Chesapeake Bay News

State, regional and University leaders dedicated a new $11 million Oyster Setting Facility at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Horn Point Laboratory. Once fully operational, this new facility will more than double the laboratory’s annual production of oyster spat for Chesapeake Bay restoration, setting the stage for a significant expansion of the State’s aquaculture and environmental restoration programs.

When fully operational, the new facility should allow the Horn Point Laboratory Shellfish Cultivation Program to produce up to two billion spat-on-shell for Chesapeake Bay restoration. In a decade’s time, scientific advancements and the adoption of new technologies have expanded annual production from 50 million to a record 750 million oyster spat in 2009. This new facility sets the stage for much greater advancements.

The new Oyster Setting Facility improves the efficiency of the oyster hatchery by allowing researchers to more easily “set” hatchery-reared larval oysters on oyster shells for transplanting in the Bay. By minimizing the number of times the spat on shell need to be handled, reducing pumping costs, and providing better quality water from the Choptank River to the tanks, production of seed oysters will improve and should result in more cost effective production.

“When combined with pioneering techniques that have increased the percentage of spat that successfully set, UMCES and its partners hope to bring oyster restoration efforts to the next level,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Dr. Michael Roman. “By working with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, Federal sponsors and others that share the goal of restoring healthy oyster populations to Chesapeake Bay, our work will lead to greater ecological and economic benefits to the State.”

Constructed by Cianbro Corporation under the direction of the Maryland Department of General Services, the pier measures approximately 300 feet long by 70 feet wide and utilizes reinforced concrete decking to hold fifty-two 12 feet diameter by 4.5 feet deep circular setting tanks. The mechanical area includes pumps capable of circulating 2,500 gallons of seawater per minute. This provides high quality water to support the growing oyster spat. A small wet lab allows scientists to monitor spat before they are deployed by vessels to restoration sites across Chesapeake Bay. The Shellfish Culture Facility at the Horn Point Laboratory contains the largest oyster hatchery on the East Coast and largest Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) hatchery in the world.

The goals and objectives of the shellfish culture program at the Horn Point Laboratory have evolved over the years to meet the needs of the Center’s mission and the crisis with our troubled oyster populations. Early efforts aimed at identifying oyster culture techniques appropriate for use in the Mid-Atlantic region successfully demonstrated the possibility of using hatcheries for restoration. UMCES has used innovative approaches to incorporate its oyster culture program into its mission of research, education and outreach.

By incorporating the research and production capabilities into a coordinated program that follows the oysters from spat to adult, we can better develop guidelines that allow the State of Maryland and our partners to conduct not just oyster restoration but “smart restoration.” By incorporating the concept of smart restoration – and at the same time promoting active partnerships – UMCES is ushering into a new and exciting era of oyster restoration.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is the University System of Maryland’s environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through five research centers – Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, and the Maryland Sea Grant College in College Park.

Maryland’s Task Force on Fisheries Management recently submitted its 2008 Legislative Report to Governor Martin O’Malley, members of the Maryland General Assembly, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin.

“Maryland’s diverse fishery resources are irreplaceable, often serving as the center of our local economies, culture and quality of life,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “We appreciate the many hours volunteered by the task force’s members to work with our fishery managers to improve the way we manage and protect fish resources across the state.”

The Task Force’s report offers more than 30 specific recommendations on habitat preservation and restoration, fisheries stock monitoring and assessment, data management, fishery management, legal issues, and enforcement.

“Enforcing fishing laws and regulations, and protecting and restoring habitat are critical issues facing fisheries conservation in Maryland,” said Task Force Chairman, Thomas B. Lewis. “Without quality habitat, other efforts to improve fisheries management and protection will be of limited value. Additionally, in order to successfully meet current and future fisheries management challenges, stronger enforcement – on the ground, in the water, and in the courts is desperately needed. Without enforcement, even the best fishery management plans are doomed to fail.”

Highlights of the Task Force’s recommendations include:

* Rebuilding DNR’s environmental review group and developing strategic, quantitative habitat criteria for state and local land use planners and permitting agencies to use in order to protect waterways and aquatic resources;

* Prioritizing fisheries stock monitoring activities, with citizen input and a continuing evolution toward multi-species and ecosystem-based monitoring;

* Centralizing biological, harvest and angler data to create a searchable, comprehensive database accessible to fisheries managers, habitat managers, and land use decision-makers;

* Expanding DNR’s legal authority to create management plans for additional species and increase public involvement in development and implementation of fisheries management plans;

* Updating and revising antiquated and inconsistent fisheries laws; and

* Establishing a permanent funding source for the Natural Resources Police to avoid future loss of personnel and fund critical equipment upgrade needs.

“Members of the task force, while representing divergent constituencies, came together with Fisheries Service professionals in a remarkable collaboration to evaluate Maryland’s fisheries management and find practical ways to improve and modernize the State’s efforts,” said Lewis. “We believe these proposed improvements will lead to increased citizen involvement, higher focus on habitat protection and restoration, and additional enforcement support to protect our fisheries. We are also glad to see that many of our recommendations are already being implemented by the Fisheries Service.”

During the 2009 session of the Maryland General Assembly, DNR expects to request legislation to implement some of the Task Force’s recommendations.

Governor O’Malley established the 17-member task force, comprised of scientists, recreational anglers, watermen, charter boat captains and conservationists, last November. The Fisheries Management Reform Act (Senate Bill 1012) charged the Task Force with developing new strategies to better manage Maryland’s valuable fishery resources.

For the full report, visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/taskforce/.

source: DNR press release

“R/V Miss Nancy” Will be Used by Middle School Students for Authentic Bay Investigations.

The christening of the “R/V Miss Nancy,” a 48-foot-long vessel that will be used by NorthBay Adventure Camp in North East, Md., to take classes of students out on the Chesapeake Bay where they will conduct authentic science investigations related to environmental restoration. The vessel will play a key role in NorthBay’s mission of changing children’s lives. The “R/V Miss Nancy” expands NorthBay’s commitment to giving students opportunities to participate authentic science investigations and get them reconnected to the natural world. NorthBay is now operating a full school year program, which makes the Christening of the “R/V Miss Nancy” a next logical expansion component. NorthBay’s mission is to challenge middle school students to realize that their attitudes and actions have a lasting impact on their future, the environment and the people around them by using approved Maryland Department of Education curriculum and the outdoors as an integrating context.

The ceremony occurs on Thursday, April 24, 2008, at 5:30 p.m., at NorthBay, 11 Horseshoe Point Lane, Northeast, MD 21901. John Erickson, chairman and CEO of Erickson Retirement Communities, and his wife Nancy – for whom the vessel is named – will officiate at the christening ceremony. Faculty from George Mason University who are conducting research at NorthBay on the use of technology to aid in connecting students to the environment will be present for the ceremony, as will Baltimore City Public Schools children. The research project will be conducted using Baltimore City Public School students piloting a 20-pound remote-controlled submarine. R/V MISS NANCY is a 48′ x 14′ twin 115hp vessel that has been USCG inspected for 49 (Seating for 44).

NorthBay was established in 2005 by The Erickson Foundation to establish educational opportunities for young people. Through its partnerships with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of Education, NorthBay hosts more than 10,000 middle school students each year. With a full-time staff of more than 100 professionals, NorthBay uses experiential education to instill confidence, knowledge, and leadership in young people and teach them that their actions have a lasting impact on the future. NorthBay is located on more than 97 acres at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River in Cecil County, Md.