Projects > Olympia Oyster Rebuilding

Olympia oysters are the only oysters native to the Pacific west coast. Ecosystems unto themselves, these small, native oysters have generated a big following and a groundswell of activity. Olympia oyster enhancement efforts in Puget Sound – ranging from seeding to habitat enhancements – have been underway since 1999. To date, PSRF and its partners have enhanced 25 acres of native oyster habitat and spread 10 million oyster seed at 80 sites with over 100 partners. Current strategies target areas with limited settlement structure where there is still larval production from nearby remnant populations. Examples include Liberty Bay, Dogfish Bay, Woodard Bay, Frye Cove, Fidalgo Bay and Raab’s Lagoon. Distributing a base layer of shell in these areas allows native oysters to re-occupy historic habitat while also preserving the genetic integrity of local populations.

Olympia oysters can be found throughout most of their historic range, but current populations are mostly limited to remnant aggregations where habitat characteristics remain favorable. So while native oysters are thankfully still present in Puget Sound their numbers do not compare to the expanses of native oysters that supported a thriving oyster industry in the mid 1800s. The case for rebuilding Olympia oyster populations therefore rests largely on the ecosystem benefits associated with larger assemblages.

Rebuilding Olympia oyster populations in Puget Sound provides critical habitat and water quality attributes upon which other species depend. “Provision of complex, hard substrates generally enables the settlement of a diverse variety of invertebrates and marine plants. Fishes, including salmonids, may also be attracted to the food resources that recruit to and or are otherwise associated with hard substrate environments.” (Dr. Jonathan Davis). On the water quality side of the equation, native oyster beds likely increase water column clarity and facilitate nutrient cycling.

Implementation of this multifaceted effort is owed in large part to the willing participation of many tideland owners, the continued interest of the press, and generous support from a throng of partners too numerous to list. Particular thanks are owed The Nature Conservancy, NOAA CRP, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, commercial growers and tribes for their ongoing support.

Watch a movie about native oyster enhancement in Puget Sound.

Native Oyster Restoration and Water Quality Project (PDF, 724K)

Vashon Beachcomber article, June 27 2007, about Raab's Lagoon

Article by Rowan Jacobsen on Vancouver Island trip

KUOW report on Vancouver Island trip

Betsy Lyons with The Nature Conservancy ready to spray oyster shell
Previous | Next