GOMESA Application Details

1. Title of Project: Utilizing Brood Stock Reefs to Enhance Production on Commercial Oyster Leases
2. Location of Project: Western Mississippi Sound
3. Requesting Organization: The Nature Conservancy
4a. Name: Tom Mohrman
4b. Position
4c. Phone Number: 228-238-4205
4d. Fax Number
4e. Address Line 1
4e. Address Line 2
4e. City, State Zip: ,
4f. Email: tmohrman@tnc.org
5. FundingRequested: $1,909,910
Awarded Amount:: $1,000,000
6. Other State or Federal Funding Sources: No
7a. Amount of Additional Funds: $0
7b. Source of Additional Funds
8. Total Project Funds Amount: $1,909,910
9. Project Description/Overview: The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is requesting funds to build a high vertical relief oyster reef on a commercially leased water bottom. Utilizing the new MDMR On-Bottom Molluscan Shellfish Lease program, TNC intends to partner with a commercial lease holder. This partnership would be to create a sub-tidal oyster reef of up to 5 acres to serve as a source for oyster brood stock for local commercial lease holders. This 5-acre reef would be placed to adjacent oyster beds that are being restored with the intent to support future commercial harvest. Collaboration with a commercial oyster lease holder will allow for data sharing on oyster harvest production on partner leases and potentially encourage adoption of this approach in the broader commercial lease holder community. The use of a high vertical relief oyster reef design has the advantage of having more surface for oyster attachment, greater resilience to non-chronic environmental impacts, and offers greater habitat complexity than tradition reef design. Design of construction of the reef will modify previously drawn construction documents that were created for the NFWF GEBF funded project “Enhancement of the St Louis Bay TNC Oyster Reef (MS) – Planning and Implementation, NFWF Project ID #66070”. Designs will need to be modified for this project based on budget, water bottom surveys, and location, but stay true to the concept of creating a high vertical relief oyster reef. Exact height will be determined based on the cost of construction materials (limestone cultch) at the time of bidding. It would be the intent of this project that the constructed reef to not be harvested for either at least 5 years or the duration of the partner lease agreement. The intent of this project is to document potential benefits that non-harvest oyster reefs could have on adjacent harvested oyster beds. Greater complexity and diversity of water bottoms to not only improved oyster habitat in general but have a positive impact on harvest production.
10. Project Goals/Objectives: The goal of this project is to demonstrate the potential benefits of placing non-harvestable "brood stock" reefs in areas where commercial oyster harvest is occurring. The objectives of this project would be to document the effects on oyster production of an adjacent brood stock reef and compare that to a harvest area that doesn’t have this feature. A prospective project site will be mapped using side scan sonar to provide a base map for future comparison. Partner oyster lease beds will also be surveyed, to the extent allowable by our proposed budget. A geotechnical survey will be conducted to determine depth of sediment and to determine the exact location for the 5-acre brood stock reef. Project monitoring will begin once the 5-acre reef is constructed. Sample sites will be established and survey on the constructed reef and adjacent “control” commercial reef(s). Surveys will be conducted quarterly, and harvest information will be collected from partner lease holder. TNC will utilize an external academic or consulting firm to conduct data analysis. It is the desire of the project schedule to be able to include three years of monitoring post construction.
11. Which of the following authorized uses set forth in the GOMESA Act does this project fall under?

(A) Projects and activities for the purpose of coastal protection, including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetlands losses

(B) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources.: Yes: Construction of a new 5-acre high vertical relief oyster reef creates additional habitat for fish and invertebrates as well as oysters. Recreationally important finfish, crabs, shrimp, and invertebrates benefit for restored oyster reef and complex habitat.

(C) Implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or conservation management plan.: Yes: Project is consistent to supporting Mississippi Senate Bill 2544 (2023), the Department of Marine Resources Oyster Restoration and Recovery Plan (2022), the Restore Council Comprehensive Plan for Mississippi (2016), the Mississippi Governors Oyster Council Restoration and Resiliency Final Report (2015), and The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Regional Oyster Management Plan (2012).

(D) Mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects.

12. Project Timetable/Milestones: Year 1 Identify commercial lease holder for collaboration. Establish Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with commercial partner. Conduct bid process to hire contractor to conduct benthic mapping. Conduct bid process to hire contractor to geotechnical survey, and construction design. Conduct baseline benthic mapping of lease area and intended location of oyster reef. (note: this will also serve for any needed permitting). Conduct geotechnical survey of water bottom. Complete engineering and design of project based on benthic mapping and geotechnical survey. Submit application for MDMR/USACE Joint water bottom permit as required. Year 2 Conduct bid process for contractor to build oyster reef. Conduct bid process for academic partner or consulting firm to conduct analysis on reef production. Construct oyster reef. Conduct benthic mapping (#2) on newly constructed oyster reef and adjacent partner reefs. Begin quarterly monitoring. Year 3 Continue quarterly monitoring. Conduct benthic mapping (#3) on constructed oyster reef and adjacent partner reef. Year 4 Continue quarterly monitoring. Conduct benthic mapping (#4) on constructed oyster reef and adjacent partner reef. Year 5 Finish quarterly monitoring. Conduct benthic mapping (#5) on constructed oyster reef and adjacent partner reef. Contractor to analyze data from project reef and partner reef locations. Complete a final monitoring report and submit final materials
13. Project Timing: Deferred/Long-term
14. Current status of architectural/engineering plans & specifications for this project (if applicable):: In Progress Funds Budgeted

15. In what way does this project meet the goals and objectives of the Department of Marine Resources, which includes enhancing, protecting and conserving the marine interest of Mississippi for present and future generations?: The intent of this project is to support the commercial oyster harvest in Mississippi by demonstrating the value of incorporating conservation techniques that may increase recruitment on commercial oyster beds. Utilizing adjacent non-harvest brood stock reefs could be a useful tool available to lease holders and harvesters to improve production and increase resiliency in oyster harvestable waters. High vertical relief oyster reef, offers increased resiliency to low dissolve oxygen events and their larger surface area is more surface for recolonization. Additionally, non-harvest brood stock oyster reefs would provide habitat for finfish as well as other invertebrates.

16. Estimated Years To Completion: 5
17. Estimated Completion Date: 12/31/2028

Budget:

Salaries,Wages, Fringe: $145,000
Travel: $500
Architecture & Engineering: $100,000
Legal: $0
Consulting: $200,000
Construction: $1,000,000
Site Work: $120,000
Equipment: $0
Indirects: $0
Other: $344,410
Total: $1,909,910


Internal Project Number: 2025012
Application Submission Date: 07/28/2023
Fiscal Year: 2025
Project Status: Awarded
Application Status: Accepted
Meets Criteria: Yes
Internal Notes:: 1783-l

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