populations within its usual and accustomed 

fishing ground. Native oyster restoration is part of a cultural awakening that includes hosting 

and participating in an annual tribal canoe journey, building the community house and the 

memorial up the hill, and re-connecting tribal members to traditional food sources and ways of 

life.

Proceedings Structure

The presentations and discussions of the 2010 workshop are summarized here, organized by 

session. A summary precedes each set of session abstracts. At the end of the workshop, 

“breakout sessions” were held in an effort to merge ideas and examine the future of Olympia 

oyster restoration. State-by-state 10-year goals were the result of these sessions and are 

summarized at the end of the proceedings. 

 

We extend our sincere appreciation to the participants and sponsors of the 2010 workshop, 

including the Suquamish Tribe, Puget Sound Restoration Fund, NOAA, The Nature 

Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and all those who helped plan and support 

the workshop. Thank you! 

 

3 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session: Restoration Updates 

4 
Restoration Updates - Session Summary

Session Contributors: 

Dick Vander Schaaf, The Nature Conservancy 

Christopher S. Eardley, Oregon State University 

Chela Zabin, Smithsonian Environmental Restoration Center 

Rena Obernolte, Environ International 

Paul Dinnel, Western Washington University 

Brian L. Allen, Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

The workshop began with a session focusing on Olympia oyster restoration over the past several 

years and current work in the field. While some projects are ongoing, others are incorporating 

new methods or new locations. Key questions for new and existing projects include: 

1. What is a sustainable size and density for restored Olympia oyster beds? 

2. Is the goal to restore current oyster beds or develop priority areas for restoration? 

3. To what degree do we want to maintain a site over the long-term? 

Through these presentations we learned of several limitations to oyster restoration and how they 

affect projects in the field. These included disease, sedimentation, eutrophication, and 

overgrowth of non-native fouling species. While different, these limitations can be examined in 

order to find similarities between regions or sub-regions and improve restoration efforts. 

 

With a goal of restoring self-sustaining Olympia oyster populations to a level that provides 

ecosystem services, Dick Vander Schaaf tested spawning and setting of Olympia oyster spat in a 

hatchery and planted 800 cultch bags in Netarts Bay, Oregon, in 2010. His findings included a 

better understanding of eelgrass-oyster interactions and the effects of high pCO2 (carbon dioxide 

partial pressure) events on spawning and setting success. He also observed that hatchery

propagated Olympia oysters appear more resilient to varied pCO2 than non-native Pacific 

oysters. The major challenge faced in this project was a Vibrio tubiashi bacteria outbreak in bay 

waters in 2007, which led to pCO2 spikes and effects on shellfish. 

Chris Eardley’s project entitled, “Identifying limitations and requirements of native Olympia 

oysters (Ostrea lurida) to advise restoration efforts in the Yaquina Bay Estuary, Oregon,” sought 

to improve understanding of native oyster populations in Yaquina Bay estuary and evaluate the 

feasibility of future restoration efforts. At the time of the workshop, recruitment had occurred in 

multiple locations in Yaquina Bay and post-metamorphic oysters had survived with survival 

rates and growth variable by location. Sedimentation appeared to be the limiting factor for both 

recruitment and survival. 

Chela Zabin presented a project on behalf of Kerstin Wasson entitled, “Factors limiting native

oyster distribution in Elkhorn Slough, CA.” Restoration of Olympia oysters at Elkhorn Slough is 

critical due to its location between the northern and southern California Olympia oyster 

populations. The project has tracked recruitment for 3 years and found high variability. Some of 

the limiting factors detected include poor water quality (low dissolved oxygen from little tidal 

5 
exchange), competition with non-native species for substrate, and lack of appropriate substrate 

for settlement.

In a separate project, Chela Zabin was able to identify patterns in recruitment by examining 

competition and temporal and spatial variation of Olympia oysters in Tomales and San Francisco 

Bays. Zabin found that subtidal areas may be better for oysters if food levels are low or heat 

stress is high, while higher intertidal areas may be better for oyster restoration in locations where 

cover of competitors is high. Limiting factors included competition and recruitment. 

Rena Obernolte’s restoration objectives were to enhance ecosystem function in San Francisco 

Bay by creating habitat for native oysters, as well as migrating salmonids, and increasing

understanding of salmon smolt migration. The primary challenges faced in this project were lack 

of habitat and community diversity. Project partners were able to construct two of the largest 

oyster reefs in San Francisco Bay, create benefits to salmonids, increase species diversity, and 

observe use of the habitat as nursery grounds. 

Between 2008 and 2010, following several years of restoration activity, Paul Dinnel placed shell 

recruitment bags all along the shoreline of Fidalgo Bay, Washington, in an effort to document 

natural recruitment. Shell bags were planted in three different plots in the bay. In 2010, when 

the bags were recovered, heavy recruitment was observed, indicating successful spawning of the 

restored population. 

In his restoration project entitled “Community level effects monitoring on stock restoration 

enhancements for Ostrea lurida on a structure limited beach in Puget Sound, Washington,” Brian 

Allen examined the temporal gradient and sampled emergent substrate and epibenthic and 

benthic fauna. This project was located in Liberty Bay, Washington, where water quality issues 

have had a dramatic effect on shellfish harvest in past years. New sampling methods led to a 

substantial increase in sampling efficiency. These methods included reduced sample unit, the 

collection of emergent material samples in the field, and off-site data collection. 

Perhaps the greatest lesson learned through past and current projects is the importance of 

community involvement. All projects presented in this session have had some level of 

community support whether it was financial or on-the-ground work. This aspect of a restoration 

project is invaluable in terms of generating program support, educating the public, and ensuring 

long-term success. There is no doubt that the people of a community, large or small, play an 

integral role in the recovery of the Olympia oyster. 

6 
Olympia oyster restoration challenges in Netarts Bay, Oregon 

Dick Vander Schaaf - The Nature Conservancy 

Restoration of the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) in Netarts Bay, Oregon, has been challenged 

by several water-borne factors in recent years. In 2007-2008 an unusually strong and long lasting 

Vibrio tubiashii outbreak was initially blamed for recruitment and hatchery failures of all oyster 

larvae. The following years saw less of an influence on oyster larvae by Vibrio but a possibly 

even greater impact by low pH coastal waters that surged into the Bay. Prior to these events, 

restoration was beginning to post some successful results, was embraced by the local community 

and was being initiated at other sites in Oregon. The Vibrio outbreak directly impacted the 

commercial shellfish hatchery in Netarts Bay that has been used for 6 years to spawn and set 

Olympia oysters for the NOAA/TNC funded restoration project in the Bay. The causes of the 

outbreak are unknown but they now appear to be linked to a series of events that involved 

seasonal upwelling of deep oceanic waters that have certain characteristics. These include low 

oxygen, high salinity, high pCO2 and abundant nutrients. Strong upwelling events have been 

linked to climate change and are being implicated in the hypoxia zone offshore of the Oregon 

coast. It appears that the Olympia oyster is somewhat more resistant to high pCO2 values than 

non-native Pacific oysters. Adaptive restoration strategies may include modifying planting times 

for Olympia oysters and locating restoration activities in Netarts to sites that are less influenced 

by regular tidal flushing.

7 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')
Identifying limitations and requirements of native Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) to advise 

restoration efforts in the Yaquina Bay Estuary, Oregon 

Christopher Eardley - College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University

Dick Vander Schaaf - The Nature Conservancy 

Matthew Gray - Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Hatfield Marine Science Center

Caleb Price - College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University 

Presented by Christopher Eardley 

Olympia or "Native" oysters (Ostrea lurida) were once abundant in estuaries throughout the 

Pacific Northwest. Over-exploitation, poor water quality, and habitat degradation are principle 

causes for a massive decline in native oyster abundance on the West Coast in the late 1800s 

through the mid-20th century. Despite negligible harvests and efforts to assist in native oyster 

recovery, O. lurida has not regained its former abundance. 

Currently, restoration activities for O. lurida are taking place throughout Washington, Oregon 

and California. Evaluating existing populations, recruitment, and survivorship of O. lurida in 

Yaquina Bay will promote better understanding of habitat quality in this estuary, the status of 

this species locally and in Oregon, as well as help determine where regional restoration efforts 

should be focused. 

In this study, we examined the recruitment rates and post-recruitment survival of O. lurida in 

various areas of the Yaquina Bay estuary. Our goal was to provide a baseline assessment of 

native oysters in this estuary and to evaluate if future restoration efforts are feasible and 

warranted. Additionally, we investigated recruitment and survival of recent recruits in Netarts 

Bay, Oregon, a location where O. lurida recruitment appears to be lacking despite six years of 

restoration efforts by the Nature Conservancy. Together, these efforts seek to help inform 

efficient future restoration efforts in these historic home bays of the Olympia oyster.

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

8 
Factors limiting native oyster distribution in Elkhorn Slough, CA 

Chela Zabin - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center & University of California, Davis 

Kerstin Wasson - Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 

Presented by Chela Zabin 

At Elkhorn Slough in Central California only about 5,000 Olympia oysters remain, and 

recruitment is near zero in some years, so this population is in danger of going locally extinct, 

which would have negative consequences for connectivity between northern and southern 

California populations. Oysters are absent from highly eutrophic sites, and appear to be 

excluded from lower intertidal and subtidal elevations by overgrowth of non-native fouling 

species. At sites with firm sediments, they grow on small natural bits of substrate (shells, gravel) 

and are thus not substrate limited, but at sites with muddy sediments, they only survive on larger 

artificial substrates (rip rap, pilings, etc.). So substrate limitation and sedimentation are 

inextricably linked. Recent restoration experiments are deploying native clamshells in modular, 

mobile reefs whose vertical and lateral position on the shore can be easily adjusted to optimize 

oyster recruitment and growth and minimize overgrowth by non-native fouling species.

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

9 
Temporal and spatial variation in recruitment and the effects of competition in Tomales 

and San Francisco bays: lessons for restoration 

Chela Zabin - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center & University of California, Davis

Anna Deck - University of California, Davis

Sarikka Attoe - University of California, Davis & Oregon State University 

Caitlin Hulbert - University of California, Davis & San Francisco Bay National Estuarine 

Research Reserve

Brian Cheng - University of California, Davis

Edwin Grosholz - University of California, Davis

Presented by Chela Zabin

To date, native oyster restoration efforts in San Francisco and Tomales bays have relied solely on 

the provision of hard substrate as a means of increasing populations. Studies of recruitment 

dynamics over time, across potential restoration site locations, and at different tidal depths are 

essential to planning and evaluating the success of restoration efforts. In both bays, non-native 

fouling species may compete with native oysters on deployed substrate, potentially limiting 

recruitment and growth. Here we present the results of parallel studies in San Francisco and 

Tomales bays examining recruitment and growth over several years, at multiple sites and tidal 

depths, and with and without removal of other sessile organisms. Recruitment varied between 

years, more drastically so in Tomales Bay, and across sites and tidal heights. There was a trend 

toward lower recruitment and smaller recruit size when space competitors were allowed to settle, 

but this varied with site and tidal height. At least part of the explanation of this variability is 

likely the result of differences in the abundance and identity of other sessile organisms. Sitespecific differences in numbers of recruits and in growth are also likely the result of other 

factors, such as water retention time, differences in abundance of food, and presence or absence 

of predators. These factors have been better studied in Tomales Bay, but information critical to 

restoration is still lacking in both locations. We discuss recommendations for further research, as 

well as for protection and enhancement of native oyster populations. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

10 
Native oyster and salmonid habitat restoration projects in San Francisco Bay

Rena Obernolte - Environ International

Two 1⁄4 acre reefs have been constructed in San Francisco Bay to provide habitat for native 

oysters and foraging habitat for salmonid smolts. The reefs are community-based restoration 

projects that include education and outreach components. Both reefs are constructed of bagged 

Pacific oyster cultch and materials dredged from the Bay that are formed into concrete reef 

balls. Each site consists of areas with oyster reefs alone, areas planted with eelgrass alone, 

oyster reefs with eelgrass in between reefs and an equal sized area of open mudflats is used as an 

experimental control. The first site was constructed in 2008 and the second site was constructed 

in June 2010. Monitoring included water quality, utilization of Tuffy Pad amphipod collectors, 

bait fish traps, and Plexiglas Breeder traps. In addition, Vemco VR2W 69 KHz acoustic 

receivers were installed to detect acoustically tagged salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon, and 

sharks. Data collected by the acoustic receivers indicates salmonid smolts tend to linger in the 

reef area in contrast to steady movement through the control area. Preliminary results suggest 

that there is a greater diversity of fish and crustacean species in reef study site vs. the control site, 

with the study site being used as nursery grounds for several species. 



3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

11 
Restoration of native oysters, Ostrea lurida, in Fidalgo Bay, Washington 

Paul Dinnel - Western Washington University & Skagit County Marine Resources Committee 

Skagit County Marine Resources Committee (Skagit MRC), working in cooperation with 

shellfish industry, tribal, and community partners, initiated a project to establish several native 

oyster beds in Fidalgo Bay near Anacortes, Washington. The project goal is creation of one or 

more self-sustaining native oyster beds. Thus, oysters on these beds must survive, grow, spawn 

and produce larvae that recruit to the beds and surrounding areas. Native oyster seed on Pacific 

oyster cultch were planted in Fidalgo Bay during 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. Survival and 

growth of planted seed has been excellent at one site (Trestle Site), but poor at a second location. 

With the addition of seed on cultch during four years and augmentation of the Trestle Site with 

five cubic yards of Pacific oyster shell in 2006, a structured oyster bed has been gradually 

emerging. Deployment of temperature sensors in 2006 showed that water temperatures easily 

reached the minimum temperature for gameteogenesis and spawning. Analyses of Pacific oyster 

shell cultch bags has shown that successful spawning and post larval recruitment has occurred in 

three of seven years since 2003, with a strong recruitment pulse in 2009. Several new sites 

within and around Fidalgo Bay are being evaluated for future restoration efforts. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

12 
Community effects monitoring on restoration enhancements for Ostrea lurida on a 

structure-limited beach in Puget Sound, Washington

Jonathan P. Davis, Jordan Watson, Brian L. Allen, Annemarie K. Ansley - Puget Sound Restoration 

Fund 

Presented by Brian Allen

A prime rationale for native oyster enhancement efforts in Washington State is the development 

of habitat types that may then be of benefit to native fishes, including salmonids, mobile 

invertebrates and decapod crustaceans. Habitat that increases overall complex structure likely 

increases the overall quantity and variety of microstructure. Enhanced habitat microstructure 

may be described as an increase in hard substrate area available for settlement, increased 

availability of edge or crevice habitat, increased variability in habitat with sediment accretional 

or depositional characteristics that are dependent on boundary layer flow characteristics that 

themselves vary on spatial and temporal scales. These features serve to increase the variety and 

amount of habitat suitable for small, epibenthic and infaunal animals to utilize for shelter or 

foraging. 

In 2009, we specified a number of 

monitoring objectives for previous 

oyster habitat enhancements that 

included an evaluation of benthic 

conditions both before and following 

our manipulations. Shell enhancements 

were conducted over four consecutive 

years on an unstructured mudflat in 

Liberty Bay, Puget Sound. 

The monitoring results and analysis 

presented here comes from the ongoing 

monitoring of temperature, larval 

retention, epibenthic meiofauna, benthic 

infauna, macro invertebrates and 

settlement by Ostrea lurida. The “condition” of the emergent shell is another important aspect 

of the enhancement, monitored to assess the application of this practice for stock recovery and to 

observe the community effect of shell enhancement. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

13 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session: RESTORATION TOOLS 

14 
Restoration Tools – Session Summary

Session Contributors: 

David Stick, Oregon State University 

Brent Vadopalas, University of Washington 

Nate Wight, Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Steve Rumrill, South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

While Olympia oyster restoration efforts proceed with varying levels of success, this session 

covers ongoing projects dedicated to the study of genetic analysis, hatchery-reared Olympia 

oysters, or factors that may be preventing population recovery. The primary purpose of this 

session was to discuss building blocks that can benefit other research and restoration efforts in 

order to improve effectiveness. 

David Stick conducted an oyster genetics project entitled “Genetic structure among remnant 

populations of the threatened Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) at two spatial scales.” He sampled 

almost 3,000 Olympia oysters from 40 locations between the northern tip of Vancouver Island, 

British Columbia, southward to Elkhorn Slough, California. The results of this study provide 

evidence that genetic structure exists at two scales for the Olympia oyster, between major 

geographical regions and within the larger, more complex Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay 

systems. 

Brent Vadopalas presented on a collaborative effort between the Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

and The Nature Conservancy to rebuild a “core population” of Olympia oysters in Budd Inlet, 

located in south Puget Sound, Washington. Their goal was to mimic genetic diversity within the 

region using synthetic lines of Olympia oyster juveniles in order to restore effective populations 

of this species. 

In his study “Hatchery propagation of restoration-grade Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) seed,” 

Nate Wight set out to maximize genetic diversity of Olympia oyster seeded populations. Using 

broodstock from six embayments in south Puget Sound, Washington, this project was an 

approach to reestablishing oysters by means of hatchery production and outplanting of juveniles. 

Intensive hatchery propagation methods were utilized to ensure genetic diversity prior to

outplanting in Budd Inlet. 

Steve Rumrill presented on a joint project between the South Slough National Estuarine 

Research Reserve and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This program focused on 

reproduction and larval ecology as essential factors in the recovery of Olympia oysters. Several 

hundred bags of Olympia oyster spat were transported into a grow-out area within the South 

Slough, Oregon. In addition, larval collector bags were deployed annually in Coos Bay, Oregon. 

Over time, genetic enhancement in small-scale experimental oyster restoration plots will be used 

to guide larger-scale oyster restoration efforts in South Slough and Coos Bay. 

15 
The information presented in this session will be useful to individuals designing future 

restoration projects and monitoring ongoing efforts. By identifying limiting factors and sharing 

information, practitioners up and down the West Coast can improve practices and focus on 

projects with the greatest promise. 

16 
Analyses of genetic structure within and among remnant populations of the Olympia 

oyster, Ostrea lurida

David A. Stick, Chris Langdon, Michael A. Banks, Mark D. Camara - Oregon State University 

Presented by David Stick

The Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida Carpenter 1864, is the only oyster species native to the 

United States Pacific Northwest. Historically, this species existed in densities capable of 

supporting both tribal subsistence fisheries and large commercial harvest operations throughout 

its range. Over-exploitation, habitat degradation, and competition and predation from non-native 

species have drastically depleted these densities and extirpated many local populations. 

Ecological benefits provided by oyster reef habitats and the species’ historical significance has 

fueled numerous restoration/supplementation efforts of the Olympia oyster. However, these 

efforts are proceeding without a clear understanding of existing genetic structure among extant 

populations, which could be substantial as a consequence of limited dispersal and/or 

anthropogenic impacts resulting in localized genetic bottlenecks or population admixture due to 

historical commercial practices.

We developed and used eight O. lurida microsatellite DNA markers to investigate genetic 

differentiation among and within eight major geographical regions of the species’ original range. 

A hierarchical Analysis of Molecular Variance revealed that 72% of the total molecular genetic 

variation is among the eight regions (Fst=0.017408, p<0.01). Sub-analyses of the genetic 

structure within Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay also found significant differentiation among 

sampled populations within these regions. 

This research supports the hypothesis that there is currently limited gene flow among regions and 

among certain geographically separated Olympia oyster populations within those regions. An 

important implication of these data is that ongoing restoration efforts using hatchery-propagated 

oysters to supplement extant populations can both purposefully and inadvertently alter the 

genetic composition of recipient populations. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

17 
Conservation genetics protocol for Olympia oyster restoration using hatchery methods

Brent Vadopalas - School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington 

Jonathan P. Davis, Brian L. Allen, Nate Wight - Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Brady Blake - Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Presented by Brent Vadopalas 

Native oyster reefs have declined in abundance worldwide (Beck et al. 2009) and together with 

oyster fisheries have generally suffered from over-exploitation, pollution from human activities 

and loss of habitat (Brooks 1891; MacKenzie and Burrell 1997; Goulletquer and Heral 1997). At 

the same time there is increased recognition of the importance of reef or bed-forming bivalves 

that create habitat for other species in addition to important ecosystem services that large 

populations can provide. Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) in Washington State were formally 

abundant, with large beds of native oysters in both Willapa Bay and Puget Sound. 

 

The scope of native oyster restoration activities in Puget Sound has expanded of late to include 

the perspectives of community ecology and conservation genetics to guide project development. 

In the interest of “doing no harm,” recent restoration actions have relied on limited natural 

production, which also restricts stock rebuilding activities to water bodies with large, effective 

populations. Budd Inlet, in southern Puget Sound, historically hosted effective populations over 

large spatial scales at the head of the Inlet, what we refer to as a “core population,” which has 

been extirpated locally. 

 

In 2010, Puget Sound Restoration Fund began a project in Budd Inlet with The Nature 

Conservancy and other partners intended to rebuild a “core population” of Olympia oysters. 

Discussed here is the ongoing collaborative effort to mimic sub-regional genetic diversity with 

synthetic lines of Olympia oyster juveniles produced with our conservation genetics protocol. 

We are interested in the feasibility of utilizing synthetic lines, produced from sub-regional 

broodstock, as an option for restoration of effective populations. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

18 
Hatchery propagation of restoration-grade Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) seed

Nate Wight - Taylor Shellfish & Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

There is increased interest in restoring Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) in parts of their native 

habitat where populations have either been reduced or are absent compared to their historical 

abundance. The goal of this study was to evaluate an approach to reestablishing oysters by means 

of hatchery production and outplanting of juveniles. The overarching goal is to maximize the 

genetic contribution of individuals selected for broodstock to therefore maximize the genetic 

diversity of seeded populations. Due to the larval brooding life history of Olympia oysters we 

could not utilize single pair matings. Therefore we used a partial factorial mating matrix 

composed of broodstock from six embayments in southern Puget Sound. In May 2010 

broodstock oysters from each of six southern Puget Sound embayments were collected and 

combined into 24 single spawn groups of approximately 25 oysters. Broodstock oysters were 

maintained in flow-through 19L tanks over a 5 week period of spawning, fertilization, and 

brooding of larvae. Oyster larvae were captured on 100μm screens as they were released from 

females. Larvae were reared in 100L tanks and competent larvae were settled on to micro-cultch 

in downwellers to grow to seed. At each step the progeny from each of the 24 spawn groups 

were reared and maintained separately. Once the juvenile oysters were above 4mm in size they 

were moved to seed cylinders to await transfer to the field for further growth and overwintering. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

19 
Reproduction and larval ecology as essential factors in recovery of Olympia oysters (Ostrea 

lurida) in Coos Bay and the South Slough Estuary, Oregon 

Steven S. Rumrill - South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 

Scott Groth - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Resources Program 

Hans Klausner - South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 

Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) became locally extinct in Coos Bay (OR) prior to written history 

in response to a combination of coastal fires, input of fine sediments, burial, and perhaps a largescale tsunami. Small populations of O. lurida were re-established in Coos Bay in the 1950s 

when they were inadvertently re-introduced as hitch-hikers during commercial transport of 

Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from Willapa Bay, WA. However, it is likely that basin-wide 

re-colonization of O. lurida has been hampered by several limiting factors including habitat loss 

and alteration, dredging, decreased availability of shell substrata, diminished recruitment, 

predation, competition, and ecological interactions with native and non-native species. South 

Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 

recently initiated a program to investigate factors that hamper population recovery, and to reestablish populations at several sites in Coos Bay and the South Slough. About 500 bags of 

Olympia oyster spat (produced by the Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery) have been transported 

into a grow-out area within the South Slough. In addition, larval collector bags are deployed 

annually near the confluence of Isthmus Slough and Coalbank Slough (Coos Bay), and the 

natural recruits are also transported into South Slough. Larvae of O. lurida frequently settle on 

the shells of living Pacific oysters which are cultured extensively throughout the Coos Bay 

tideflats. Although the Pacific oysters are conducive to larval settlement and adult growth, 

harvests of C. gigas after 2-3 years may be an important source of incidental mortality for 

Olympia oysters.

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

20 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session: Population Surveys and 

Assessments 

 

21 
Population Surveys and Assessments – Session Summary

Session Contributors: 

Brian Allen, Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Tammy Norgard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada 

Brady Blake, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife 

Discovering the dynamics of a healthy Olympia oyster population is of paramount importance in 

order to move forward with restoration. However, intact populations are becoming increasingly rare 

and are often located in remote areas. This session put the spotlight on natural, robust aggregations 

of Olympia oysters and sought to identify characteristics of natural beds that can be used to guide 

future restoration projects.

Brian Allen presented on 2008 and 2009 expeditions to Esperanza Inlet, Vancouver Island, in British 

Columbia. The first trip was a scoping trip to observe habitats and do preliminary assessment of the 

native Olympia oyster populations. The second trip focused on gathering quantitative data on the 

populations. Both trips were driven by the need to improve our understanding of natural native 

oyster beds (location, physical size and structure, population estimates, and habitat characteristics). 

Samples collected at one of the beaches in Port Eliza revealed a mean oyster density of over 600 

oysters/m2. 

Tammy Norgard’s presentation on “Current work on Olympia oysters in Canada” entailed

exploratory surveys on 135 beaches in southern British Columbia in 2009 and 2010. This project 

was composed primarily of field verification of locations that were historically reported and 

identifying undocumented locations, developing survey protocols, and determining long-term 

research index sites. Results varied greatly, ranging from extensive Olympia oyster populations in

some areas to no oysters in others. Historical knowledge of Olympia oyster populations also 

fluctuated depending on the location. 

Brady Blake gave an overview of the current status of Olympia oyster populations in Puget Sound, 

Washington, as well as potential next steps for restoration. Lessons learned in this presentation 

include the frequency of Olympia oyster encounters in Puget Sound as well as the nature and

characteristics of these sparse aggregations. He also addressed common challenges to oyster 

restoration, including tideland ownership, habitat alterations, resource availability and simple lack of 

recognition of the species. Several bays in North Puget Sound, including Samish Bay, Padilla Bay, 

Fidalgo Bay, and Chuckanut Bay, may provide opportunities for restoration in the future. 

A common theme throughout these presentations is the call for continued data collection on natural

oyster beds. Using these data to determine the ecological function of native oyster beds will provide 

invaluable knowledge in the following areas: 

 Trophic dynamics 

 Provision of habitat 

 Fluxes of materials/nutrients

22 
 Structural characteristics 

 Oyster density and growth 

 Spatial extent of beds

 Recruitment dynamics

 Vertical structure

Replicating these studies at a variety of sites and scales will help quantify the functions and services 

of Olympia oyster beds. 

23 
Structure and characterizations for robust populations of Ostrea lurida on Vancouver 

Island, B.C.’s West Coast 

Brian L. Allen, Jonathan P. Davis - Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Presented by Brian Allen

A sizeable portion of our work in the Puget Sound is directed at stock recovery for the native 

Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida. Our current practices include a focus on community ecology and 

efforts to understand the function of complex intertidal habitat like that found in a native oyster 

bed. As we learn more about the contemporary habitat requirements for these oysters, we have 

adapted our restoration practices. Our efforts include observing natural beds of native oysters 

whenever possible. By making assessments of these natural aggregations using the same 

measures we apply to our enhancement projects, we are able to compare our enhancements to the 

empirical microhabitat, community and population structure we find in a natural bed. One 

problem we face in Washington State, where the historic stocks of oysters were harvested in the 

early 20th century, is that we lack any sizeable examples in nature of undisturbed and sustained 

beds of native oysters. 

Upon learning of robust O. lurida beds near Espiranza Inlet, on Vancouver Island, B.C.’s west 

coast, the Puget Sound Restoration Fund and the Centre for Shellfish Research organized 

expeditions in 2008 and 2009 to find what we could learn from such populations. Our 2008 visit 

found beds of millions of oysters, where we characterized habitat and community fauna, and 

collected descriptive population statistics to represent relatively undisturbed and stable oyster 

beds. Tagged oysters were also deployed for growth trials. 

In 2009 we returned to collect a suite of community and population data, employing GIS survey 

technology to incorporate microhabitat in a spatial analysis matrix. Tissue samples from 

separate year-class cohorts were collected to examine the stock structure within the water body. 

We will present the results and analysis of these collaborative efforts to describe these 

populations. 



3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

24 
Current work on Olympia oysters in Canada 

Tammy Norgard, Graham Gillespie and Sean MacConnachie - Department of Fisheries and 

Oceans, Canada 

Presented by Tammy Norgard 

Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) were harvested commercially from the late 1880’s to 1930 when 

stock decline and shift in market preference ended the fishery in Canada. In 2000 they were 

designated as a species of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered 

Wildlife in Canada and listed under the Canadian Species at Risk Act in 2003. Fisheries and 

Oceans Canada completed a Management Plan for Olympia oysters in 2009. This plan listed a 

number of management actions including protection of sites, zero harvest, informing the habitat 

referral process, mitigation of aquaculture impacts and invasive species impacts and community 

outreach. Research actions were also identified. These included development of survey 

protocols to measure relative population abundance, undertake surveys to document current 

species distribution, establishment of index sites for surveys every 5 years, habitat restoration, 

and the collection of samples for disease and genetics studies. In 2009 and 2010 investigators 

visited over 100 beaches in British Columbia surveying for the presence (live individuals and/or 

shells) of Olympia oysters. Olympia oysters were documented at over 75% of locations 

examined. In 2009 a survey protocol for Olympia oyster was developed. In 2010 investigators 

selected 13 representative index sites for long-term studies of which nine were surveyed. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

25 
The Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) in Puget Sound: lessons learned and the next steps for 

stock rebuilding

Brady Blake – Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Point Whitney Shellfish Lab 

The Puget Sound occurrences of the Olympia oyster in oyster rich, large two-dimensional 

structured habitats, commonly referred to as beds, are primarily composed of relict shell and 

generations of living oysters. They have been greatly reduced, with an estimated 4% remaining 

of what historically existed (ca 1849). While the more recent focus on habitat enhancement or 

re-establishment through placement of oyster shell has shown excellent promise, it is recognized 

that native oyster rebuilding is unlikely to occur in portions of Puget Sound unless use of 

hatchery seed is included in the restoration tool box. Lessons learned over the past decade and 

an example of a proposed next step for native oyster restoration in Puget Sound along with 

roadblocks are presented to guide planning of future efforts.

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

 

 

 

 

26 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session: 10-Year Goal Setting 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 27 
10-Year Goal Setting – Session Summary

Session Contributors: 

Rob Brumbaugh, The Nature Conservancy 

Marilyn Latta, California State Coastal Conservancy 

The final session of the West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop examined priorities and

set forth goals. Given the major decline of oyster populations worldwide, the shared goal for 

West Coast efforts is to restore ecosystem services gained from oyster habitats and ensure longterm success. The two presenters in this session, Rob Brumbaugh and Marilyn Latta, provided a 

framework for the discussion. 

The Nature Conservancy project, “Development of national-scale oyster reef restoration goals,” 

seeks to develop a set of national restoration goals for oyster habitat that will work toward 

ecologically meaningful services and ensure long-term viability of management measures. Rob 

Brumbaugh described the details of this endeavor. With an ecosystem services approach, 

Brumbaugh encouraged restoration practitioners to ask the right questions and determine just 

how much oyster habitat is “enough” to accomplish our goals. Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, and 

Galveston Bay, Texas, were both used as oyster restoration examples and anticipated outcomes 

were also addressed.

Marilyn Latta presented on 50-year native oyster restoration goals in San Francisco Bay, 

California. This project focuses on restoring the sub-tidal habitats of the bay and their ecosystem 

services through a “precautionary adaptive management” approach. Latta defined three sets of 

goals for this project. Science goals seek information needed to improve protection and 

restoration, protection goals are based on the precautionary approach to protect habitat while data 

is gathered, and restoration goals focus on information from consultant reports and quantifiable 

and regionally specific targets. A five-phased restoration approach was then explained, which 

covers a basic site survey in phase one to a larger (one acre or more) restoration project in phase 

five.

Both of these planning efforts provide management measures that offer guidance for small and 

large restoration projects alike. However, scaling up to a region such as the Gulf Coast or 

Pacific Coast and then to the national scale suggests a new, larger context for restoration and 

new constituents for oyster habitat protection and restoration. Working at the national and 

regional scale would help create a long-term restoration plan, which would considerably improve 

the fate of the Olympia oyster.

As previously stated, the aim of the 2010 workshop was to create 10-year restoration goals for 

California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Immediately following these final two 

presentations, workshop participants from each region gathered to discuss 10-year restoration 

goals. These goals are summarized in the section entitled, “State-by-State 10-year goals.” The 

next step is to refine these goals with additional stakeholders and restoration practitioners. 

28 
Development of national-scale oyster reef restoration goals 

Robert D. Brumbaugh – The Nature Conservancy Global Marine Team 

Mark Spalding - The Nature Conservancy Global Marine Team and Conservation Science Group 

Philine zu Ermgassen - Aquatic Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of 

Cambridge 

Presented by Rob Brumbaugh 

Oyster reefs are the most imperiled marine habitat on Earth, with a staggering 85% loss in just 

the past two centuries. A paradigm shift in the way we manage these critical coastal ecosystems 

is needed to ensure that they are restored and managed to sustain both human and ecological 

communities. Establishing restoration objectives that incorporate the full array of ecosystem 

services provided by oyster reefs could provide a much needed impetus for reversing course and 

maintaining these vital habitats. Ultimately, this is an important step toward creating a nationalscale initiative for improving an important ecosystem that is, at present, significantly degraded 

and at continued risk of degradation or extirpation throughout the United States. With support 

from NFWF and NOAA, The Nature Conservancy and an external team of advisors is 

assembling data on the historic and recent spatial extent of reefs, oyster density and size 

distributions that, in turn, will be used to help estimate ecosystem services on an aerial basis 

(specifically water filtration, denitrification and fish production). Providing a framework for 

comparing past, present and potential future levels of services delivered through enhanced 

conservation and restoration will hopefully ensure that (1) shellfish ecosystems are restored to 

levels that deliver ecologically meaningful services such as filtration, denitrification, fish habitat 

and shoreline protection as well as shellfish fishery returns, and (2) that management measures 

are in place to ensure their long-term viability and ecological relevance of oyster reefs in the 

nation’s estuaries.

 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

 

29 
PROJECT SUMMARY

Development of national-scale oyster reef restoration goals

The Nature Conservancy, with input from scientists, restoration practitioners, managers and 

other partners, is working to develop a set of estuary-specific and ecoregional-scale restoration 

goals for oyster reef habitat in the United States. These goals will inform the Conservancy and 

others about the magnitude and geographic distribution of restoration that is needed to ensure the 

long term persistence of a globally imperiled marine habitat. 

Oyster reefs have declined dramatically in most U.S. coastal bays over the past two centuries, 

and in some locations these declines are nothing short of catastrophic. Even more troubling, 

findings from a TNC-led global analysis of condition of oyster reefs suggest that they are likely 

the most imperiled type o f marine habitat on earth. Globally, the loss of oyster reef habitat is 

estimated to be 85%, making them the most degraded and, by extension, most imperiled type of 

marine ecosystem on earth, surpassing coral reefs (20% loss), mangroves and marshes (50%) and 

sea grass (30%) in the magnitude and geographic extent of loss. In this global analysis, the 

following conventions were used to describe the condition of shellfish ecosystems at ecoregional 

scales: 

• Functionally Extinct: functional shellfish reefs and beds are essentially absent from the 

ecoregion (< 1% of historic area of shellfish ecosystems remaining). Although there may 

be remnant populations, the structure and function of these as ecosystems is negligible. 

• Poor Condition: 1 – 10% of functional shellfish reefs or beds remaining in the ecoregion, 

and are at densities that provide some measure of ecosystem services. 

• Fair Condition: 11- 50% of functional shellfish reefs or beds remaining in the ecoregion, 

and are at densities that provide some measure of ecosystem services. 

• Good Condition: > 50% of functional shellfish reefs or beds remaining in the ecoregion, 

and are at densities that provide some measure of ecosystem services. 

30 
North America and Caribbean Ecoregional Estimates of Condition 

Restoration as a Priority Conservation Strategy 

 

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA) have since 2001 been engaged in a National Partnership to restore marine, estuarine 

and coastal river habitats throughout the United States. To date, more than 95 community-based 

restoration projects have been funded in 20 states, and many of these projects involve restoration 

of native oyster reefs. This particular emphasis on oyster reefs stems from a recognition that the 

large size and great historic abundance of oysters not only supported commercial and 

recreational fisheries of great cultural significance, but also enabled their role as critical 

‘ecosystem engineers’1

. In this role, they likely control water quality and structurally are the 

temperate equivalent of tropical coral reefs, providing shelter for myriad other species and 

protecting shorelines from erosive effects of waves and rising sea level. The profound ecological 

importance of shellfish, not surprisingly, typically results in their selection as conservation 

targets in Marine Ecoregional Assessments (ERAs) and Conservation Action Plans (CAPs) 

prepared by TNC and its partners. Progress is being made to restore reefs on small scales and 

medium scales (e.g. several NOAA Recovery Act projects focus on larger-scale oyster reef 

restoration), but to restore oyster reefs to functional relevance will require a comprehensive set 

of goals for the estuaries and ecoregions of the U.S. 

1 The term ‘ecosystem engineer’ was coined by Jones et al (1994) to describe organisms that modify their physical, 

chemical or biological environment in ways that support other organisms. Oysters, for example, form threedimensional reefs or complex beds that many other species use as nesting or foraging habitat. The shellfish included 

in this report filter substantial volumes of water as they feed on algae and other particulate matter, clarifying the 

ambient water and cycling nutrients to enable the growth of nearby seagrasses. 

31 
Long-term objectives

ensure their long-term viability and ecological relevance in the nation’s estuaries. 

: This project will set the stage for a national-scale strategy for improving 

an ecosystem that is, at present, significantly degraded and at continued risk of degradation 

toward ecologically relevant conservation status throughout the United States. TNC and partners 

will use the restoration goals created through this project to develop a national strategy for 

shellfish conservation and restoration to ensure that (1) shellfish ecosystems are restored to 

levels that deliver ecologically meaningful services such as filtration, fish habitat, shoreline 

protection as well as shellfish fishery returns, and (2) that management measures are in place to 

Project Outcomes: This project will begin to address threats to oyster reefs by developing 

restoration and conservation goals for 8 marine ecoregions bounding the Continental U.S., 

through a process that is both science-based and engages a broad array of stakeholders. This will 

better ensure support for development of longer-term and appropriately scaled streams of 

restoration funding and action at multiple scales – from local to regional to national. Ultimately, 

this project is designed to achieve the following measurable results: 

1) We will develop bay-specific estimates of reef loss based on historic and current 

estimates of abundance (area) and produce maps that help to illustrate the current 

condition at national and ecoregional scales. 

2) will convene a team of external scientists to help us test the assumption that 10% of 

historic size/abundance is sufficient for maintaining viable populations and use our 

findings to recommend appropriate minimum conservation and management goals for 

maintaining oyster reef viability within U.S. estuaries. The science team will include 

members of TNC’s global shellfish assessment team to help provide continuity with 

that effort and to capitalize on their familiarity with relevant data that will help to 

underpin this project. 

3) We will work with the science team to develop ecologically-based conservation and 

restoration goals that meet both viability and ecological functionality criteria (e.g., 

sufficient water filtration, nutrient removal, fish production). 

4) We will conduct outreach through professional forums (e.g., National Shellfisheries 

Association, International Conferences on Shellfish Restoration, Interstate Shellfish 

Sanitation Conference) to engage the most relevant management stakeholders 

(fisheries managers, marine habitat and water quality managers, shellfish sanitation 

programs) to encourage implementation of larger scale conservation and restoration 

projects designed for ecological relevance. 

32 
San Francisco Bay subtidal habitat goals project: setting 50-year restoration goals for 

native oysters amidst multiple data gaps 

Marilyn Latta – California State Coastal Conservancy 

The San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project is an interagency, collaborative, regional 

planning effort to establish a comprehensive and long-term vision for research, restoration and 

protection of subtidal habitats of the San Francisco Bay. The Draft 50-Year Plan released in 

June 2010 is non-regulatory and was developed by four lead partner agencies (including the San 

Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Association, State Coastal Conservancy, and the San Francisco Estuary Partnership); science 

advisor Wim Kimmerer from San Francisco State University; consultants from University of 

California at Davis, San Francisco State University, and the San Francisco Estuary Institute; and 

a broad group of scientists, resource managers, and restoration practitioners working in and 

around San Francisco Bay. The recommendations are based on identifying and addressing key 

research questions, increasing desired ecosystem services in San Francisco Bay, and moving 

forward with protection and restoration goals in a phased, adaptive management approach over 

the next 50 years.

Building off of local and West Coast native oyster workshops and meetings over the past five 

years, UC Davis researchers Chela Zabin and Ted Grosholz completed a report on Opportunities 

and Constraints for Native Oyster Restoration for the Subtidal Goals Project. The report 

recommends a phased approach towards a broad 50-year goal of 8,000 acres of native oyster 

restoration and enhancement. This presentation will briefly outline our planning, describe how 

we arrived at the 8,000 acre restoration goal, and discuss specific steps towards targeted 

restoration site opportunities in San Francisco Bay. 

3UHVHQWDWLRQ3')

Link to Subtidal Habitat Goals Project: www.sfbaysubtidal.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

33 
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State-by-State 10-Year Goals 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

34 
*The goals listed for each state are preliminary and based solely on discussions from workshop 

participants.*

Washington 10-Year Goals

GOALS: 

Reestablish self-maintaining native oyster bed habitat which provides ecosystem services.

10-year Objective - Enhance 100 acres of native oyster habitat by 2020: 

50 acres - Central Sound (Dyes Inlet, Sinclair Inlet, Gig Harbor, Miller Bay, Liberty 

Bay)

25 acres - South Sound (Budd Inlet, Henderson Inlet, Carr Inlet, Oakland Bay, Totten, 

 LSK-Bishop, Wildcat Cove, Gallager Cove, Vaughn Bay in Case Inlet) 

10 acres - North Sound (10 1⁄2 acre test plots, Chuckanut, Samish, Fidalgo, Padilla, 

Drayton) 

5 acres - Hood Canal (Wolfe Lagoon, Potlatch East, Dewato) 

10 acres - Work with private tidelands owners in all basins to enhance native oyster 

beds 

Restoration Practice

• Continue to improve and customize restoration techniques to suit different conditions. 

• Define minimum footprint/density and other parameters to achieve self-maintaining habitat 

on a water body scale. Determine the tipping point regarding oyster abundance and scale for 

sustained maintenance of oyster bed habitat.

• Initiate long-term monitoring program of available natural oyster bed habitat aggregations. 

• Research larval distribution and behavior in order to focus restoration efforts on re-building 

source populations that provide ongoing larval production services that benefit a larger 

geographic area.

Ecosystem Service:

• Identify and quantify ecosystem services provided by consolidated native oyster bed 

structure.

• On a bay-by-bay basis, estimate historic bed area, current bed areas and existing biomass. 

Given the water residence time within each bay, determine what filter feeding biomass is 

needed to filter the bay. Also, determine how many acres of near shore complex habitat 

(oyster bed) are needed to manage the bay for fish, crab and other fishery production. C. 

gigas and other filter feeding species (i.e. benthic clams) are providing filtration and similar 

ecosystem services; this needs to be included when calculating filter feeding biomass. Bay 

filtration and fish/crab production goals, in the context of existing filter feeding biomass, 

should guide acreage goals for native oyster bed re-establishment and restoration. 

35 
Conservation genetics/Hatchery Propagation: 

• Develop hatchery propagation in order to scale up production of genetically diverse oyster 

seed that meet established conservation standards. 

• Work with DFO Canada to identify broodstock collection sites in the Strait of Georgia that 

can support North Sound seed production. 

• Seed production presents some inherent difficulties of scale 

• Explore remote setting options. There may be options for in situ remote sets.

• Do we need to keep breeding groups separate after the larval stage?

Logistics & Project Development:

• Identify new sources of shell or alternative oyster habitat enhancement substrate in order to 

accomplish 10-year goals. Current C. gigas shell sources support 4-5 acres/yr.

• Lay the groundwork for reestablishing native oysters in historic areas currently occupied by 

eelgrass (Quilcene Bay, Belfair, Seal Rock, Samish Bay)

• Develop long-term partnerships with growers and other tideland owners to lay the 

groundwork for larger-scale restoration in the future (e.g. Samish Bay) 

• Coordinate with Department of Health in order to pursue native oyster restoration in closed 

waters.

• Pursue longer-term opportunities on Navy tidelands in concert with remediation and 

nearshore restoration projects.

• Develop informal agreements with tribes and other stakeholders to identify no-harvest areas 

targeted for restoration.

• Work with Puget Sound Partnership to include native oyster restoration as part of regional 

recovery efforts.

• Core or source population reestablishment is approached in multiple steps. This benefits 

genetic diversity, budgets and long-term stakeholders.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 

• What ecosystem services do native oyster beds provide that eelgrass doesn’t? What is the 

special relationship and dynamic between these species? How are these different from other 

bivalves, nearshore complex structure and unstructured habitat? 

• What is the expected loss of eelgrass habitat, spatially, in order to regain the habitat/filtration 

values of native oyster beds? Is there a net loss or gain of estuary function and habitat 

utilization as this ratio shifts within water bodies?

• Can oyster restoration efforts help mitigate the effects of ocean acidification? 

36 
• What is the larval distribution and behavior during peak activity within water bodies with 

substantial abundance of native oysters (>10 million)? Conduct experiments to examine 

larval competence and field assessment on comparing diurnal/tide exchange/water quality 

and larval behavior. 

• Examine local adaptation within native oyster populations; conduct replicate common 

garden outplants in spatially discrete areas to examine local adaptation within the context of 

available data on gene flow.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION: 

• We have work to do developing the mechanical tools for reestablishing oyster bed habitat, 

which is fundamentally different than oyster presence or aggregations. We understand and 

have had success with increasing local abundance where natural set is available. Acreage 

goals are made with the understanding that the techniques for reestablishing oyster bed 

habitat are still in development. We need to manage our process continually, incorporating 

regional information coming from continued monitoring and assessment of natural 

populations and production. 

37 
Oregon 10-Year Goals

GOALS:

 Population Assessment and Characterization 

An accurate, comprehensive, and quantitative survey of Olympia oyster populations has not yet 

been carried out for Oregon estuaries. The baseline survey should include information to 

describe the historic and current distribution of native oysters. This information can additionally 

be included in an oil spill contingency plans in case of a spill.

The effort to survey current native oysters should include: 

• Quantitative assessments, rather than just presence/absence; 

• Standardized protocols to make sites comparable and increase sampling rigor; 

• Baseline reference sites for intensive, repeated assessments; 

• Environmental and community ecology parameters; 

• Information about interactions with eelgrass and commercially important species; 

• Extent, reproductive output and importance of subtidal populations; 

• Role of sedimentation and salinity in determining population depths. 

Other activities should include: 

• Complete a retrospective assessment of the historic distribution of Olympia oysters in 

Oregon estuaries. 

• Assess potential oyster bed habitat in order to establish potential restoration goals- this 

provides an alternative method to goals based on percentage of historic population size. 

• Project how population expansion will incorporate urban components of the estuarine 

shorelines. 

• Incorporate the subtidal zone as potential oyster habitat. 

• Use potential habitats to set goals of what’s possible and what will provide measurable 

benefits to estuary.

Implementation: 

-ODFW Marine Resources Program should be encouraged to: 

• Recognize the status of Olympia oysters and perhaps create a species status report; 

• Include Olympia oysters in the ongoing bivalve surveys conducted by the ODFW shellfish 

assessment/research team.

Statewide Regulatory Framework for Conservation and Mitigation

Establish statewide policy for no-net loss of Olympia oysters in Oregon: 

• Limit activity that will be detrimental to existing intertidal and subtidal oyster beds;

• Require mitigation for unavoidable damage/destruction of Olympia oyster beds; and 

• Establish a mitigation “bank” to consolidate repeated loss or destruction of small patches or 

clusters, and to create larger spatial blocks or plots of native oyster habitat 

38 
Develop a Bay-by-Bay Approach to Olympia Oyster Restoration 

Oregon should develop and adopt a bay-by-bay approach to the conservation and restoration of 

Olympia oysters because the different estuaries exhibit a diversity of geomorphologies, habitat 

impacts, and ecological potentials for oyster recovery. It is unlikely that a “one size fits all” 

approach will be successful for estuaries as different as Netarts Bay, Yaquina Bay, and Coos 

Bay.

• Netarts: undeveloped, poor recruitment, but lots of potential area for native oyster beds; 

• Yaquina: highly developed, consistent recruitment, and single commercial grower of 

Crassostrea gigas; and

• Coos: highly developed, consistent recruitment, and extensive tideflat acres used for 

commercial mariculture of Crassostrea gigas managed by four oyster farmers.

As surveys of Oregon estuaries are completed, the site-specific restoration goals and priorities 

for each bay can be developed. 

Integrated Restoration and Enhancement of Genetic Diversity

• Develop an integrative restoration strategy that is tightly linked with the genetic broodstock 

program; and 

• Expand common-garden experiments and/or genetic markers to investigate the potential 

ecological and genetic effects of local adaptation.

Ecosystem Emphasis on Olympia Oyster Restoration 

• Develop a mechanism to link oyster restoration and population recovery to the management 

framework and ecosystem services that provide direct and indirect benefits to humans; and 

• Encourage and integrate Olympia oyster recovery in concert with other wetlands and estuary 

restoration/conservation efforts. 

Work Closely with Local Crassostrea Growers to Recover Olympia Oyster Populations

• Native Olympia oysters frequently settle on Crassostrea shells and are regularly harvested by 

Crassostrea growers. This situation provides a business opportunity that may increase 

interest in Olympia oyster restoration.

• Oregon / ODFW should not encourage recreational harvest of Olympia oysters (within the 

next 10 years) but should initially encourage development of harvest guidelines that can be 

followed by the existing commercial oyster farms.

• Oregon should strive to integrate Olympia oyster conservation and recovery with aquaculture 

to the greatest extent possible, and to place recovery of native oysters on the map in a broader 

framework (such as the state of MD oyster recovery plan).

Conduct Research to Investigate Early Life History Events in Population Recovery 

• Work with academic scientists to investigate the production of oyster larvae, the abundance 

and distribution of larval supplies within the estuaries, and the potential and realized larval 

dispersal;

39 
• Conduct hydrodynamic modeling and particle tracking work to investigate the potential for 

larval retention and export from the Oregon bays and estuaries; 

• Conduct laboratory and field experiments to document larval settlement preferences, delay of 

settlement, and patterns of juvenile recruitment within the different estuaries; and 

• Document the survival of early juvenile stages that are subject to thermal stress, 

sedimentation, desiccation, differences in food availability, predation, and competition. 

Investigate the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Olympia Oyster Populations

• Estimate the vulnerability of oyster populations to different types of climate-change stressors. 

Ensure that the strategy taken by state of Oregon incorporates potential climate change 

effects, such as:

• sea level rise

• increased frequency and intensity of coastal storms

• changes in seawater temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen 

• ocean acidification, pCO2 and pH changes, calcification saturation states

• freshwater inputs 

Public Education and Outreach 

• More outreach, communication to the community; 

• Workshops, multi-media approach, local events;

• Outreach efforts should be coordinated between groups; 

• Training at different levels: volunteers, undergraduates, graduate students; and 

• Collaboration between people working within Oregon on native oyster restoration. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

40 
Canada 10-Year Goals 

GOALS: 

Set up a more comprehensive monitoring plan for Olympia Oysters at long-term research 

sites: 

• Spend more time reviewing the projects presented at the 2010 workshop in order to develop a 

10-year plan.

• Obtain more data to inform the next management plan due in 2013. 

• The Nature Conservancy of Canada, possibly working with Vancouver Island University, 

will explore the restoration of an ecologically damaged near shore marine site on Vancouver 

Island. The purpose of this restoration will be more holistic than simply restoring Olympia 

oysters, but the Olympia oyster will be a central focus of the project.

• One of the short-term goals is to have a meeting in October with the Canadian Olympia 

oyster research team to standardize data collection. 

• Improve understanding of population dynamics and potential site dynamics before moving

forward with restoration. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

41 
California 10-Year Goals* 

*Please follow the link for the California State Coastal Conservancy’s Subtidal Habitat Goals 

Project: www.sfbaysubtidal.org

42 
Conclusions

Participants in the 2010 West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop marched through a 

wide variety of presentations on tools and practices and successfully drafted 10-year goals for 

Washington, Oregon, California and British Columbia. 

Each state, and for that matter, each estuary, is unique in its conditions (both environmental and 

regulatory). For instance, the methodologies, materials and strategies used to enhance oyster 

habitat in Netarts Bay, Oregon are shaped by the presence or absence of remnant populations, 

local habitat conditions, and larval availability. These conditions differ bay by bay and state by 

state. Other differences related to permit requirements and government support also make the 

standardization of practices difficult. But in spite of these differences, the overarching goals are 

held in common. Native oyster restoration is undertaken for the ecological benefits provided by 

complex bed structure and natural filtration. 

Specific metrics for successful restoration efforts are still being developed and participants at the 

workshop spent time grappling with a number of ongoing questions. For instance, if our goal is 

to re-establish an effective population, what defines an effective population? What density and 

bed size are needed to achieve a self-sustaining population? Do these measures hold true across 

different bodies of water or does the size of a particular embayment or lagoon affect the size at 

which an oyster bed becomes self-sustaining? How many acres of native oyster habitat are 

sufficient to filter a particular bay or inlet? How many acres are needed to support fish 

production? These are questions that researchers, agencies and practitioners will need to answer 

in order to achieve longer-term, larger-scale enhancements.

In the wake of the 2010 West Coast Native Oyster Workshop, participants will go forth in 

pursuit of these various scientific inquiries knowing that science and ecological restoration are 

only part of the story. Native oyster restoration is also informed by a cultural movement to 

restore traditional food sources important to local tribes and the urge to renew human 

connections to coastal resources that have defined life along the West Coast for millennia. The 

2007 and 2010 workshops were hosted by local tribes because native oyster restoration efforts 

need, always, to be anchored within this larger cultural context. We work to restore coastal 

resources because they sustain us. Tribal people understand these connections and are an 

important partner in native restoration efforts. 

The 2012 West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop will be hosted in Oregon at a place 

and time to be determined. Stay posted. In the meantime, The Nature Conservancy, NOAA and 

the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will produce a report in 2011 quantifying historic and 

current oyster populations in coastal estuaries around the country and defining ecologically 

meaningful goals for the restoration of beds and reefs. 

 

 

43 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendices 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

44 
Workshop Agenda

THURSDAY

Presenter Time Title

Betsy Peabody

Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Suquamish Tribe 

7:00-8:00 

8:00 – 8:15 

8:15 – 8:30 

Breakfast (served in the Community 

House)

Opening remarks/Introductions 

Tribal Welcome

 Restoration Updates

Dick Vander Schaaf

The Nature Conservancy 

Christopher Eardley

Oregon State University 

Chela Zabin

Smithsonian Env. Rest. Ctr

Chela Zabin

Smithsonian Env. Rest. Ctr 

Paul Dinnel

Skagit County MRC 

Brian Allen

Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

PSRF Staff

8:30 – 8:50

8:55 – 9:15 

9:20 – 9:45 

9:50 – 10:10 

10:15-10:30 

10:35-10:55 

11:00-11:20 

11:25-12:00 

Olympia oyster restoration challenges in 

Netarts Bay, Oregon

Identifying limitations and requirements of native oyster 

(Ostrea lurida) to advise restoration efforts in the 

Yaquina Bay Estuary, Oregon

Factors limiting native oyster distribution in Elkhorn 

Slough, CA 

Temporal and spatial variation in recruitment and the 

effects of competition in Tomales and San Francisco 

bays: lessons for restoration 

Break 

Restoration of Native oysters, Ostrea lurida, in Fidalgo 

Bay, Washington 

Community Effects Monitoring on Restoration 

Enhancements for Ostrea lurida on a structure-limited 

beach in Puget Sound, Washington 

Discussion of key points for inclusion in 10-year goals

45
David A.Stick

Oregon State University, COMES, 

HMSC Newport, OR 

Brent Vadopalas

University of Washington, SAFS

Nate Wight

Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Steve Rumrill

South Slough National Estuarine 

Research Reserve

PSRF Staff

Brian Allen

Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

Tammy Norgard

Dept. of Fisheries & Oceans, 

Canada 

Brady Blake

Washington Department of Fish & 

Wildlife

PSRF Staff

12:00-1:00

1:00-1:20 

1:25-1:40 

1:45-2:05 

2:10-2:25 

2:30-3:00 

3:00-3:15 

3:15-3:30 

3:35-3:50 

3:55-4:15 

4:20-5:00 

Lunch (served in the Community House)

Restoration Tools

Analyses of genetic structure within and among remnant 

populations of Olympia oysters, Ostrea lurida

Conservation genetics protocol for Olympia oyster 

restoration using hatchery methods 

Hatchery propagation of restoration-grade Olympia 

oyster seed

Reproduction and larval ecology as essential factors in 

recovery of Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) in Coos 

Bay and the South Slough Estuary, Oregon 

Discussion of key points for inclusion in 10-year goals

Break

Population Surveys and Assessments

Structure and Characterizations for robust populations 

of Ostrea lurida on Vancouver Island, B.C.’s West 

Coast

Current work on Olympia oysters in Canada 

Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) in Puget Sound: 

lessons learned, road blocks, next steps for stock 

rebuilding 

Discussion of key points for inclusion in 10-year goals

5:00 – 6:30 Oyster Bar (Community House and nearby Pizzeria)

6:30 – 8:00 Dinner (Community House)

46
FRIDAY

7:00 – 8:00 Breakfast (served in the Community House)

10-year Goal setting

Rob Brumbaugh

The Nature Conservancy 

Betsy Peabody

Puget Sound Restoration Fund 

8:00 – 8:20

8:20-8:30 

8:30-11:00 

11:30-12:00 

12:00 

Setting ecologically meaningful goals for bays and 

sounds 

Summary of 2009 NFWF workshops in Washington to 

develop 10-year business plan 

State-by-state discussion to develop 10-year goals for 

native oyster restoration 

Oregon leads: Steve Rumrill, Dick Vander Schaaf

Washington lead: Betsy Peabody 

California lead: TBD

British Columbia: Tammy Norgard 

State-by-state summaries of goal discussions

Adjourn

47 
2010 West Coast Native Oyster Restoration Workshop Attendees

Last Name

First 

Name Affiliation State Email

Adams Kevin NOAA WA kevin.w.adams@noaa.gov

Adams John Taylor Shellfish WA JohnA@taylorshellfish.com

Allen Brian Puget Sound Restoration Fund WA brianleeallen@hotmail.com

Barry Vivianne Suquamish Tribe WA vbarry@suquamish.nsn.us

Herendeen Heidi Suquamish Tribe WA hherendeen@suquamish.nsn.us

Blake Brady WDFW WA Blakebcb@dfw.wa.gov

Brisbois Adam Tulalip Tribe WA abrisbois@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Brumbaugh Rob TNC RI rbrumbaugh@tnc.org

Bryan Tanya Nature Conservancy of Canada, 

BC

BC Tanya.Bryan@natureconservancy.ca

Buhle Eric NOAA WA eric.buhle@noaa.gov

Camara Mark OSU OR Mark.Camara@oregonstate.edu

Cooper Erin OSU OR erin.e.cooper@state.or.us

Dinnel Paul Shannon Point Marine Lab WA padinnel@aol.com

Donaldson Alicia World Fisheries Trust BC aliciad@uvic.ca

Dumbauld Brett OSU OR brett.dumbauld@oregonstate.edu

Eardley Chris OSU OR ceardley@coas.oregonstate.edu

Fisher Jeff Environ Corp WA jfisher@environcorp.com

Garcia Laura University of Oregon OR lgarciap@uoregon.edu

Gray Cindy Skokomish Tribe WA cgray@Skokomish.org

Hatch Randy Point No Point Treaty Council WA randy.hatch@pnptc.org

Homerding Margaret Skokomish Tribe WA mhomerding@skokomish.org

Hopper Jennifer Taylor Shellfish WA JenniferH@taylorshellfish.com

Kendig John USDA, NRCS WA John.Kendig@wa.usda.gov

Kingzett Brian Centre for Shellfish Research, 

VIU

BC kingzettb@mala.bc.ca

Klausner Hans SSNERR OR Hans.Klausner@state.or.us

Kramer Jim PSRF WA Jkramer.consulting@gmail.com

Kuehl Lillian Taylor Shellfish WA taylorresearchlab@yahoo.com

Larsen Dan USDA, NRCS Danny.Larsen@wa.usda.gov

Latta Marilyn California State Coastal 

Conservancy 

CA

mlatta@scc.ca.gov

McHugh Mike Tulalip Tribe WA mmchugh@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Morlock Summer NOAA MD summer.morlock@noaa.gov

48 
Norgard Tammy

Dept. of Fisheries & Oceans, 

Canada BC TammyNorgard@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Obernolte Rena Environ International CA obernolte@comcast.net

Peabody Betsy Puget Sound Restoration Fund WA betsy@restorationfund.org

Pereira Leandro World Fisheries Trust BC leandroangelo.tico@gmail.com

Reich Melissa TNC Americorps OR mreich@tnc.org

Rumrill Steve SSNERR OR Steve.Rumrill@state.or.us

Sawyer Kristina University of Oregon OR ksawyer@uoregon.edu

Schlentner Sharon Jefferson County MRC WA sschlentner@waypoint.com

Shotwell Sue Nisqually Tribe WA sueshotwell@yahoo.com

Sparkman Eric Squaxin Island Tribe WA esparkman@squaxin.nsn.us

Speck Camille Washington Dept of Fish & 

Wildlife

WA speckcas@dfw.wa.gov

Stanley Cathy Tulalip Tribe WA cstanley@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Stick David OSU OR david.stick@oregonstate.edu

Suzuki Jason Taylor Shellfish WA taylorresearchlab@yahoo.com

Vadopalas Brent UW WA brentv@u.washington.edu

Vander Schaaf Dick TNC OR dvanderschaaf@tnc.org

Vira Shiraz USDA, NRCS WA Shiraz.Vira@wa.usda.gov

Wight Nate PSRF WA natewight1@gmail.com

Williams Paul Suquamish Tribe WA pwilliams@suquamish.nsn.us

Witwer Brenda Netarts oyster grower OR mrk.wittwer@gmail.com

Witwer Mark Netarts oyster grower OR mrk.wittwer@gmail.com

Wolniakowski Krystyna National Fish & Wildlife 

Foundation 

OR wolniakowski@nfwf.org

Zabin Chela Smithsonian Environmental CA zabinc@si.edu

zu Ermgassen Philine

The Nature Conservancy/Post 

Doc UK psez2@cam.ac.uk

49