OYSTER GROWOUT RESEARCH Testing Alternate Gear. Raymond RaLonde Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program ASGA Meeting Nov.

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1 OYSTER GROWOUT RESEARCH Testing Alternate Gear Raymond RaLonde Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program ASGA Meeting Nov. 6-7, 2009

2 HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT ASGA meeting 2008 presentations Lentz system from Puget Sound Maine floating bag system Grant application to USDA Risk Management to conduct growout not funded Funding cobbled together $5,000 each from: Alaska Sea Grant MAP, Aquaculture program US Soil Conservation Service Commenced study in summer 2009

3 OYSTER GROWOUT PROJECT Goal: The purpose of this project is to test two farming methods on Alaskan farms, incorporating their application to existing farming practices. Lentz flip/flop system of intertidal bags Floating bag longline system Performed at four farms: Annette Island, Tokeen, Tenass Pass, Rocky Pass

4 OYSTER GROWOUT PROJECT Objectives: 1. Construct, maintain, evaluate, and modify if necessary the system design to suite site conditions. 2. Stock all gear on all sites with identical lot oyster seed from the Naukati Nursery. 3. Evaluate oyster growth from each trial method with a control (existing farm gear)

5 OYSTER GROWOUT PROJECT Objectives: 4. Check survival, growth, and condition of oysters: Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall Maintain records of expenses and labor used. 6. Write a summary document for publication. 7. Expand application?

6 CURRENT OYSTER FARMING

7 LABOR INTENSIVE Cleaning gear Tumbling Sorting Fouling

8 STUDY SITES

9 ORIGINAL SYSTEM DESIGNS

10 CONSTRUCTION COST 60 BAG LENTZ Fence $ Bags $ Freight $ ,000 seed $ Total cost $1, FLOATING BAGS Floating array $ Bags $ Freight $ ,000 seed $ Total cost $1,093.00

11 CONSTRUCTION ISSUES Design and operational problems Access to supplies Lentz Wrong gear shipment Fence post poles Floating bags Longline instead of array Float problems Malfunctions (both) Float problems Post problems Floating debris Strong currents

12 PRODUCTION ISSUES Problems and Resolution Problem 1. Seed planting time different for each site 2. Experimental design not followed consistently from site to site because of gear failure, logistics, and sample quality 3. Data quality variable 4. Not all gear types in all locations Resolution 1. Exact site to site comparison improbable 2. Not entirely resolved but we did gain significant information 3. Annette Island provided excellent data 4. Some site and techniques dropped

13 OYSTER SHAPES Wire Cage Lentz Floating bag

14 INITIAL & FINAL GROWTH DATA Tenass Pass Initial Tenass Pass (Date 10/3/09) Gear type Length Lantern net % confidence 2.12 Floating bag mean % confidence 1.25 Planted: 8/4/2009 (21 mm spat size) Growout time: 60 days Final (337 days) Tenass Pass (9/5/10) Gear Type Length Floating bag mean % confidence 3.48

15 INITIAL GROWTH DATA Annette Island Annette Island (Date: 11/7/09) Gear type Length Whole wt Wire cage mean % confidence Floating bag mean % confidence Lentz mean % confidence Beach longline % confidence Planted: 9/9/2009 (32 mm spat size) Growout time = 59 days

16 INITIAL GROWTH DATA Tokeen Tokeen ( Date:11/7/09) Gear type Length Whole wt Wire cage mean % confidence Floating bag mean % confidence Lentz mean % confidence Planted: 6/9/2009 (21 mm spat size) Growout time = 151 days

17 GROWTH DATA TO DATE Annette Island Annette Island (Date 10/7/10) Gear type Length Whole wt Shell wt Cavity volume Wire cage mean % confidence Floating bag mean % confidence Lentz mean % confidence Beach longline % confidence Growout time = 393 days

18 GROWTH DATA TO DATE Tokeen Tokeen (9/9/10) Gear type Length Whole wt Shell wt Cavity volume Wire cage mean % confidence Beach to floating bags % confidence Lentz mean % confidence Growout time = 457 days

19 Shell length mm GROWTH LENGTH Annette Island Growout time 393 days /7/2009 6/17/ /7/ Wire cage Floating bag Lentz Beach longline Gear type

20 Whole weight gm GROWTH WEIGHT Annette Island Growout time 393 days /7/2009 6/17/ /7/ Wire cage Floating bag Lentz Beach longline Gear type

21 Shellfish Length mm GROWTH LENGTH Tokeen growout time 457 days /7/2009 6/16/2010 9/9/ Wire cage Floating bag Lents to wire cage Lentz Gear Type

22 Whole weight gr GROWTH WEIGHT Tokeen growout time 457 days Tokeen Growout Summary /7/2009 6/16/2010 9/9/ Wire cage Floating bag Lents to wire cage Lentz Gear type

23 Cavity volume ml GROWTH IN CAVITY VOLUME Annette Island Growout time 393 days Wire cage Floating bag Lentz Beach longline Gear Type

24 Cavity volume GROWTH IN CAVITY VOLUME Tokeen growout time 457 days Wire cage Lents to wire cage Lentz Gear Type

25 GROWTH BY LENGTH GRADE Annette Island (396 days growout) Gear Type Yearling Extra small Small Medium Wire cage 44.44% 55.56% Floating bag 91.30% 8.70% Lentz 7.14% 78.57% 14.29% Beach longline 7.41% 88.89% 3.70% Tokeen (457 days growout) Gear Type Yearling Extra small Small Medium Wire cage 47.62% 50.00% 2.38% Lentz to floating bag 41.03% 53.85% 5.13% Lentz 11.90% 88.10% Tenass Pass (337 Days growout) Gear Type Yearling Extra small Small Medium Floating bag 3.09% 51.55% 41.24% 4.12%

26 PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS Learned about gear integrity and site selection for gear types. Only one year into the growout, results look promising. Lentz intertidal produces a unique quality oyster (smaller but fuller of tissue). Operational labor appears to be less than traditional methods. Costs appear to be lower, but needs further analysis. Worth continued study.

27 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Continue project for one more year. Complete data analysis to date. Add condition indexing measurement. Compile farm narrative input. Site descriptions. Collect survival information Develop economics models Develop best management practices for each method Distribute information at ASGA next year and post of Sea Grant website