This working group will assess the social and ecological trade-offs associated with using aquaculture to support the conservation of: 1) marine foundation species at the global scale, comparing the culturing of coral and oyster species for restoration worldwide, and 2) Olympia oysters at the local scale, assessing the potential for expanding aquaculture to support restoration efforts for the native oyster species on the West Coast. The team will develop tools with decision-makers, commercial growers, tribal communities, and conservation organizations that can be customized for regional use and yet are applicable to other systems.
Our Approach: The team will use a global synthesis to review and analyze aquaculture as a conservation intervention for marine foundation species, to address both human well-being and ecological uncertainty in coastal systems under climate change. Informed by the global assessment, they will combine data and expert knowledge from diverse stakeholders to develop tools to guide conservation aquaculture for Olympia oysters, integrating recommendations for the genetically responsible, ecosystem level management of the species.
This team is part of a cohort funded by the generosity of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to address the theme of Oceans, Climate and Equity.
This blog article published in TNC’s Cool Green Science blog relays the research questions that motivated the Conservation Aquaculture working group, and some of the group’s key takeaways.
This article identifies 12 benefits of culturing Olympia oysters, including identifying climate-resilient phenotypes that add diversity to growers’ portfolios. Additionally, the research identifies 11 key risks of culturing Olympia oysters, and 10 priority estuaries where aquaculture is most likely to benefit Olympia oyster recovery.
University of California, Davis
Science for Nature and People Partnership / National Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
Global Aquaculture, The Nature Conservancy
Sound Fresh Clams and Oysters
SECORE International
Coral Reef Alliance
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Hog Island Oyster Co.
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), University of California, Santa Barbara
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Global Reefs, The Nature Conservancy
University of Miami
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
SECORE International
University of Queensland
Puget Sound Restoration Fund
Chelsea Farms
Caribbean Division, The Nature Conservancy
University of Rhode Island
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
University of Massachusetts
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
California State University, Fullerton
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Suquamish Tribe Fisheries
University of California, Santa Cruz
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians