Evaluation of Olympia Oyster (Ostrea luridaCarpenter 1864) Status and Restoration Techniques in Puget Sound, Washington, United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Olympia oyster of Washington State, USA (Ostrea lurida†) was heavily exploited (1850 to 1940), declined dramatically, and has subsequently failed to recover, although it still supports small aquaculture operations. This paper documents the distribution and abundance of O. lurida in one of the last remaining locations where it forms extensive beds: the North Bay Oyster Reserve in south Puget Sound. We monitored recruitment every 2 wk between May and September 2004 and found a small recruitment peak in late July, which was much later than reported for these oysters when they were abundant throughout Puget Sound. We also experimentally tested two factors that could influence recovery: tidal elevation and substrate type. We established 1 m2 plots at three tidal elevations (-0.3, 0, +0.3 m MLLW) with six substrates: bare, gravel, crushed shell of Crassostrea gigas (Pacific oyster), whole C. gigas shell, whole shell of O. lurida, and live O. lurida. The plots were set up May 21, 2004 and measured f...