40 MARCH 2022 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S .ORG farmmanagement is currently being used to inform the industry, regulatory agencies and prospective oyster farmers. Establishing the Farm The Harte Research Institute oyster farm (Fig. 1) was designed to evaluate two common types of off-bottom oyster aquaculture methods – floating cages and an adjustable longline system (ALS). To accommodate these grow-out methods, a site with a water depth of approximately 1-2 m and a firm sandy bottom was identified. The site has an average salinity of 20-28 ppt, high-energy wave action, and experiences predominantly southern winds in the summer and northern winds in the winter. Water temperature averages 30 C in summer and 14 C in winter. The farm is approximately 200 m from shore and is accessible via boat or by wading from shore. After all state and federal permits for the site had been approved; installation of the farm began in July 2020. Two helix anchors with 1.5-m shafts and 10-cm drives were installed in the sediment by manually turning the drive until the anchors were fully buried, leaving only the eye exposed above the sediment. A 55-m nylon rope main line was secured between the anchors and locations of the anchors were marked with buoys. The main line had 1.2-m lengths of lateral lines of nylon rope connected to it for attaching the floating cages. Because of the shallow depth at the farm, no SCUBA or special equipment was needed for the installation. The Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is the only oyster species native to Texas and can be found throughout the shallow bays and estuaries that make up the 5,400 km-long Texas coast. Oyster populations in Texas have been declining because of over-harvesting and a series of environmental disasters, including droughts, sustained freshwater inflows and sedimentation due to hurricanes. Off-bottom oyster aquaculture, by which oysters are grown in containers suspended in the water column, has the potential to stabilize the oyster industry of the state and reduce pressure on wild oyster reefs. In 2019, commercial off-bottom oyster aquaculture was legalized in Texas, the last coastal state in the United States to do so, by the state legislature. In May 2020, regulations were approved to create the framework for the industry by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which is responsible for managing the state’s natural resources. To aid in facilitating a successful launch of this new industry, research was needed to evaluate the feasibility of oyster farming in Texas, determine best management practices for the conditions in Texas bays and to identify potential issues and their possible solutions. The Harte Research Institute at Texas A&MUniversity – Corpus Christi initiated a research project using NOAA Federal Fisheries Disaster Relief Program funds through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish a semi-commercial scale, pilot oyster farm in Tres Palacios Bay, Palacios, Texas. Information obtained from this project regarding growing techniques and Installation and Management of a Semi-Commercial Scale Pilot Oyster Farm in Texas Bailey E. Schacht, Ellis L. Chapman Jr. and Joe M. Fox FIGURE 1. The HRI oyster farm in Palacios, Texas. Adjustable longline system (ALS, bottom left) and floating cages (upper right) (Photo: Ellis L. Chapman Jr.) FIGURE 2. OysterGro® floating cages at the HRI oyster farm (Photo: Ellis L. Chapman Jr.).
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