Can Oyster Gardens Thrive in a Creek Condemned for Shellfish Harvesting? Cold Harbor Creek, Montross, Virginia

Abstract

Cold Harbor Creek in Montross, VA, lies within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and is currently closed to shellfish harvesting. To examine whether Cold Harbor Creek is habitable for oysters, nine docks were recruited to support nine cages of oyster shells colonized with oyster spat. These populations were monitored over a period of eight months, and their growth was measured and evaluated. At the same time, water quality parameters were measured (dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, pH, and turbidity) immediately surrounding the oyster cages to determine whether the local conditions could impact the growth of the oysters. Approximately 75% of the cages maintained growing oyster populations, while the remaining cages showed limited survivorship. Water quality at most docks was generally similar to the conditions at the control sites, but decreased dissolved oxygen and pH were observed at the site with the lowest survivorship. The small population of oysters used in this project did not have a significant impact on local water quality. However, their growth indicates that water quality would not preclude a larger population of these organisms, which may have a greater effect on the Cold Harbor Creek water quality and could represent a biological remediation method in this condemned watershed.