Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences reached during the 3-year duration of this project consisted of individuals interested in agriculture and aquaculture in New Hampshire, including farmers, managers, elected officials, UNH students and colleagues, and interested citizens. During 2014/15, I gave lectures dealing with oyster farming and the present project to two undergraduate classes at UNH: MEFB 401, Freshman Seminar (10/8/14; 25 students) and ZOOL 610, Principles of Aquaculture (4/9/15; 15 students). During 2015/16, I made oral presentations at the Annual Meeting of the Strafford County Conservation District (August 25, 2016; approximately 40 attendees) and the annual Twilight Tours of Kingman Farm at UNH (September 28, 2016; approximately 50 attendees). I also gave two oyster farm tours for chefs from Florida visiting New Hampshire, and a local shellfish wholesale dealer (July, 2016; approximately 12 attendees). During 2016/17 I presented public lectures dealing with the project at three events: UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering Seminar Series (April 5, 2017; approximately 100 attendees); Newington Library (May 9, 2017; approximately 30 attendees); Jackson Estuarine Laboratory visit by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (August, 2017; approximately 12 attendees). Changes/Problems:The only major change was related to not fully accomplishing Objective 4 (producing a NH oyster grower's manual). This objective has been incorporated into an ongoing NH Sea Grant project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Several opportunities for personal training and development were accomplished during the project. Two new farmers were advised on selecting additional sites for licensing, potential grow-out options, and miscellaneous economic aspects of oyster farming. Another involved meeting with three prospective farmers to discuss farming issues in New Hampshire in general. Two additional potential farmers (one an intern on a NH farm) were advised on the site selection process. Finally, one graduate student was advised on the design and execution of field experiments on the habitat quality of oyster farm gear compared to other natural estuarine habitats. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?My technician (supported by this project) and I attended two community events and disseminated information dealing with the research supported by this project. The festival, "Durham Day," was held on 9/26/2015 and provided an opportunity to present the benefits of oyster farming and our research to approximately 50 members of the local community. The second was an oyster event at a local restaurant (Robert's Maine Grille 'media day' on October 6, 2015; approximately 50 attendees. A third event involved presenting information to one of our Senators (Jeanne Shaheen; August, 2017; approximately 12 attendees) and other attending an informational day at UNH's Jackson Estuarine Laboratory. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project overall was designed to enhance the newly emerging oyster aquaculture industry in New Hampshire by focusing on methods to increase farm production. Oyster farmers are the major group that will benefit, but the research will also be useful to others involved in management and wise use of our coastal and estuarine resources. The following were the major objectives with accomplishments of the project. Quantify the effects of variations in major gear types and deployment methods on oyster growth. Experiments were completed on five major topics during the project. (1) Two experiments were completed on the effects of distance above the bottom on growth and mortality rates of oysters held in mesh bags in racks, the most common gear type in NH. One indicated no significant differences in either oyster metric related to bag height, the second indicated a marginal but complicated effect possibly related to environmental conditions. (2) Two experiments were conducted on how 'wet storage' methods might be developed to produce quality oysters during the winter. Neither experiment yielded data indicating the existing methods could be readily improved upon. (3) One experiment was completed on how predation by crabs is related to oyster size in order to better design 'bottom seeding' practices. The major result was that oysters >1.5 inches in shell height would likely have high survival rates. (4) and (5) Additionally, experiments on how oyster racks compare to bottom trays, and how stocking density affects growth of oysters held in bags were completed in 2017; the data from both are still be analyzed. 2. Assess gear types and methods that oyster farmers in the region currently use from the perspective of possible standardization on NH farms. Most of the oyster farmers in the state were interviewed and several farms were visited during the project in order to determine what methods are currently being used in New Hampshire. A wide range of harvest methods are being used, in part due to the wide range of water depths and bottom types (from mud to cobble) on the farm sites. Most farmers use some type of "rack and bag" deployment, but other methods are being assessed. There appeared to be a major move towards "bottom seeding" (distributing oysters onto the bottom for final grow-out) by many farmers because it is thought that the result is improved quality over other methods. The project overall resulted in a better understanding of the diversity of farming methods currently being used, and with potential for being used, on the state's oyster farms. 3. Assess the potential impacts of emerging issues such as microbial pathogens (e.g. Vibrio spp.), and develop effective responses. Oysters were provided to the NH Department of Environmental Services for two of the project's 3-year duration for studies on Vibrio spp. (microbial pathogen that can cause human illness). The overall aim of these studies was to provide information on how oyster farmers might to do the minimize public health risks. 4.Produce and disseminate a "grower's manual" for NH oyster farmers. This objective was only partially met during the project. Existing manuals from other areas and other relevant documents were collected and assessed, and a NH grower's manual that will be based on the final results of the experiments and other components of the project is in the planning stages. OVERALL IMPACTS: This project contributed to the ongoing growth of the oyster farming industry in New Hampshire by providing new knowledge on how different farming methods compare with respect to oyster growth and mortality. This information has been transmitted in part to oyster farmers, and will be widely disseminated after the oyster farmers "grower's manual" is completed. Information on oyster farming in the state was also communicated to a wide variety of interested individuals.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Grizzle, R.E., K.M. Ward, C.R. Peter, M. Cantwell, D. Katz, and J. Sullivan. 2016. Growth, morphometrics, and nutrient content of farmed eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin), in New Hampshire, USA. Aquaculture Research 2016:1-13. Doi:10.1111/are.12988.
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences reached during the reporting period consisted of individuals interested in agriculture and aquaculture in New Hampshire, including farmers, managers, and interested citizens. I made oral presentations at the Annual Meeting of the Strafford County Conservation District (August 25, 2016; approximately 40 attendees) and the annual Twilight Tours of Kingman Farm at UNH (September 28, 2016; approximately 50 attendees). I also gave two oyster farm tours for chefs from Florida visiting New Hampshire and a local shellfish wholesale dealer (July, 2016; approximately 12 attendees). ? Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One opportunity for one-on-one mentorship was accomplished during the reporting period, and involved advising a new farmer on site selection, grow-out options, and economic aspects of oyster farming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the reporting period, my technician (supported by this project) and I attended one community festival (Robert's Maine Grille 'media day' on October 6, 2015; approximately 50 attendees), and disseminated information dealing with the research supported by this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Next year will the final year of the project. The ongoing growth experiments will be concluded, and a draft of the oyster grower's manual will be completed. Additional outreach efforts involving guest lectures at UNH, as well as public outreach events will also be conducted. Finally, at least one workshop will likely be attended dealing with farming methods for managing Vibrio issues.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is aimed in the long-term at enhancing the newly emerging oyster aquaculture industry in New Hampshire by focusing on methods to increase farm production. Oyster farmers are the major group that will benefit, but the research will also be useful to others involved in management and wise use of our coastal and estuarine resources. The following are the major objectives of the project. All four major objectives were addressed during the reporting period. 1. Quantify the effects of variations in major gear types and deployment methods on oyster growth. An experiment on the effects of distance above the bottom on growth rates of oysters held in mesh bags in racks was initiated during the reporting period. It is designed to be a long-term experiment with repeated measures of growth taken periodically. Data analysis from the first measurement period is still in progress. 2. Assess gear types and methods that oyster farmers in the region currently use from the perspective of possible standardization on NH farms. As in past years, several oyster farmers were interviewed and farms visited during the reporting period in order to determine what methods are currently being used in New Hampshire. A wide range of harvest methods are being used, probably due to the wide range of bottom types (from mud to cobble) on the farm sites. Most farmers seem to have settled on some type of "rack and bag" deployment, but other methods are being used and assessed. These surveys will be concluded in the next reporting period. 3. Assess the potential impacts of emerging issues such as microbial pathogens (e.g. Vibrio spp.), and develop effective responses. As in the previous reporting period, oysters were provided to the NH Department of Environmental Services for an experiment on Vibrio spp. (microbial pathogen that can cause human illness). The long-term aim of this experiment and others being planned is to develop policy dealing with handling oysters after harvest so that public health risks are minimized. 4. Produce and disseminate a "grower's manual" for NH oyster farmers. Existing manuals from other areas and other relevant documents were collected and preliminarily assessed during the reporting period.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Grizzle, R.E., K.M. Ward, C.R. Peter, M. Cantwell, D. Katz, and J. Sullivan. 2016. Growth, morphometrics, and nutrient content of farmed eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin), in New Hampshire, USA. Aquaculture Research 2016:1-13. Doi:10.1111/are.12988.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:I provided lectures dealing with oyster farming and the present project to two undergraduate classes at UNH: MEFB 401, Freshman Seminar (10/8/14; 25 students) and ZOOL 610, Principles of Aquaculture (4/9/15; 15 students). I also conducted personal interviews with three oyster farmers on their farms to discuss various topics including gear deployment methods, harvesting methods, environmental impacts of oyster farming, and marketing approaches. Finally, I spoke with two prospective oyster farmers about various aspects of oyster farming in New Hampshire, including research being conducted by my laboratory. Changes/Problems:No major problems or changes in study design were encountered during the reporting period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two opportunities for one-on-one mentorships were accomplished during the reporting period. One involved a new farmer working several days on an existing farm, and the second involved advising a potential farmer on site selection for a new farm. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the reporting period, my technician (supported by this project) and I attended one community festival and disseminated information dealing with the research supported by this project. The festival, "Durham Day," was held on 9/26/2015 and provided an opportunity to present the benefits of oyster farming and our research to approximately 50 members of the local community. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In addition to the planned experiment on wet storage methods described above (see Accomplishments), experiments are also being designed to quantify the effects of different grow-out bags on water flow and food fluxes, and to determine what combinations of environmental conditions determine maximum oyster growth rates in upwellers used to produce 'seed' oysters. It is also anticipated that Objective 3 (address emerging issues) will be addressed by attendance at one or more workshops being planned by the NH Department of Environmental Services on farm methods for managing Vibrio issues.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is aimed in the long-term at enhancing the newly emerging oyster aquaculture industry in New Hampshire by focusing on methods to increase farm production. Oyster farmers are the major group that will benefit, but the research will also be useful to others involved in management and wise use of our coastal and estuarine resources. The following objectives were addressed during the reporting period. Quantify the effects of variations in major gear types and deployment methods on oyster growth. One experiment on 'wet storage' methods was conducted with the objective of characterizing the effects of winter storage under laboratory conditions that mimic the estuary on oyster condition. The major intent was to determine if the seawater facilities at Jackson Estuarine Laboratory would be suitable for such experiments without major modifications. The expected level of oyster condition deterioration was observed, and no problems were found with the facilities. This experiment will be followed in year 2 with an experiment aimed at maintaining oyster condition typical of fall during winter wet storage. The long-term goal would be to economically produce a high quality oyster for the winter market, thus increasing overall production as well as potentially taking more oysters to market during their second year and avoiding the substantial mortality expected during year 3. Assess gear types and methods that oyster farmers in the region currently use from the perspective of possible standardization on NH farms. Several oyster farmers were interviewed during the reporting period in order to determine what methods are currently being used in New Hampshire, focusing on harvesting of 'bottom seeded' oysters, because bottom seeding has become the preferred method in the state for final grow-out. A wide range of harvest methods are being used, probably due to the wide range of bottom types (from mud to cobble) on the farm sites. Trials will be conducted during year 2 on different dredge and bottom rake types. Assess the potential impacts of emerging issues such as microbial pathogens (e.g. Vibrio spp.), and develop effective responses. Oysters were provided to the NH Department of Environmental Services for an experiment on Vibrio spp. (microbial pathogen that can cause human illness). The long-term aim of this experiment and others being planned is to develop policy dealing with handling oysters after harvest so that public health risks are minimized.
Publications
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