Lipcius, R.N., Burke, R.P., McCulloch, D.N., Schreiber, S.J., Schulte, D.M., Seitz, R.D., Shen, J., 2015. Overcoming restoration paradigms: Value of the historical record and metapopulation dynamics in native oyster restoration. Frontiers in Marine Science 2, 65.

Theuerkauf, S.J., Puckett, B.J., Eggleston, D.B., 2021. Metapopulation dynamics of oysters: sources, sinks, and implications for conservation and restoration. Ecosphere 12, e03573.

Program Description/Objective: The objective of this investigation is to perform hydrodynamic modeling of the region with a linked oyster larval model in order to assess oyster larval transport and metapopulation dynamics in the region and inform a restoration plan for the Herring Bay Sanctuary. Source and sink reefs should be identified, as well as reefs that auto-recruit sufficiently to be self-sustaining on their own. If possible, indicate, based on oyster biology, how large a particular source area should be to augment regional recruitment to a detectable level. Restoration in Herring Bay has the potential to be very expansive. Understanding the larval connections within and to Herring Bay will enable a multi-phase restoration plan to be developed. An additional objective is to understand from where larvae are transported to Herring Bay, thereby developing connectivity to other oyster restoration efforts as well as adjacent harvest grounds.

Public Benefit: Undertaking a large-scale ecosystem restoration project in the open, mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay is a new approach compared with past efforts that focused on retentive tributary systems. Determining how to implement mainstem restoration efforts could serve as a model for restoration in other regions. 

The societal benefits from restoring functioning oyster reef habitat are numerous. Oysters are a keystone species in Chesapeake Bay providing unique hard habitat to reef-dwelling and reef- associated species. Once estimated to able to filter the entire volume of Bay water in approximately three days, the present population, being severely depleted, takes over a year to perform this ecological service. Restored reef are expected to improve water quality by restoring filtering capacity and increasing denitrification rates and water clarity. In addition to providing oyster habitat, the restored reefs will improve local production of commercially and recreationally valuable fished species, such as blue crabs. Further, oyster reefs stabilize sediment to improve water clarity. Understanding larval connections to adjacent areas could provide benefits to wild harvest areas.

The results of this study shall also be published in a peer-review journal in collaboration with Baltimore District personnel, to provide the information gathered in the proposed study to the wider scientific community.