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A Data Repository for Minimal Effects of Oyster Aquaculture on Water Quality: Examples from Southern Chesapeake Bay
Turner, Jessica Massey, Grace M. Kellogg, M. Lisa Friedrichs, Carl
Turner, Jessica
Massey, Grace M.
Kellogg, M. Lisa
Friedrichs, Carl
Abstract
The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of oyster aquaculture on water quality, sediment quality, and hydrodynamics at select sites in southern Chesapeake Bay. To this end, information was gathered over the course of approximately one year from February 2017 to October 2017 at four operating commercial farms. Farms were sampled during spring, summer, and fall seasons during times of oyster filtration activity when temperatures were greater than 10oC. Aquaculture sites differed in environmental setting, in terms of their exposure to waves and resulting sediment characteristics. Sites had mesohaline salinities (ranging from 15-22 psu) and mean water depths of ~1 m (ranging from 0.5 to 2 m depending on distance from shore and tidal stage). Site characterization was conducted at each oyster farm using standard sedimentological measurements with a PONAR grab to map sediment characteristics throughout the extent of each oyster farm and surrounding area. Following site characterization, hydrographic, water clarity, and water quality data were collected using high frequency spatial water quality mapping of transects on a moving vessel and an instrumented profiler at discrete point samples. On high frequency spatial water quality mapping (transect) cruises, the vessel was driven along 10-30 transects including approximately half inside and half outside the extent of cages while vessel-mounted instruments sampled continuously. On discrete point sample (instrumented profiler) cruises, data were collected at five designated stations along a central transect of the farms with three stations within the extent of cages and two stations outside. The two smallest oyster farms were sampled only during Summer 2017. Two of the larger oyster farms were sampled during Summer and Fall 2017. Additionally, during Summer 2017 at Windmill Point, a stationary upward facing acoustic Doppler profiler collected data over one month.
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2019-10-01
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Physical Sciences Research Data, Oyster aquaculture, water clarity, water quality, hydrodynamics, suspended sediments, eastern oyster, suspended particles, high frequency spatial mapping, acoustic Doppler current profiler, ADCP, total suspended solids, TSS, sediment grain size, sediment organic content, light attenuation, Secchi depth, colored dissolved organic matter, CDOM, conductivity temperature depth sensor, CTD, water quality sonde, chlorophyll-a, particle size distributions, particle characteristics, current speed, Chesapeake Bay
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Virginia Institute of Marine Science
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25773/wwva-tz18