Restoration Plan

goals that demonstrate that Oyster Restoration Units have facilitated restoration of natural oyster spat
recruitment processes, stability of the oyster reef restoration units and community acceptance will be

measured. A separate and parallel monitoring program will be developed to assess the benefit of this
restoration project to other fish habitat restoration research priorities that the oyster reefs are

expected to provide.

 

42. Monitoringschedule

Table 2. Proposed schedule for monitoring oyster reef habitat restoration in the Noosa River.

1, Oyster Restoration Uni

it location stability

  

 

 

 

The Key Performance
Indicators for this are:

1.) Oyster recruitment:
successful recruitment of
oyster spat in at least 1
out of the 3 years (i.e.
33% of the time) post
deployment (following
international best practice

 

The monitoring methods for
each Indicators are:

1.) Oyster recruitment:
marked oyster shells will be
fastened to the outside of
restoration units. These sheils
will be harvested at regular
intervals (15 oyster shells per
location on each event ~i.e. 5

 

 

Oyster restoration units Visually inspect the stability of | Every 6 A professional coastal engineer shall
remain within the oyster reef units and record months fora | be consulted to suggest remedial
designated Resource the precise GPS position (tcm | minimum of | action for any oyster reef
Allocation Areas. scale), and size of each unit three years restoration units that collapse, or
(following international best shift by > 1m.
practice: Baggett et al. 2015). Additional
Use GIS software to contrast monitoring Any oyster reef restoration units
the position, footprint, size and | willbe that move outside the designated
area of oyster reef restoration | conducted Resource Allocation Areas within 3
units between monitoring within 2 years will be removed. A
events and assess any weeks of professional ecologist will confirm
potential movement. substantial the cause of the shift, as
rainfall
events (i.e.
events that
exceed 50-
year Average
Rainfall
Intervals).
2. Natural Recruitment Processes
Oysters and other sessile | Quantify the recruitment of Every 6 We will contrast: 1) the rate of
benthic invertebrates oysters and other sessile months fora | oyster recruitment; 2) the cover of
recruit to reef restoration | benthic invertebrates to reef minimum of | oysters and all other sessile benthic
units to establish a restoration units, and measure | three years, invertebrates; and 3) the stability of
biogenic matrix, which changes in the cover of oysters | unless the biogenic matrix among oyster
binds oyster shells in and other sessile benthic otherwise reef restoration units and between
place, prior to invertebrates over time detailed monitoring events.
degradation of coir (following international best within
material. practice: Baggett et al. 2015). | corrective Any restoration units that fail to
actions meet the Key Performance

 

Indicators within 3 years will be
removed

 

 

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