A Future for Native Oysters along the Pacific Coast

The Takeaway: Data and tools from three West Coast research reserves allow officials to choose restoration “sweet spots” for bringing back declining oyster grounds. READ MORE

Native oysters are in decline along the Pacific Coast. A team led by the Elkhorn Slough and San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves investigated the causes, including impacts from climate change. With this information, the team developed science-based planning tools that officials are using to select restoration “sweet spots.” The project spurred a citizen science program that involves local high schools undertaking long-term monitoring of water quality and oyster populations. The California Coastal Conservancy, the state’s coastal zone management program, took part in this interdisciplinary project, which was supported by a Science Collaborative grant from NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve.

More Information: www.oysters-and-climate.org

Partners: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, San Francisco Bay Reserve, San Francisco State University’s Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, State of California Coastal Conservancy, University of California Davis’ Bodega Marine Laboratory