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WORKING OBJECTIVES
AND ACTIONS

MISSION:

Recognizing the role that oyster habitat plays as an indicator of water quality, and the cultural importance of shellfish in our region, we seek to ensure the sustainability of oysters in the Guana, Tolomato, and Matanzas rivers by working to understand and improve the health of our estuarine waters.

GOAL 1:

Monitoring and management of water quality variables or constituents for the sake of oyster health to insure full growth and reproductive health of individual oysters and of existing oyster reef habitats (such constituents may be metals, microplastics, excess nutrients, or other parameters cited in FDEP 303(d) impairment list that have the potential to deleteriously affect oysters).

GOAL 2:

Monitoring and management of bacteriological water quality (fecal coliform and other, possibly better, indicators of pathogen contamination) for the sake of expanding currently opened or conditionally opened shellfish (oyster) harvesting areas.

GOAL 3:

Monitoring and management of bacteriological water quality for the sake of reopening targeted closed areas to shellfish harvesting.

​Monitoring and management of oyster populations to insure oyster resource sustainability and water quality stability.

GOAL 4:

Technical Committee Focus Areas

ACTIONS:

Oyster and Faunal Associate Populations

1. State and regional comparison of raw oyster data

2. Monitor spatial and temporal changes in oyster populations

3. Develop an oyster condition index

4. Map oyster reef areal footprints

5. Use GTM monitoring data to plot barnacle settlement with oyster settlement and look at differences in timing

Ecosystem Services

1. Assess ecosystem services provided by oysters

2. Measure harvest capacity/sustainability of oysters

3: Study oyster filtration rates for bacteria

Pollution Source Identification and Management

1. Identify freshwater input points (outfalls) and how they are managed

2. Calculate quantity of reduced discharge for City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County

3. Test water quality of City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County stormwater outfalls

4. Map fecal hotspots

Research/Study

1. Study acidification and eutrophication effects on oysters

2. Stormwater outfall/freshwater input into estuary

3. Investigate short- and long-term trends in sediment dynamics and elevation change on oyster reefs

4. Model effects of rainfall on salinity and other parameters

5. Study disease effects on oysters

6. Update and refine bathymetry maps

7. Study microplastics presence in water and their impact on oysters

8. Research the influence of hand harvest on the productivity of wild reefs

9. Estimate recreational and commercial oyster catch in the Guana River

10. Boat wake impact on reef stability

11. Changes/impacts to reefs associated with mangrove encroachment

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