**Author details**

**Criteria Delaware Inland Bays, DE Apalachicola Bay, FL**

• Many users of the watershed requiring frequent

oyster aquaculture sites are expected.

• Potential for clam aquaculture

• Frequent conflict resolution delaying implementation

**Table 3.** Comparison of two estuaries with differences in water quality, anthropogenic impacts, and management goals.

are we having a comprehensive plan? Either it is re-introduced to the area in the case of the Delaware Inland Bays or naturally occurring in Apalachicola Bay, oysters provide ecosystem services long proven and sustainability of these ecosystems lies on the comprehensive and integrated ecosystem planning and assessment. Although integrated ecosystem assessment plan is not available for the Delaware Inland Bays with promising nutrient reduction and waterway improvement initiatives with leadership of the Center for Inland Bays, there are few applied for Apalachicola Bay that provides foundation for assessing the merging needs

Whether aquaculture is used for revitalizing habitat or restoring native species or human consumption, there are big variation the way each operate. Growing demand for fresh seafood has prompted a long-term viable and sustainable aquaculture industry worldwide. With wild capture fisheries exceeding the maximum sustainable harvest capacity, aquaculture has become a bridge in closing the gap between rising demand and seafood sources. By 2011, farmed seafood accounts over 50% of overall production in the global marketplace [82]. As stated clearly by Shumway et al. [83] "Shellfish are one of the best candidates for ecologically sustainable aquaculture. Farming of shellfish not only provides a high quality, high value, sustainable harvest from the ocean, it also provides jobs and social and economic development, all while providing tangible benefits to the marine environment. A productive shellfish farm means a healthy and

equally productive surrounding environment let's give the lowly molluscs their due!"

Restoring oyster population requires further elevation aquaculture has and will enhance the ecosystem health of both watershed discussed in this chapter. Either, we cease wild harvesting or we provide the push to enhance the population and in case of oysters, we are hopeful "aquaculture" will provide both environmental and economical stability in those bays.

Projects discussed in this chapter are funded by USDA Evans-Allen Grants DELXDSUGO2015, 2016- DELX12345, USDA-NIFA 2013-38821-21246, NSF-EPSCOR Grant Number IIA-1301765,

• Long-term management plan focusing on limiting

• Increased oyster culture • Potential for mussel aquaculture

harvesting

Management Practices • Short-term management practices primarily on nutrient reduction

accommodations

Opportunities • Good oyster growth and survival at designated

plans

56 Aquaculture - Plants and Invertebrates

of the area from the ecosystem health perspectives?

and NOAA-ECSC Grant Number NA11SEC4810001.

**Acknowledgements**

Gulnihal Ozbay\* and Stacy L. Smith

\*Address all correspondence to: gozbay@desu.edu

Department Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA
