NJCWRP Oyster Upweller Presentation REV190930

Protecting Shooting Island Through the Enhancement of Shellfish Habitat THE BAYSIDE CENTER Educational / Community Facility SHOOTING ISLAND NJ Wildlife Mgmt Area Shooting Island Wetland Restoration Project Partners U.S Army Corps of Engineers National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Grant Sponsor) City of Ocean City (Owner) New Jersey Dept of Environmental Protection ACT Engineers (Program Manager) Anchor QEA (Design Engineer) • Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant Program • Project Goals • Wetlands restoration for both flood protection & wildlife habitat • Mitigate future storm impacts ❖Charter Contracting Co - November 2018 - March 2019 ❖2,700’ rock sill living shoreline at historic shoreline ❖1,450’ of habitat block reef living shoreline ❖Completed on time and under budget The City of Ocean City proposes installation of an upweller tank for cultivation of ribbed mussels and placement at the 150-acre Shooting Island wetland restoration site Ribbed mussels, Geukensia demissa, tolerant of wide range of temperature and salinities, is receiving increased attention for NJ aquaculture Potential for reducing “ creek-bank erosion in tidal marshes because of its strong network of byssal threads Invertebrate reef systems can absorb 76% to 93% of wave energy, which reduces erosion, flooding, and damage from coastal storms NOAA estimates a 400 SF area of mussels can clean an average of 3M gallons of water & remove about 350 lbs of particulate matter, daily Alternative to using edible oysters, eliminating public health concerns Native to the East Coast so no invasive species concerns Ribbed mussels are not sold commercially, so whatever they eat will not be eaten by humans.” Natural filtering abilities improve water quality Mussels filter bacteria, microalgae, nutrients and contaminants Mussel Life Cycle 10 Bay Water Upweller Tank Mussels or larvae 11 Discharge to Bay Bayside Center Ribbed Mussel UPWELLER Bay Grow Mussels in a Controlled/Protected Environment Shooting Island Restoration—Phase Introduce Mussels to Shooting Island Initial Ribbed Mussel application to study placement methods Shooting Island Restoration—Phase - Monitor the Results Wave Energy Attenuation 12 Ribbed Mussel application to enhance living shoreline Stabilization and Erosion Control Water Quality 13 • Offer volunteer opportunities • Teach visitors, campers, students through educational signage • Provide opportunities for school district to use the upweller as an ‘outdoor classroom’ 14 Activities & education facility operated by Ocean City and used extensively by the school district, marine science camps and community groups Bayside Center 520 Bay Avenue Ocean City NJ 08226 15 The reef project: • Builds upon an ongoing wetland restoration project • Offers additional educational opportunity through community participation, local school curriculum, marine science camps and educational signage 16 • Ocean City High School: • • • • • • Physics, Chemistry & Biology (CP, Honors, AP) AP Biology (Stockton University dual program ) AP Environmental Science Advanced Oceanography Intro to and Principles of Engineering Design (Rowan University dual program) Clubs – Environmental; Science; Ecology; Sea; Aquaponics • High school students can help raise, feed and place the mussels on Shooting Island • Existing tanks and marine biology lab at The Bayside Center 17 18 Utilizing local volunteers, community groups, marine science camps and Ocean City School District • Reef areal dimensions and height • Erosion / edge stability • Coverage, inventory and species diversity • Practical applications 19 Frank Donato III Director of Financial Management, CFO Emergency Management Coordinator fdonato@ocnj.us 20 Junetta Dix – jdix@actengineers.com Tricia Rosina – trosina@actengineers.com Curt A Nath Director of Academic Services Ocean City Public School District cnath@ocsdnj.org ... nutrients and contaminants Mussel Life Cycle 10 Bay Water Upweller Tank Mussels or larvae 11 Discharge to Bay Bayside Center Ribbed Mussel UPWELLER Bay Grow Mussels in a Controlled/Protected Environment... gallons of water & remove about 350 lbs of particulate matter, daily Alternative to using edible oysters, eliminating public health concerns Native to the East Coast so no invasive species concerns... shoreline ❖Completed on time and under budget The City of Ocean City proposes installation of an upweller tank for cultivation of ribbed mussels and placement at the 150-acre Shooting Island wetland