DNR Continues Restoration Efforts
in Harness Creek, South River with the addition of 0.41 million oyster spat to
existing reef from the Oyster Recovery Partnership
September 2005 - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Resource Assessment Service is working to restore native oysters and bay grasses
to Harness Creek on the South River in partnership with the Oyster Recovery
Partnership, South River Federation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Bay
Trust, NOAA, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
 Oyster reefs and bay grasses are the two most important habitats in the
Chesapeake Bay. Bay grasses (also known as submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV)
provide important habitats for young fish and crabs, serve as food for
waterfowl, help protect shorelines from erosion, keep water clear, consume
excess nutrients, and add oxygen to the water. In addition to providing all of
the same ecosystem services as bay grass beds, oyster reefs also filter algae
and sediments from the water column. Reduced light penetration, due to algae and
sediment clouding the water column, is a major cause of decline in bay grass
populations.
It is thought that if the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Goals set forth in
the Chesapeake Agreement (2000) are met, increased numbers of oysters could
remove enough suspended material from the water column to increase light
penetration to the bottom, a critical step for bay grass survival and
resurgence. The Harness Creek project is investigating the effectiveness of
native oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in improving water quality specifically
to support bay grass restoration, growth and survival.
In 2003, a small oyster reef (0.2 acres) was constructed across the mouth of a
small cove in Harness Creek with 3,000 bushels of oyster shells and seeded with
875 bushels of native oysters. Maryland DNR began monitoring water quality
conditions in Harness Creek in 2003 and is currently tracking improvements in
water quality as a direct result of the oysters, relative to the habitat
requirements of bay grasses for future bay grass transplants. The second year of
oyster monitoring was completed in September 2005. Maryland DNR staff assessed
overall oyster health, specifically survival, growth and presence of disease
(MSX and Dermo). In early October 2005, Maryland DNR supervised the addition of
0.41 million oyster spat, provided by the Oyster Recovery Partnership, to the
existing reef. Once the enlarged oyster reef provides significant increases in
water quality, bay grass restoration plantings will take place inshore of the
oyster reef. Learn more.
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