Blog Posts
Leadership Lab June 2, 2020
For our first Leadership Lab we spent the time getting to know others' projects, worked on our selling points of our projects, and shared how we hoped to get started with our projects.
It was great to learn about other student's projects so I could have a greater understanding of their passions. Just because I will not be working on the same project with them does not mean I will not be working with them. This group is important so we can all share our individual ideas and get feedback from a trusted team.
At the beginning of the meeting we were placed into small groups to share our project and develop a pitch. Not only did this help me express what my project is, this also helped me clarify for myself the direction I would like to take with my oyster reef.
I hope to get started on my project by researching to answer the questions of, what makes a reef successful? What are the best materials for an artificial reef? and, How do you measure the health of a reef? I also hope to tour Horn Point Hatchery to answer these questions.
My greatest concern for this project is making sure my oysters survive. I have raised oysters in the past, but that was done with an environmental scientist so now that it is only me raising the oysters I am a little nervous about their health.
For our first Leadership Lab we spent the time getting to know others' projects, worked on our selling points of our projects, and shared how we hoped to get started with our projects.
It was great to learn about other student's projects so I could have a greater understanding of their passions. Just because I will not be working on the same project with them does not mean I will not be working with them. This group is important so we can all share our individual ideas and get feedback from a trusted team.
At the beginning of the meeting we were placed into small groups to share our project and develop a pitch. Not only did this help me express what my project is, this also helped me clarify for myself the direction I would like to take with my oyster reef.
I hope to get started on my project by researching to answer the questions of, what makes a reef successful? What are the best materials for an artificial reef? and, How do you measure the health of a reef? I also hope to tour Horn Point Hatchery to answer these questions.
My greatest concern for this project is making sure my oysters survive. I have raised oysters in the past, but that was done with an environmental scientist so now that it is only me raising the oysters I am a little nervous about their health.
First Mentor Meeting Notes June 5, 2020
Annika Jensen
Fellows Project
DIY Oyster Reef Project
Research:
Potential Contacts and/or Tours:
Reef:
Annika Jensen
Fellows Project
DIY Oyster Reef Project
Research:
- Oyster life cycle
- Why are oysters important to the Chesapeake Bay?
- What makes a reef successful?
- What are the best materials for making an artificial reef?
- How do you measure the health of a reef?
Potential Contacts and/or Tours:
- Horn Point Oyster Hatchery
- Ms. Stephanie Alexander
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Oyster Gardening Program
- Oyster Recovery Partnership
- Other?
Reef:
- Sketch plans for reefs
- Practice with materials
- Build prototypes
- Test prototypes
June 22, 2020
For the first part of my project I started out with doing as much research as I could online. I wanted to answer the questions of: What is the oyster life cycle? Why are Oysters important to the Bay? What makes an oyster reef successful/ how will I define my success? What are the best materials for an artificial reef? What are the Variables of water quality? These questions were only the beginning of my research, the more I tried to answer them, the more questions I had. I created a separate list of questions that came about when answering these, it is attached under the answered questions.
What is the oyster life cycle?
I created a diagram for this question because it is easiest for me to understand through these images. I hope to answer more specific questions I have about the life cycle through tours and interviews. (This information came from https://www.pangeashellfish.com/blog/oyster-life-cycle-on-farm)
Why are oysters important to the Bay?
Oysters are crucial to the health of the Chesapeake Bay for multiple reasons. First, these mollusks filter pollution and algae blooms out of the water to make it cleaner. Second, Oyster reefs provide a habitat for other mollusks, anemones, barnacles, worms, fish, and crabs. Third, oyster reefs provide shelter for the fertilization process of other species. The rigid reefs create a substrate for sperm and egg while protecting the male and female creatures from predators.
(This information comes from http://hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/oysters/importance-of-oysters/#:~:text=Oysters%20are%20an%20important%20component,Chesapeake%20Bay%20and%20its%20tributaries.&text=Oysters%20are%20considered%20the%20vacuum,which%20positively%20impacts%20other%20species. )
What makes an oyster reef successful?
An oyster reef is successful when other species are able to create a habitat out of the reef. An oyster reef should provide space for other animals to thrive and I will consider my reef successful when other species start to live there. An oyster reef is also successful when the oysters are improving the water quality, since that is a big reason on why I am building this reef. How to measure if the water quality is improving is answered in a question below. Healthy oysters is the last way to determine if the reef is successful.
What are the best materials for an artificial reef?
The best materials for an artificial reef are a hard substrate ideally cement or rocks. Part of the reason that the oyster population in the Bay has decreased is not because of pollution but because there is a decrease in places that oyster shells can latch onto. The material would also need nooks and crannies to increase the surface area that the oysters could latch onto. (This information came from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/storms-get-bigger-oyster-reefs-can-help-protect-shorelines-180967774/#:~:text=These%20reefs%20can%20be%20created,rocks%20and%20begin%20to%20grow. )
How do you measure the health of a reef?
Reef health is measured through eight key variables. First, the project footprint must be detected which can be done through surveyors measuring wheel, transect tape, or a sonar depth finder. This will be measured 3 months post construction, 1 year post construction, and 4 years post construction. Second, the reef area will be detected using the same equipment of the project footprint and being measured on the same timeline of the project footprint. Third, the reef height will be measured through a graduated rot and transit, survey equipment, subtidal, or sonar depth finder. This will be measured on the same timeline as the project footprint. Fourth, the oyster Density will be tested. This will be done my collecting substrate from the quadrants to obtain live oysters. This will be measured immediately after development then, annually. Fifth, the size frequency distribution will be detected. This can be done through measuring the shell height of at least 50 live oysters per oyster density sample. This will be done at the end of every growing season. Sixth, The water temperature will be measured close to the reef using a thermometer. These measurements will be often. Seventh, Salinity will be measured close to the reef using a situ. The salinity will be measured often. Finally, Dissolved oxygen will be measured close to the reef often and using a situ. (This information came from http://www.oyster-restoration.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Baggett-et-al.-2015-Rest-Ecol-.pdf )
What are the variables of water quality?
There are nine variables to determine the water quality. These variables are highly important to determine if my reef is successful or not. First, dissolved oxygen will be measured since the higher the dissolved oxygen the better marine life will thrive. Second, turbidity will be important because a water clarity increase will benefit marine life that has been affected by how far sunlight can reach under water. Third, total solids measures the the suspended solids. This can range from silt, clay, soil, runoff, plankton, waste, and sewage. Fourth, the Ph level of the Bay will determine whether it is sustainable for life to be there because a level below 4 or above 9 will make the environment unlivable. Fifth, temperature and flow rate will be measured to determine the amount of pollution in the area. Sixth, Nitrates will be measured because this chemical contributes to plant growth and decay. Seventh Fecal Coliform will be measured since it is an indicator of pathogenic contamination. Eighth, Biochemical oxygen demand will be measured because it measures the levels of organic pollution. Ninth, phosphorus will be measured because, like nitrate, it is nutrients that is needed for plant growth.
July 28, 2020
On Monday, July 20, 2020 I had the opportunity to zoom meet with Ms. Stephanie Alexander, the Director of Horn Point Hatchery in Cambridge, Maryland. I had the chance to have a virtual tour of the hatchery to learn about their process of raising them and their restoration efforts. I was also able to interview Ms. Stephanie Alexander for a chance to learn from an expert what it would take to create a healthy oyster reef. I have compiled the questions I asked and her responses below.
What pollution has the biggest effect on oysters, and what are ways to combat this pollution?
Ms. Stephanie Alexander replied that this was a loaded question because there are many things that affect oysters, however the main things are sediment, increased rainfall, sewage, urbanization, and erosion. All of these hurt the oysters because the sediment and pollution covers up the oysters and kills them.
What are the key variables, for placement, Horn Point looks for when building an oyster reef?
Horn Point looks at the bottom to determine where a reef should be placed. They want a hard shell bottom, not mud. Generally they look for if there was a historic oyster population.
What are common things that can hurt oyster reefs and what can I do to combat them?
Common things that hurt reefs are over harvesting, not selective harvesting, and sediment. To combat these the best thing we can do is raise awareness about the importance of the oysters.
What would be a good material to build an oyster reef with?
Good material to build an oyster reef could be a bag or a cage. But if I were to use a mini reef ball, Horn Point would need to attach the spat directly to the ball. Sediment needs to be shaken off of the reef and sprayed with a hose to get rid of sediment and certain organisms like barnacles.
How is Covid-19 impacting spray production at Horn Point?
Horn Point is impacted by Covid-19 because they are unable to have more staff due to spread. This led the hatchery with 8 workers who would alternate in shifts during quarantine, because they are an essential organization, however they now have a few more interns. Their restoration projects were also postponed until mid-June, this means that they may not hit their target this year for restoration activities. Since their field crews cannot go out, all experiments were canceled too.
How does Horn Point determine if a reef is successful or not?
Horn Point determines whether a reef is successful or not through how many oysters per acre are planted, however this can also be determined by how many survive after a year or water quality.
July 31, 2020
For the Last month of the summer I still have a few things done to complete my 40% of my project. I still need to contact the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, I hope to contact them about their education and outreach program. In order to learn how the effectively raise awareness about the importance of oysters and saving the Chesapeake Bay. I also need to contact the Oyster Recovery Project about how to keep a reef healthy, what the process is for their restoration projects, and what materials are best for oyster reefs.
I have started designing the reefs balls I will be using for this project. I have yet to finalize what material I will be using, but I believe it will be concrete. I will be using a mold made out of silicone to hold the concrete, then I will use buoys on the inside to make it hollow. The best shape is a hollow ball with holes to create more surface area. I will also make it small, around 20-30 pounds so I can take it out of the water in order to check on the oysters. Before, I build this I still have to plan it a little more and test different prototypes.
August 22, 2020
Last week I had the pleasure of Interviewing Sara Coleman from Oyster Recovery Project. We talked for a short half hour interview about what ORP does, and some information I needed to ensure my oysters are healthy. Below is the questions I asked and her responses. Some of these questions are similar to what I asked Alexandra Tobash from Horn Point Laboratory because I wanted to have more information on the topic and a different point of view since the two organizations work on different parts of the oyster raising process.
What are the key variables for placement ORP looks at when building an oyster reef?
Key variables for placement ORP looks for is hard substrate on the bottom already, then ORP can simply place spat on shell there. If not then they need to create a hard substrate with granite or recycled shell. ORP avoids navigational channels and private docks so there is no user conflict. They also use historic reef surveys and new survey data to determine where a reef should be placed.
What are common things that can hurt an oyster reef and what can I do to combat them?
Common things that can hurt an oyster reef are hypoxia, dead zones, rainfall, sediment, and low oxygen.
How does ORP determine if a reef is successful or not?
In 2011 a committee came together at ORP to determine what would make a reef successful. Through this committee there are now a couple of variables that ORP uses for a successful reef. First they go out every 3 years and every 6 years to look at placed reefs. They then use divers and patten tongs to look for oysters of various ages and sizes. They want to see that not only did they oyster population that they placed survived but that there is another generation. They also look at the footprint of the reef to see if it is growing and the density and biomass of the oyster reef, generally this should be 50 oysters per square meter.
How do you prepare the areas for a reef?
To prepare areas for a reef ORP uses existing spacial data and creates an updated sample of grid data. They do not have any other prep work unless they are creating a hard substrate.
What are good materials for an artificial reef?
ORP uses granite and recycled shell when putting a hard substrate on the bottom of rivers. But reef balls tend to be made out of concrete because it does not dissolve and is cost effective. Both materials work because they have calcium carbonate which is needed for oysters to develop shells.
What water quality indicators are good for predicting the health of a the reef?
Good water quality indicators are the amount of oxygen in an area, the salinity should be around 8ppt but this changes seasonally. A reef ball in the Magothy would make sense because the oysters have some relief from the muddy bottom and it will help the oysters with dissolved oxygen.
August 30, 2020
After the interview Sara, from ORP, was nice enough to send me labs to help me figure out which material for my reef would be the best fit. The Lab is called Alternative Substrates Used for Oyster Reef Restoration: A Review by Goelz, Taylor, Vogt, Bruce, and Hartley, Troy. I plan to discuss the materials and categories that were used in this lab. This lab was done by using information about artificial reefs from around the world in order to create a base line for how oyster reefs should be created. The materials I will focus on are concrete, limestone, non-calcium stone, non oyster shell, and dredged shell in the categories of biology, structure, chemical, and economic.
In the biology category, concrete is equal to or better than. oyster shells for settlement, recruit, growth, size biomass, and density. Limestone was equal or better than oyster shells and all alternative substrates in settlement, recruitment, growth, abundance. However, after three years the steep climb would plateau. The non-calcium stones have a lower oyster settlement than calcium stone but a higher density. The non-oyster shell had high levels of post settlement mortality and the could not support oyster growth nor survival. The dredged shell was best for recruitment, settlement, and growth overall.
In the structural category, the volume of concrete shows to help the settling of oysters and can help shoreline stabilization. However, overtime their long term viability is in question because but there is not enough data overtime to prove this. Concrete can also have negative impacts on the ecosystem because there can be an accelerated erosion in the water. Limestone reefs benefit oysters because they can be built upward extremely easily, this helps with sediment not covering the oyster, which supports high oyster recruitment and growth, but there is not enough research done to determine if it can help shoreline stabilization. Non-calcium stone are excellent for places with soft sediment because there is a hard place for oysters to be. Non oyster shells are not good for oyster reef building because they cannot be handled without braking. Dredged shells last a longer time than fresh oyster shells and have a lower dissolution rate so they can last longer in fresh water areas, but eventually it will degrade and need more substrate eventually.
In the chemical category, concrete showed that there are no damaging levels of contaminants released into the water and that oyster growth did not suffered from repurposed concrete. There is not enough long term evaluation of limestone but it is in question of the impacts it can have on the surrounding environment. Non-calcium stone, chemically, is successful for oyster settlement, recruitment, and growth. Non-oyster shell shows a mortality in oysters. Dredged shells have a limited study on their chemical compounds and how they affect oysters and the surrounding environment, so no determination can be made.
In the economic category, Concrete is the easiest to shape, size, and manufacture. It also has the best benefit to cost ratio. Limestone is on the more expensive side compared to concrete. Non-calcium stone is even more than limestone and produces worse results. Dredged shells cannot be compared in this data set because there is not enough data on the topic.
Overall I have chosen concrete for my oyster reef because of the biological, chemical and structural benefits along with it is the most cost effective material over time.
October 28, 2020 40% Presentation
zoom_0.mp4 | |
File Size: | 5908 kb |
File Type: | mp4 |
November 7, 2020
After finishing 40% of my project, I met with my mentor to discuss what my fall schedule would look like. For this fall I hope to finish my reef ball, age the cement so it is ready in the spring to grow oysters, and start planning my education work.
November 25, 2020
After taking a good amount of time thinking about what direction my education work should go I have finally decided to write a small book called, "The sustainable household: How to develop your house and property to protect the Chesapeake Bay." (subject to change, I know it's a little long) In this book, I will explore the ins and outs of sustainability around the Maryland house hold. Whether someone wants to understand the best native plants to use to protect the water line or to understand how much money solar panels can save over time. I will also outline how to build an oyster reef off the dock and how I did it. But each part of the book will always relate back to the Chesapeake Bay and how it affects the ecosystem as well as the oysters.
December
During this month I have the goals of outlining my small book. The outline will include a detail summary on each chapter and include the research I plan on writing about. So far the chapters I plan for are:
1. Native Plants
2. Sustainable Gardening
3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Compost
4. Oyster Growing
5. Renewable Energy
6. Types of Sustainable Housing
December
Here is The outline for each chapter, I did not plan enough time for writing each outline so I will need to use the first half of January to produce an outline. I think the first 2 weeks are going to be important for me to meet my own deadlines, now that the college process has fully calmed down I will be able to dedicate more time to creating the outline so I can get started on writing the book as soon as possible. In February, along with the writing process I will be creating my oyster reef and aging the concrete, I will also set up my oyster date and make sure my dock is ready to go.
January 13, 2021
I have outlined the descriptions for each chapter. This was recommended to me by an author who said the most helpful thing for them and their editor was to write a description for each chapter before writing it.
1. Native Plants
Description: For this chapter I will outline native plants in the Bay area and why it is important to plant native as much as possible instead of using only popular plants. This idea ties back into helping oysters. I will also cover wetlands, since if you live on or near the water there will be wetlands. These wetlands are crucial to the Bay and oyster’s health so I will cover what they do, and how to help them/create more. Wetlands also face a problem; they are depleting in this area which makes the ones that are still existing prone to flooding and not doing their job in the environment right.
2. Sustainable Gardening
Description: In this chapter I would like to cover edible landscaping, using compost instead of artificial fertilizers, and crop rotation. Edible landscaping is probably my favorite thing I have ever seen. It’s all about using your lawn and property to grow fruits and vegetables instead of grass. This is a great way to practice sustainability since food is coming right from the back yard. Using compost instead of fertilizers that are store bought can help reduce the excess nitrogen and phosphorus that runs off into the bay. Crop rotation and a few other methods will be gone over in this section so the reader can understand how to give plants more nutrients without using fertilizers.
3. Reuse, Reduce, and Compost
Description: In this chapter I will go over, just touching the surface, of a low waste household and how this benefits the pollution that goes into the Bay. This will also play into reducing waste. I did not include recycling in this because last year alone only 9% of trash put into recycling was recycled. I do not believe that as of now recycling is a sustainable way to reduce waste from getting into the Bay. I will be sure to touch on this in the chapter and inform the reader on what the recycling industry really looks like. Composting is another great way to reduce waste thrown into the garbage. I will review how to start a compost, the different types of composts, and how to manage it.
4. Oyster Growing
Description: This is the chapter that I will be going over all of my research with my oyster growing. I will include most of my material from my blog posts, all of my research material and interviews, pictures and diagrams on designing the reef, and how to take care of the oysters. I will also include oyster growing programs and volunteer options in the Bay area that are available as alternatives.
5. Renewable Energy
Description: Although you cannot see the pollution that comes from electricity it is there. I will tie it into this book by talking about ocean acidification and how that hurts oysters. I will then lay out the different types of renewable energy and the average financial long-term benefit. Although this is a shorter description than my others, I can see this chapter being one of the longest because there is a lot to unpack with renewable energy.
6. Sustainable housing
Description: In this chapter I will talk about broad sustainable housing and different types of housing, but I will also cover things about certain technology that you can put in the house that will help reduce water and energy waste. Like the previous chapter I will highlight the long term benefits both financially and for the environment.
February, 2021
To finish my booklet by spring break, I have decided to cut the last two chapters. So far I have completed the first two, have almost finished the third, and have made the outline for the last. I made a google doc and have asked multiple people in the fellows program and outside of it to review it and comment on it. Over spring break I hope to complete my bibliography, finish editing, and include pictures.
February, 2021
The Descriptions for the chapters have changed since I last updated. These are the new ones.
Chapter 1: For this chapter I will outline native plants in the Bay area and why it is important to plant native as much as possible instead of using only popular plants. This idea ties back into helping oysters. I will also cover wetlands, since if you live on or near the water there will be wetlands. These wetlands are crucial to the Bay and oyster’s health so I will cover what they do, and how to help them/create more. Wetlands also face a problem; they are depleting in this area which makes the ones that are still existing prone to flooding and not doing their job in the environment right.
Chapter 2: In this chapter I would like to cover edible landscaping, using compost instead of artificial fertilizers, and crop rotation. Edible landscaping is probably my favorite thing I have ever seen. It’s all about using your lawn and property to grow fruits and vegetables instead of grass. This is a great way to practice sustainability since food is coming right from the back yard. Using compost instead of fertilizers that are store bought can help reduce the excess nitrogen and phosphorus that runs off into the bay. Crop rotation and a few other methods will be gone over in this section so the reader can understand how to give plants more nutrients without using fertilizers.
Chapter 3: In this chapter I will go over, just touching the surface, of a low waste household and how this benefits the pollution that goes into the Bay. This will also play into reducing waste. I did not include recycling in this because last year alone only 9% of trash put into recycling was recycled. I do not believe that as of now recycling is a sustainable way to reduce waste from getting into the Bay. I will be sure to touch on this in the chapter and inform the reader on what the recycling industry really looks like. Composting is another great way to reduce waste thrown into the garbage. I will review how to start a compost, the different types of composts, and how to manage it.
Chapter 4: This is the chapter that I will be going over all of my research with my oyster growing. I will include most of my material from my blog posts, all of my research material and interviews, pictures and diagrams on designing the reef, and how to take care of the oysters. I will also include oyster growing programs and volunteer options in the Bay area that are available as alternatives.
March 19, 2021
I hope to accomplish a lot on my book and on the reef over spring break. I am posting this small checklist to keep me accountable for the rest of March. I hope now that the whole college process is over, and without classes during this week, I can dedicate even more time to this project.
Book Checklist
March 28, 2021
Over Spring break, I completed my booklet, started on the review process, ordered everything I should need for my reef ball, ordered measurement tools for the water, and reached out to HPL about spat. I should be getting my spat attached to my reef ball at the end of the month. This weekend I will be making my final reef ball so I have enough time to age the cement before I attach the spat. Throughout the week I will start measuring the water off my dock. This week I will also be doing the review process for my booklet.
April 7, 2021
This afternoon I did my first measurement on the water. I took a sample of water from the area my oysters will be placed. My Results were:
TDS: 4500 ppm
Salinity: 5%
pH: 7.95
Temperature: 17.8 C
Dissolved oxygen: 6 ppm
The recommended range for oysters are
TDS: 10 to 19,990ppm (mg/L)
Salinity: 5% - 35%
pH: 8 (or 4-9)
Temperature: 20-30 C
Dissolved oxygen at least 2-3 ppm
Temperature is the only thing that seems to be lacking as of now, but it is still early in the season and I have plenty of weeks for the water to warm up before I put my reef in. I am going to keep an eye on the pH but I'm not too concerned that it is a little lower than 8.
April 18, 2021
I thought my final reef ball was almost done, but I made a few mistakes with the cement. I added too much water to the mixture so the ball was mushy and will probably never fully dry. I also forgot to add my weight bearing ring to I can hang the ball. But I am going to finish the hopefully last ball so I can start aging the cement and get my oysters!
After finishing 40% of my project, I met with my mentor to discuss what my fall schedule would look like. For this fall I hope to finish my reef ball, age the cement so it is ready in the spring to grow oysters, and start planning my education work.
November 25, 2020
After taking a good amount of time thinking about what direction my education work should go I have finally decided to write a small book called, "The sustainable household: How to develop your house and property to protect the Chesapeake Bay." (subject to change, I know it's a little long) In this book, I will explore the ins and outs of sustainability around the Maryland house hold. Whether someone wants to understand the best native plants to use to protect the water line or to understand how much money solar panels can save over time. I will also outline how to build an oyster reef off the dock and how I did it. But each part of the book will always relate back to the Chesapeake Bay and how it affects the ecosystem as well as the oysters.
December
During this month I have the goals of outlining my small book. The outline will include a detail summary on each chapter and include the research I plan on writing about. So far the chapters I plan for are:
1. Native Plants
2. Sustainable Gardening
3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Compost
4. Oyster Growing
5. Renewable Energy
6. Types of Sustainable Housing
December
Here is The outline for each chapter, I did not plan enough time for writing each outline so I will need to use the first half of January to produce an outline. I think the first 2 weeks are going to be important for me to meet my own deadlines, now that the college process has fully calmed down I will be able to dedicate more time to creating the outline so I can get started on writing the book as soon as possible. In February, along with the writing process I will be creating my oyster reef and aging the concrete, I will also set up my oyster date and make sure my dock is ready to go.
- Native plants
- Importance of using native plants
- Wetlands
- Wetlands definition, intro stuff, loss of wetlands in the bay lead into ii.
- Purposes of wetlands
- Pollution control
- Habitat (biodiversity)
- Ground water recharge
- Biomass for biogas
- Irrigation
- Flood control
- What healthy wetlands look like + identifying and solving problems
January 13, 2021
I have outlined the descriptions for each chapter. This was recommended to me by an author who said the most helpful thing for them and their editor was to write a description for each chapter before writing it.
1. Native Plants
Description: For this chapter I will outline native plants in the Bay area and why it is important to plant native as much as possible instead of using only popular plants. This idea ties back into helping oysters. I will also cover wetlands, since if you live on or near the water there will be wetlands. These wetlands are crucial to the Bay and oyster’s health so I will cover what they do, and how to help them/create more. Wetlands also face a problem; they are depleting in this area which makes the ones that are still existing prone to flooding and not doing their job in the environment right.
2. Sustainable Gardening
Description: In this chapter I would like to cover edible landscaping, using compost instead of artificial fertilizers, and crop rotation. Edible landscaping is probably my favorite thing I have ever seen. It’s all about using your lawn and property to grow fruits and vegetables instead of grass. This is a great way to practice sustainability since food is coming right from the back yard. Using compost instead of fertilizers that are store bought can help reduce the excess nitrogen and phosphorus that runs off into the bay. Crop rotation and a few other methods will be gone over in this section so the reader can understand how to give plants more nutrients without using fertilizers.
3. Reuse, Reduce, and Compost
Description: In this chapter I will go over, just touching the surface, of a low waste household and how this benefits the pollution that goes into the Bay. This will also play into reducing waste. I did not include recycling in this because last year alone only 9% of trash put into recycling was recycled. I do not believe that as of now recycling is a sustainable way to reduce waste from getting into the Bay. I will be sure to touch on this in the chapter and inform the reader on what the recycling industry really looks like. Composting is another great way to reduce waste thrown into the garbage. I will review how to start a compost, the different types of composts, and how to manage it.
4. Oyster Growing
Description: This is the chapter that I will be going over all of my research with my oyster growing. I will include most of my material from my blog posts, all of my research material and interviews, pictures and diagrams on designing the reef, and how to take care of the oysters. I will also include oyster growing programs and volunteer options in the Bay area that are available as alternatives.
5. Renewable Energy
Description: Although you cannot see the pollution that comes from electricity it is there. I will tie it into this book by talking about ocean acidification and how that hurts oysters. I will then lay out the different types of renewable energy and the average financial long-term benefit. Although this is a shorter description than my others, I can see this chapter being one of the longest because there is a lot to unpack with renewable energy.
6. Sustainable housing
Description: In this chapter I will talk about broad sustainable housing and different types of housing, but I will also cover things about certain technology that you can put in the house that will help reduce water and energy waste. Like the previous chapter I will highlight the long term benefits both financially and for the environment.
February, 2021
To finish my booklet by spring break, I have decided to cut the last two chapters. So far I have completed the first two, have almost finished the third, and have made the outline for the last. I made a google doc and have asked multiple people in the fellows program and outside of it to review it and comment on it. Over spring break I hope to complete my bibliography, finish editing, and include pictures.
February, 2021
The Descriptions for the chapters have changed since I last updated. These are the new ones.
Chapter 1: For this chapter I will outline native plants in the Bay area and why it is important to plant native as much as possible instead of using only popular plants. This idea ties back into helping oysters. I will also cover wetlands, since if you live on or near the water there will be wetlands. These wetlands are crucial to the Bay and oyster’s health so I will cover what they do, and how to help them/create more. Wetlands also face a problem; they are depleting in this area which makes the ones that are still existing prone to flooding and not doing their job in the environment right.
Chapter 2: In this chapter I would like to cover edible landscaping, using compost instead of artificial fertilizers, and crop rotation. Edible landscaping is probably my favorite thing I have ever seen. It’s all about using your lawn and property to grow fruits and vegetables instead of grass. This is a great way to practice sustainability since food is coming right from the back yard. Using compost instead of fertilizers that are store bought can help reduce the excess nitrogen and phosphorus that runs off into the bay. Crop rotation and a few other methods will be gone over in this section so the reader can understand how to give plants more nutrients without using fertilizers.
Chapter 3: In this chapter I will go over, just touching the surface, of a low waste household and how this benefits the pollution that goes into the Bay. This will also play into reducing waste. I did not include recycling in this because last year alone only 9% of trash put into recycling was recycled. I do not believe that as of now recycling is a sustainable way to reduce waste from getting into the Bay. I will be sure to touch on this in the chapter and inform the reader on what the recycling industry really looks like. Composting is another great way to reduce waste thrown into the garbage. I will review how to start a compost, the different types of composts, and how to manage it.
Chapter 4: This is the chapter that I will be going over all of my research with my oyster growing. I will include most of my material from my blog posts, all of my research material and interviews, pictures and diagrams on designing the reef, and how to take care of the oysters. I will also include oyster growing programs and volunteer options in the Bay area that are available as alternatives.
March 19, 2021
I hope to accomplish a lot on my book and on the reef over spring break. I am posting this small checklist to keep me accountable for the rest of March. I hope now that the whole college process is over, and without classes during this week, I can dedicate even more time to this project.
Book Checklist
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Review and Edit Draft
- Create footnotes
- pick out images
- Start on IBook
- Order concrete, chains, dissolved oxygen detector for final reef
- Age Cement
- water measurement
March 28, 2021
Over Spring break, I completed my booklet, started on the review process, ordered everything I should need for my reef ball, ordered measurement tools for the water, and reached out to HPL about spat. I should be getting my spat attached to my reef ball at the end of the month. This weekend I will be making my final reef ball so I have enough time to age the cement before I attach the spat. Throughout the week I will start measuring the water off my dock. This week I will also be doing the review process for my booklet.
April 7, 2021
This afternoon I did my first measurement on the water. I took a sample of water from the area my oysters will be placed. My Results were:
TDS: 4500 ppm
Salinity: 5%
pH: 7.95
Temperature: 17.8 C
Dissolved oxygen: 6 ppm
The recommended range for oysters are
TDS: 10 to 19,990ppm (mg/L)
Salinity: 5% - 35%
pH: 8 (or 4-9)
Temperature: 20-30 C
Dissolved oxygen at least 2-3 ppm
Temperature is the only thing that seems to be lacking as of now, but it is still early in the season and I have plenty of weeks for the water to warm up before I put my reef in. I am going to keep an eye on the pH but I'm not too concerned that it is a little lower than 8.
April 18, 2021
I thought my final reef ball was almost done, but I made a few mistakes with the cement. I added too much water to the mixture so the ball was mushy and will probably never fully dry. I also forgot to add my weight bearing ring to I can hang the ball. But I am going to finish the hopefully last ball so I can start aging the cement and get my oysters!