Turtle and South Brunswick River Test Plots

Five sites, a total of 0.018 acres, were selected along the Turtle and South Brunswick River Estuary for test plot deployments. The goal of the project was to construct 60 foot long by 30 foot wide test plot habitats, with materials suitable for larval oyster settlement, adjacent to vegetative edge areas along intertidal shorelines to encourage reef formation.

Strategy

Test plots were deployed in early spring, a minimum of 12 months prior to restoration activities. Materials included bags of recycled oyster shell placed on top of wooden pallets, bamboo spat sticks and oyster balls. Site sedimentation rates, larval recruitment and material types were assessed per site to determine the viability of each test plot.

Results

Monitoring was conducted in July and October of 2014 to determine whether sites were larval-limited or if other factors affected recruitment success. Optimal larval recruitment areas and cultch types were determined by monitoring recruitment variations in relation to material type, distance from marsh edge and distance from mean low water. Results from each test plot assessment were used to identify areas that may be appropriate for future restoration.