Fig 1.
Location of estuaries and their ecological priority index scores.
Names of the numbered estuaries are provided in Fig 2.
Table 1.
Criteria used in evaluating estuaries for conservation aquaculture.
Each criterion is framed as a question, and the rationale for inclusion is provided. In the final four columns, the weighting of each criterion used to calculate the four indices is shown; if blank, this criterion was not included in the index.
Table 2.
Potential rewards of conservation aquaculture of Olympia oysters, organized by primary recipient group.
Only those rewards uniquely associated with conservation aquaculture, not with oyster restoration through any means (e.g. water filtration), are presented.
Table 3.
Potential risks of conservation aquaculture of Olympia oysters, organized by primary recipient group.
Fig 2.
Conservation aquaculture indices.
Estuaries are arranged from North to South, with the exception of subbasin areas, which are grouped for simplicity. Province or state abbreviations are shown (BCC = British Columbia, Canada; WA = Washington, OR = Oregon, CA = California, USA; BCM = Baja California, Mexico). The names of the ten estuaries that emerged as ecological priorities are shown in bold font; all index scores ≥0.5 are highlighted. The individual scores for each criterion are shown to the right (darker shading represents higher scores; missing data shown in white).
Fig 3.
Conceptual diagram of steps to take in evaluating conservation aquaculture for a new species or region.
The diagram follows a logical chronological flow, but in practice some steps may occur simultaneously or there may be iterative rounds revisiting particular steps. For the first steps, the process should only move forward if the determination of the previous step is affirmative (e.g. only move to step 2 if the species requires restoration, to step 3 if reproduction is deemed limiting, to step 4 if aquaculture is feasible, to step 5 if there is a team, etc.).
Fig 4.
Examples of different approaches to implementing conservation aquaculture with Olympia oysters.
A) Restoration with hatchery-raised juveniles led by a coastal management organization. Staff of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, with community volunteers and partners, assemble stakes with clam shells bearing hatchery-raised juveniles. (Photo: B. Tougher). B) Community restoration. Staff members from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community work with AmeriCorps volunteers from the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association to enhance habitat for Olympia oysters on Swinomish tidelands. (Photo: J. Barber); C) Commercial production and sale of Olympia oysters (Photo: M. Wilkinson, Hog Island Oyster Company). All individuals shown in images provided prior consent.