Oyster density data on natural intertidal oyster reefs and hardened shorelines in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Reef sites from the ground-truthing survey that met a minimum density criterion (10 live oysters per m2) were revisited and continuously sampled in June, August, and October in 2014 and 2015.

Table of Contents

• Coverage
• Dataset Description
  • Methods & Sampling
  • Data Processing Description
• Data Files
• Related Publications
• Related Datasets
• Parameters
• Instruments
• Deployments
• Project Information
• Funding

To quantify oyster density and demographic rates on natural intertidal oyster reefs and hardened shorelines, the reef sites from the ground-truthing survey that met a minimum density criterion (10 live oysters per m2) were revisited and continuously sampled. The present study’s sampling protocol was adapted from Drexler et al. (2014) and ensured that the reported measurements represented all living oysters existing on all available substrate material within a fixed 1-m2 footprint. For natural intertidal reefs, oysters were sampled using a 1-m2 quadrat randomly placed on a reef with the number of quadrat samples determined as a function of reef area, and a maximum number of quadrat samples set at 10. When densities appeared likely to exceed 500/m2, a 0.25-m2 quadrat was substituted and subsequent oyster density estimates were standardized to 1 m2. All samples were hand-excavated to a depth of 10 cm. Natural intertidal oyster reefs were sampled during June, August, and October of 2014 and 2015. These sampling intervals followed several annual peak oyster recruitment pulses in North Carolina estuarine waters in May and a secondary peak in August, with the intention of tracking various oyster cohorts to quantify post-settlement growth and survivorship. The left valve length (LVL; distance from the umbo to the anterior margin of the shell) of all live oysters was measured to the nearest 1 mm with calipers.

Each site has an associated lat/lon coordinate -- this was updated in version 2 (2021-02-01) to be the same for all data points. The accuracy of the GPS was not adequate to provide more resolution with the data. 

BCO-DMO Processing Notes:
- data submitted in Excel files "PS_Mean_Std_2014.xlsx" and "PS_Mean_Std_2015.xlsx" extracted to csv
- added conventional header with dataset name, PI name, version date
- modified parameter names to conform with BCO-DMO naming conventions
- changed '< 10' to 'lt_10'
- added columns year and month

Versioning: Replaced v1 (2017-07-31) with v2 (2021-02-01) as submitted by Seth Theuerkauf, 2021-01-29.

Coverage: North Carolina Estuaries

Description from NSF award abstract:
The PIs will use the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, as a model system and will attempt to optimize the design of networks of no-take reserves as a strategy for maintaining metapopulations of this commercially harvested species. The project specifically recognizes that network persistence depends on (1) the potential for growth, survival, and reproduction within reserves, and (2) the potential to distribute offspring among reserves. Thus, demographic processes within reserves and settling areas play important roles, along with variability of physical transport. The PIs plan to:
(1) test and refine 3D bio-physical models of connectivity due to oyster larval transport in a shallow, wind-dominated system;
(2) test, refine, and apply technology to detect natal origins of larvae using geochemical tags in larval shell; and
(3) integrate regional connectivity and demographic rates to model metapopulation dynamics.

This study will produce new tools and test and refine others used for studying larval connectivity, a fundamentally important process in the maintenance of natural populations, and thus in biological conservation and resource management. The tools include a hydrodynamic modeling tool coupled with an open-source particle tracking model that will be available on-line with computer code and user guide. The project will use integrated modeling approaches to evaluate the design of reserve networks: results will be directly useful to improving oyster and ecosystem-based management in Pamlico Sound, and the methods will inform approaches to network design in other locations.