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Alabama Oyster Reef
Restoration Program
Request for projects to be included in the National
Marine Fisheries Service funded initiative
The University of South Alabama is now soliciting pre-proposals from its faculty to identify individual
research projects to be included in its omnibus fisheries habitat restoration project. Eligible investigators
are all University of South Alabama faculty. Adjunct USA faculty and faculty from other institutions
may serve as Co-PIs with tenure track USA faculty. Funding can be for one to three years (see below).
Program scientists in association with an independent Scientific Advisory Panel will prioritize
proposals.
I. Background. As human population growth increases, so does its impact on the marine environment.
Among the myriad of effects resulting from increased utilization of coastal natural resources, direct
human impacts have resulted in decreased abundance of many commercial and recreationally important
fisheries as well as dramatic loss and degradation of marine habitats. Recognition that the loss and/or
degradation of complex marine habitats (e.g, seagrass meadows, salt marshes, oyster reefs, and shallow
hard bottom reef, offshore natural and artificial reef) may be limiting the recovery of many marine
species has led to increased efforts to conserve existing habitats, restore degraded habitats and create
new habitats that function to fill critical roles in the life history of marine and estuarine fishes.
Unfortunately, our limited knowledge of the dynamic processes that function on the community or
ecosystem levels, as well as the role of habitat in mediating many species interactions, represents a
significant limitation to the application of ecological theory to fisheries and restoration science.
Research is also needed that examines in a more applied context the practical aspects of habitat
restoration (construction and design elements) and evaluation of metrics to monitor success of habitat
restoration projects. Recognizing that advances in marine restoration science involve both basic
ecological and applied studies, the University of South Alabama has designed a habitat enhancement
and restoration program that will allow researchers to focus on a broad range of topics of fundamental
interest to marine habitat restoration.
The Alabama Oyster Reef and Fisheries Habitat Enhancement Program has three long-term
objectives:
(1) to assist in the development of a long-term strategy for sustained productivity of Alabama’s
oyster resources and the associated ecological and fishery benefits that accrue from healthy
oyster-based habitat;
(2) to develop the scientific understanding necessary to direct current and future fisheries habitat
conservation, restoration and enhancement in Alabama estuarine, nearshore, and offshore
waters; and
(3) to provide this information to state and federal management agencies, the fishing industry
and the general public through outreach activities.
To address these objectives, the Alabama Oyster Reef and Fisheries Habitat Enhancement Program has
four major components: (1) assessment of current marine habitats and fishery resources; (2) large-scale
habitat creation/restoration activities performed in cooperation with the Alabama Department of
Conservation; (3) targeted research projects performed by individual University of South Alabama
researchers (projects selected in response to this RFP), and (4) public outreach, education, and
communication (Figure 1). This solicitation seeks to identify meritorious proposals under the
individual research project category. Individual research projects may propose reef creation/restoration
activities provided they are coupled to specific research objectives. Activities under components 1 and 4
are accomplished by program staff and described in the omnibus proposal to NMFS.
Offshore
Offshore
hard bottom
hard bottom
Oyster reef
Oyster reef Seagrass
habitats
Targeted research
Targeted research
projects
projects Habitat:
Habitat
Restoration/Enhancement
Restoration/Enhancement Public outreach/
Public outreach/
Creation education
education
Assessment/inventory of Conservation
Conservation
current habitat
current habitat
Oyster reef
Oyster reef Seagrass
Seagrass
Offshore
Offshore
hard bottom
hard bottom
Figure 1. Schematic representation of the main components of the Alabama Oyster Reef and Fisheries
Habitat Enhancement Program.
II. Program funding. Successful proposals will have direct relevance to fisheries or restoration science.
For program management, the overall program is divided into two areas: oyster reefs and finfisheries
habitat (e.g. seagrass, offshore hard bottom). This separation allows for continuation of the existing
Alabama Oyster Reef Restoration Program with few changes and for the expansion of the program to
address research topics related to other fisheries habitats. The division also represents the unique
position of oyster reefs in terms of essential fish habitat. Of the many habitats that serve critical needs in
the life cycle of fish and mobile invertebrates, oyster reefs are the only habitat that are an exploitable
resource. This fact results in unique challenges to the management and conservation of oyster reefs.
The program recognizes that this division is somewhat artificial in that many species that utilize seagrass
habitats will occur on oyster reefs (e.g., spotted sea trout, gag grouper) and that both habitats may serve
as nursery ground for many offshore species. Consequently, many program elements will encompass
several focus areas in order to more fully understand how habitat connectivity provides fisheries
benefits. Below we describe the list of funding priorities under each category, oyster restoration and
finfisheries habitat (see Table 1 for a summary).
Table 1. A list of research topics under the targeted research programs for both the oyster reef and
finfisheries habitat focus areas of the Program.
Oyster Reef Fisheries Habitat
Fisheries benefits Fisheries benefits
Ecological benefits Connectivity among habitats
Oyster biology Habitat-species interactions
Environmental Studies
Socio-economic Studies
A. Oyster Reef Restoration:
The program has identified 5 priority areas under the oyster reef restoration program. Proposals should
respond to one of the five priority areas listed below. A list of previously funded projects under these
categories can be found at http://www.southalabama.edu/marinesciences/research.html.
1. Fisheries Benefits: Fisheries benefits associated with oyster reefs include the oyster fishery as well as
a host of finfish and shellfish that utilize these habitats during their life cycle. Well designed research
projects that propose reef construction in Alabama coastal waters are encouraged and will be the top
priority for funding. Reef creation/restoration should be designed to rigorously test research hypothesis
of direct relevance to fisheries or restoration ecology. PI’s should provide a detailed explanation of the
proposed location, design and materials used in reef construction. PI’s should not include the cost of
reef creation in their budget. Pursuant to State of Alabama purchasing guidelines, contractors for reef
construction will be identified through public bid. Projects proposing reef creation should include a
monitoring plan designed to evaluate the overall success of reef creation. At a minimum, the monitoring
program should include annual surveys of oyster densities and areal coverage of reefs.
2. Ecological benefits: The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is an integral component of coastal
ecosystems and local economies along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States. Biogenic reefs
formed by the aggregation of this species provide high quality habitat for numerous species of fishes and
invertebrates many of which are of commercial and recreational significance. Oysters also serve as
filters for estuarine water and have probably exerted a high level of control on energy flow and nutrient
fluxes in estuarine ecosystems in the past. The dramatic decline in oyster populations throughout the
eastern United States and many Gulf States has resulted from the combined effects of intensive
harvesting, habitat destruction, reduced water quality, and disease. Whereas the economic loss of the
oyster fishery is striking and has historically been responsible for government actions, recognition and
public promotion of the ecological benefits of oyster reef habitat have resulted in increased efforts to
restore oyster reefs. Project designed to quantify the ecological benefits of oyster reef restoration are
encouraged provided these studies are field based and designed to test specific hypotheses.
3. Environmental studies: Field-based projects designed to evaluate environmental conditions and
processes in Alabama coastal waters will be considered provided that the study is highly relevant to
oyster restoration efforts. PI’s should provide a detailed explanation of how information gathered will
be used in the design of future oyster reef restoration efforts. Previous studies under this category have
focused on low dissolved oxygen and circulation.
4. Oyster biology: Studies (either laboratory or field based) designed to investigate various aspects of the
biology of the eastern oyster will be considered for funding provided the results of the studies have a
direct application to restoration efforts.
5. Socioeconomic studies: Studies that are designed to quantify societal benefits of oyster reef
restoration will be considered. Resource valuation studies are particularly encouraged.
B. Finfisheries Habitat:
The need to identify and protect essential fish habitat (EFH) has been a congressional mandate for nearly
a decade. Early efforts by the Fishery Management Councils were frustrated by the initial guidelines,
which resulted in virtually every estuarine and marine body being included as EFH. This was followed
by clarifying the goals to focus on areas of special concern. In the north central Gulf, there are currently
several habitat types which qualify as areas of special concern, including beds of submerged aquatic
vegetation (SAV), marshes, natural hard bottoms, hermatypic and ahermatypic reefs, and artificial reefs
(e.g. rocks, jetties, concrete structures). All these habitats would benefit by detailed research directed
both at the specific benefits to fisheries they provide, as well as steps taken to preserve, maintain, or
expand these habitats. The program has identified 3 priority areas for targeted research projects under
the finfisheries habitat program.
1. Fisheries Benefits: Fisheries benefits associated with offshore reefs include the snapper fishery as
well as a host of finfish and shellfish that utilize these habitats during their life cycle. Well-designed
research projects that propose reef construction in Alabama offshore waters are encouraged and will be
the top priority for funding. Reef creation/restoration should be designed to rigorously test research
hypothesis of direct relevance to fisheries or restoration ecology. PI’s should provide a detailed
explanation of the proposed location, design and materials used in reef construction. PI’s should not
include the cost of reef creation in their budget. Pursuant to State of Alabama purchasing guidelines,
contractors for reef construction will be identified through public bid. Projects proposing reef creation
should include a monitoring plan designed to evaluate the overall success of reef creation. At a
minimum, the monitoring program should include annual surveys of fisheries stocks and areal coverage
of deployed reefs.
2. Connectivity among habitats: Fisheries species often demonstrate ontogenetic changes in habitat
preferences as they mature. Understanding this complex linkage of habitats is critical to effective
restoration and conservation. Projects designed to examine connectivity between nursery habitats and
adult habitats for fisheries species are encouraged provided the results of such studies can be used to
establish priorities for habitat conservation or restoration.
3. Habitat-species interactions: A second focus of the targeted research projects will be projects that
examine fundamental issues of how habitat design influences species interactions. Understanding how
structural elements of habitats influence recruitment, predator-prey and competitive interaction is critical
in evaluating the potential fisheries benefit of habitat creation. Project results should provide critical
information on design of habitat restoration.
III. Program oversight. Administrative responsibility for the program is with the chair of the
Department of Marine Sciences of the University of South Alabama and two associate program directors
(one for the oyster program and one for the fisheries habitat program). Support of individual research
projects will be based upon recommendations of the program directors and Advisory Panel (AP). The
composition of the AP will include at least one member from the National Marine Fisheries Service, two
outside researchers with experience in fisheries and habitat restoration, a representative of the seafood
industry of Alabama, and a representative of the Alabama Dept. of Conservation.
IV. Pre-Proposal submission. Investigators should use USA Oyster Restoration project forms
available on-line at www.southalama.edu// in preparing their proposal. The complete proposal should
include:
Cover Sheet with Certification Page*
Project Description (maximum of 3 pages)
Bibliography
Budget Pages* (one for each year of the project plus a summary budget)
Budget Justification (one page)
Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae (maximum of two pages per principal investigator)
* Indicates forms available as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect download at www.southalama.edu/
**USA transmittal forms are not necessary for pre-proposal submission. Successful projects will need to
complete transmittal forms prior to funding.
The deadline for receipt of pre-proposals is 5 pm on October 2, 2006 in the office of Ms. Nancy Merrill,
Department of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama, Life Sciences Building Rm 25, Mobile,
AL 36688.
V. Proposal Review: The Advisory Panel will evaluate all proposal submitted in response to this
request and make funding recommendations to the Program Director. Evaluation will be made based on
scientific merit, responsiveness to the stated goals of the program, and overall fit of individual research
projects within the larger comprehensive program. We anticipate making selections in December 2006.
The program will utilize this pre-proposal stage to the majority of application screening. Submission of
full proposal will be required prior to the funding.
The program anticipates funding 5-8 projects at a level up to $100 K per year per project.
Contact. For further information regarding this request please contact Dr. Robert Shipp, Department of
Marine Sciences, rshipp@jaguar1.southal.edu, Dr. Sean P. Powers, spowers@disl.org, or Dr. Ken Heck,
kheck@disl.org.
