Revista de ecosistemas y ecografía

Abstracto

An Investigation of Utilizing Ripraps as Substrate for Oyster Stocking within Delaware Coastal Bays

Brian A Reckenbeil and Gulnihal Ozbay

Numerous resources are required to re-construct oyster reefs, which make oyster enhancement projects difficult, and are not always successful. Riprap has increased the complexity of shorelines in developed regions, thus providing a suitable substrate for oyster stocking at no extra cost to managers. Two year-old oysters were planted between rock crevices, and after one year in the riprap, showed 50% survival. Medium sized ripraps (0.4-0.6 m rock diameter) are ideal for conducting survival experiments and general oyster stocking. It is important to note that all riprap is not homogeneous in nature, as size and depth of boulders vary, which will influence site selection depending on the goals of the oyster restoration program.