WHY:
Recording information about the oyster's physical conditions and growth
is an important part of oyster gardening. This process helps
determine how different natural conditions and human-induced
environmental changes impact oyster growth and health.
WHEN:
Though oysters will survive being frozen while submerged, they should not be exposed to freezing air.
Once a month between March and November, download and print this data sheet and bring it with you to your oyster net. Ideally, monitoring should be done at roughly the same time each month.
HOW:
MATERIALS
• data sheet (download from sidebar)
• pencil
• metric ruler or your laminated NYC Oyster Gardening ID Chart which has a ruler on it.
• other helpful items: magnifying glass, a tray for sorting your oysters,
a length of rope and bucket for pulling up extra water to rinse your
oysters with
1. Record observer name, site information, and most importantly your net #.
2. Before pulling your oyster cage up, give it a few gentle tugs in the water. This will help remove settled sediments.
3. Pull your cage up and quickly uncap it. Identify and count animals that will need to be put right back in the water (fish, crab, shrimp...)
4. Record information about species that remain on your net and shells (sea squirts, barnacles, sponges). Read about fouling and net maintenance here.
5. Set aside a sub-sample of 50 oysters.
6. Measure and record the length of each live oyster in millimeters in your sub-sample. Measure the longest axis: from the umbo to the bill. You will have blank spaces representing dead oysters.
7. Note mortality: how many dead oysters are in your sub-sample? (1 dead out of 50 = 2% mortality.)
8. Count and record total live oysters in net, including the sub-sample.
9. Replace all oysters to cage (or spat bag if they are still small enough to slip out of the cage) and return net to the water.
Dead oysters stay in the nets.
