**5. Conclusion**

**Figure 13.** Oysters catch per unit effort and average price per pound of oysters (*Data from Florida Fish and Wildlife* 

Bay has remained relatively unaffected, with the exception of tar balls washing ashore and some oil sheens. To enhance oyster landings after the spill, the state of Florida opened a 7-day-per-week oyster harvest at both the summer and winter harvesting grounds during June–August 2010; however, preliminary commercial landings reports suggest that Franklin County's 2010 oyster harvest was the lowest in 5 years, although landings from 2007 and 2009 were the highest in 20 years. Furthermore, the annual 2010 landings rate (pounds/trip) was the lowest since 1991 (**Figure 13**). This drop in oyster production and the over-tapping of the winter oyster beds translated into lost revenue, which reverberated throughout the Florida seafood and restaurant. The oyster fishery has not rebounded since 2011 and prices have increased (**Figure 13**). University of Florida researchers developed a population model to determine whether harvest of sub-legal oysters contributed to the crash in the Apalachicola Bay fishery while they found an increase in natural mortality

Since natural oyster populations have been unable to keep up with demand let alone sustainable historic stocks, aquaculture has become an essential part of restoration and stock enhancement efforts. According to the California Aquaculture Association [79], the top U.S. marine aquaculture species was oysters. In 2015, U.S. shellfish farmers produced 15,876 metric tons of oysters at \$173 million market value [80]. According to Stewart [81], the farmed oyster production grew by 806% between 2006 and 2012 in Chesapeake Bay. Rheault (Executive Director of East Coast Shellfish Association) in Stewart's report stated that the east coast shellfish production for oysters has doubled in 5 years at a steady rate of 12% per year. With \$2 a pop on U.S. restaurant menus, associated demand for oysters are making oyster farming vital

*Conservation Commission http://myfwc.com/, Figure by Smith (unpublished)).*

[39, 78].

player in the United States.

54 Aquaculture - Plants and Invertebrates

Here we discussed two different estuary systems with differences in ecosystem management goals and plans with different ecosystem indicators (TSS and turbidity in Delaware Inland Bays versus salinity in Apalachicola Bay), however both estuaries have few common issues mainly due to increase population and population driven activities (*see* **Table 3**). These issues include frequent eutrophication events, increase pollutants via storm water runoff, agricultural or residential areas, overfishing and habitat alterations. Both estuary systems have some indicators different from each other such as coral reefs and essential fish habitat for Apalachicola Bay versus essential fish habitat or areas that will be open to shellfish harvesting for the Delaware Inland Bays. Major alterations and changes to those fragile ecosystems are mainly due to anthropogenic activities and management goals for both estuaries should be to minimize further changes and mitigate areas already altered.

Although decision and management strategies will be different, each estuary system or watershed, depending on the critical areas of concerns and related activities, solution is dependent upon how we plan our next action. Are we setting our goal for too short term or



**Author details**

**References**

1989. p. 16

1994;**111**:29-39

Delaware. 1993

Gulnihal Ozbay\* and Stacy L. Smith

Agency, Region III; 1994. p. 119

Connections. 2005;**5**(2):1-4

USA. Journal of Shellfish Research. 2000;**19**:467-472

College of William and Mary; 1999. p. 24

on disease. Journal of Shellfish Research. 1996;**15**:177-183

Delaware State University: Dover, Delaware, USA; 2009. 203 pp

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

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

Are Aquaculture Practices Sustaining Our Goal to Restore Oysters (*Crassostrea virginica*)?

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.78989

57

[1] Chaillou JC, Weisberg SB, Kutz FW, DeMoss TE, Mangiaracina L, Magnien R, Eskin R, Maxted J, Price K, Summers JK. Assessment of the Ecological Condition of the Delaware and Maryland Coastal Bays. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: U.S. Environmental Protection

[2] Zimmerman RJ, Minello TJ, Baumer MC, Castiglione M. Oyster Reef as Habitat for Estuarine Macrofauna. Galveston, TX: NOAA Technical Memorandum, NMFS-SEFC-249;

[3] Newell RIE. Ecosystem influences of natural and cultivated populations of suspensionfeeding bivalve mollusks: A review. Journal of Shellfish Research. 2004;**23**:51-61

[4] Takacs R, King J, Jasinski P. Oyster restoration on the east and gulf coasts. NOAA Habitat

[5] Brumbaugh RD, Sorabella LA, Oliveras Garcia C, Goldsborough WJ, Wesson JA. Making a case for community-based oyster restoration: An example from Hampton roads, Virginia,

[6] Kennedy VS. The ecological role of the eastern oyster, *Crassostrea virginica*, with remarks

[7] Rothschild BJ, Ault JS, Goulletquer P, Heral M. Decline of the Chesapeake Bay oyster population: A century of habitat destruction and overfishing. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

[8] Marenghi FP. Floating oyster (*Crassostrea virginica*) aquaculture as habitat for fishes and macroinvertebrates in Delaware's Inland Bays. Master's Thesis in Natural Resources.

[9] Goldsborough W, Meritt D. Oyster Gardening for Restoration and Education. Maryland Sea Grant College Program. College Park, Maryland: Oyster Alliance; 2001. p. 12 [10] Luckenbach MW, O'Beirn FX, Taylor J. An Introduction to Culturing Oysters in Virginia. Gloucester Point, Virginia: School of Marine Science Virginia Institute of Marine Science

[11] Delaware Inland Bays Estuary Program Report (DIBEP). Science and Technical Advisory Committee, Delaware Inland Bays Estuary Program Characterization Summary. Dover,

**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 of the area from the ecosystem health perspectives?

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.
