HABITAT SUITABILITY INDEX MODEL FOR HABITAT SUITABILITY INDEX MODEL FOR THE AMERICAN OYSTER, THE AMERICAN OYSTER, Crassostrea Crassostrea virginica virginica : IMPLICATIONS FOR : IMPLICATIONS FOR RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF OYSTERS IN SW FLORIDA ESTUARIES OYSTERS IN SW FLORIDA ESTUARIES Aswani K. Volety, Aswani K. Volety, Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Gulf Coast University Tomma Barnes, Tomma Barnes, South Florida Water Management District South Florida Water Management District Leonard Pearlstine, Frank Mazzotti, Leonard Pearlstine, Frank Mazzotti, University of Florida University of Florida Do not disseminate without author authorization
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HABITAT SUITABILITY INDEX MODEL FOR HABITAT SUITABILITY INDEX MODEL FOR
THE AMERICAN OYSTER, THE AMERICAN OYSTER, Crassostrea Crassostrea
virginicavirginica: IMPLICATIONS FOR : IMPLICATIONS FOR
RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF
OYSTERS IN SW FLORIDA ESTUARIESOYSTERS IN SW FLORIDA ESTUARIES
Aswani K. Volety, Aswani K. Volety,
Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Gulf Coast University
Tomma Barnes, Tomma Barnes,
South Florida Water Management DistrictSouth Florida Water Management District
Leonard Pearlstine, Frank Mazzotti, Leonard Pearlstine, Frank Mazzotti,
University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaDo not
disse
minate
withou
t auth
or au
thoriz
ation
RationaleRationale
• SW Florida is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States
• Watershed development and water management practices to accommodate development
• Interruption of sheet flow, water releases regulated through weirs
• Impact to water quality and salinity
• Altered flow regimeDo not
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withou
t auth
or au
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ation
RationaleRationale
• Caloosahatchee Estuary in SW Florida exhibiting impaired ecological health – hydrological alteration, agricultural land use, development, marinas
• Watershed management typified by large freshwater releases during wet (rainy) summer months and little or no releases during dry winter months
• FW releases from Lake Okeechobee for flood control and agricultural uses
• Water runoff and freshwater releases typically occur during summer, followed by storm water runoff depressing the salinities for extended periodsDo n
ot dis
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out a
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RationaleRationale
• Information related to optimal timing, duration, frequency and quantity of FW releases into the Caloosahatchee River is lacking.
• Better communication between the resource managers and scientists in adjusting the FW flows to enhance and sustain oyster reefs in SW Florida estuaries is required.
• Ties in with the greater Everglades Restoration.
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ation
Why Oysters?Why Oysters?
• Life History is typical of other estuarine
organisms
• Sessile, easy to monitor
• Ecologically important
• Has a well established linkage to stressors
of management interest
• Important fishery in Gulf of Mexico
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t auth
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ation
Need for a new HSI model?Need for a new HSI model?
• Oysters are physiologically adapted to local
environment (latitude and local conditions).
• Model needs to be optimized based on local
conditions and important factors.
• Adaptive management – policy decisions
• Identification of areas of restoration potential
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withou
t auth
or au
thoriz
ation
Project ObjectiveProject Objective
• Identify key factors (stressors) responsible for
success or failure of oyster reefs.
• Develop a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI)
model for oysters using Caloosahatchee estuary
as a model system.
• Portray spatially and temporally, each stressor
metric in the Caloosahatchee estuary and
incorporate it into a GIS to facilitate policy
decisions. Do n
ot dis
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Study SiteStudy Site
Courtesy: SFWMD
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t auth
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ation
MethodsMethods
• Salinity, temperature, DO from sampling events
and continuous data recorders
• Flow Data from South Florida Water
Management District (in cubic feet per second )
• Perkinsus marinus infection prevalence and
intensity, juvenile growth, spat recruitment,
gonadal condition, and substrate maps.
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t auth
or au
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ation
Current StudyCurrent Study
• Larval Component Index
• Presence of suitable cultch material
• Appropriate salinity mean
• Presence of other oysters/Spat recruitment
• Adult Component Index.
• Density of adult living oysters
• Historic mean water salinity
• Frequency of killing floods
• Mean intensity of disease, Perkinsus marinus.Do not