A survey of marine communities in alternative culture method oysterand clam sites

摘要

The past two decades have seen a rapid expansion of alternative and innovative methods for the cultivation of oysters and hardshell clams; however, there is limited information on the interactions of these practices with the surrounding environment. As part of a larger project, multi-season sampling was conducted to 1) assess and compare benthic infauna and epifauna species diversity and density, across habitat types within culture and control sites; to 2) assess responses of infauna and epifauna to culture conditions; and to 3) monitor and compare selected macrofauna including juvenile salmon, shrimp and crabs, across habitat types. Methods evaluated included bag-on-rack, bag on bottom, and suspended bag culture of oysters and bag on bottom and net-protected ground culture of manila clams. Discussed will be the results of seasonal benthic collections, net deployments and underwater video footage at each survey site. Survey sites included commercial shellfish farms in Thorndyke Bay, Hood Canal and Eld Inlet, in South Puget Sound, Washington. This project was funded by the SeaGrant National Marine Aquaculture Initiative.