Project Page

DWH Project Funding

$388,184

Known Leveraged Funding

$0

Project Description

Oyster reefs provide substantial ecological value to coastal environments as biodiverse habitats as well as significant economic value to coastal communities as commercial fisheries. Unfortunately, oyster reef acreage as well as the volume and value of commercial oyster harvests in Mississippi waters have all declined sharply in recent years. Due to the resulting economic loss and ecological degradation, a significant focus has been placed on protecting oyster reefs in Mississippi and restoring them to a sustainable condition. Because the loss of oyster reef habitat has been attributed to a range of environmental stressors, it is imperative that planning for reef restoration and sustainable management is based upon sound scientific understanding of the environmental parameters that control the occurrence and health of oyster reef communities in Mississippi Sound. Accordingly, we propose to use field sampling and remote sensing data collected from traditional platforms as well as novel autonomous aerial and marine vehicles to quantify the spatiotemporal variability of water quality and benthic habitat conditions at oyster reef sites in Mississippi Sound. Specifically, we will: (1) Develop robust predictive algorithms to relate in situ water quality parameters at oyster reefs in Mississippi Sound to remotely sensed reflectance data collected with satellites and unmanned aerial systems, (2) create benthic habitats maps of seabed sedimentary characteristics proximal to oyster reefs in Mississippi Sound through the collection and synthesis of physical samples and acoustic reflectivity data, and (3) evaluate geologic controls on the location of submarine groundwater discharge and resulting modification of water quality parameters proximal to oyster reefs in Mississippi Sound through the collection and synthesis of seismic and isotopic tracer data. The proposed research directly contributes to an enhanced understanding of oyster reefs and their sustainability by quantitatively observing (in situ and remotely) the spatial and temporal variability of environmental conditions and processes (e.g. water quality parameters, benthic substrate properties) that directly impact oyster survival and growth. Additionally, the proposed objectives further contribute to the core research program topic area by developing adaptive models that will enable the observation of these conditions and processes with remote sensing technologies and novel autonomous vehicles, which holds the potential to make their recognition and monitoring more rapid, efficient, and effective. This work will enable the "identification of suitable benthic habitats for reef restoration efforts" and yield an improved understanding of the variable environmental stressors on oyster reef habitat quality and quantity. The collection of direct, remote, and autonomous vehicle observations will collectively contribute an expanded scientific understanding of oyster ecosystem resilience and improve the ability of the state of Mississippi to make timely and scientifically informed oyster reef management decisions.