Aquaculture Environment Interactions
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00497
copiedEstuarine community response to longline spacing in intertidal oyster culture
ABSTRACT:
Structures on which oysters are cultured can have negative effects on other habitats such as seagrass. Intertidal longlines hold clusters of oysters above the sediment surface but may influence the light, hydrodynamics, or desiccation environment for eelgrass Zostera marina, a protected species. In this large-scale experiment, density and spacing of longlines were altered to evaluate responses by eelgrass, other trophic groups, and oyster size. At 2 sites in Willapa Bay, Washington (USA), blocks of longlines were set up across a gradient of longline density (0-1.25 lines m-1). Separately, with overall longline density held constant, the arrangement was changed to move some closer together (packing), creating regular wider aisles (0.9-2.5 m). Over the 2 yr crop cycle, eelgrass density was negatively related to longline density. However, packing allowed the same density of oysters to be cultured while wider aisles maintained more eelgrass. Even though packing placed some oysters at high density, it did not reduce oyster shell height or condition index after 2 yr. Epiphyte load, epifaunal load, and epifaunal community structure did not differ with longline density, and only epifaunal load increased with aisle width. For mobile species of fish and decapods, abundance and community structure were not affected by longline density or packing. Strong site and season differences occurred in all trophic groups. Weaker effects of longline spacing choices on other trophic groups than on eelgrass should be interpreted cautiously due to few true replicates in this large-scale experiment. Nevertheless, the outcome shows how oyster grow-out choices may reduce environmental effects.
KEYWORDS
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S Garcia (Corresponding Author)
mariagrc@uw.edu
Katie Houle (Co-author)
Andrew Suhrbier (Co-author)
Bobbi Hudson (Co-author)
Handling Editor:
Catriona MacLeod, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Reviewers:
2 anonymous referees
Acknowledgements:
We appreciate field assistance from James Fitzpatrick, Kalloway Page, and Brianna Smith. Aerial images were provided by Confluence Environmental (Phil Bloch and Kelly McDonald). Site access, gear, and seeded cultch were provided by Taylor Shellfish and Pacific Shellfish. Zachary Forster at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife allowed us to process oysters at the Willapa Bay Field Station. The research was carried out under permits from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (22-335) and University of Washington Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (3363-02) and did not result in the take of listed species (NOAA APPS 20047-2R). This publication was prepared under Pacific Shellfish Institute (grant no. 20-31G) with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (award no. NA18NMF4720007).