Project Timeline
This project will take place over an eight-year period beginning in 2017. Year 1 (2017) was spent conducting surveys on the existing Lone Cabbage reef complex to determine the current elevation profile and mapping existing oyster communities on the reef. Construction was the main focus during Year 2 (2018), with oyster relocation beginning in late June, and rock and shell deposition accomplished in July through November. Monitoring of the restored reef will take place each year as required by permitting agencies. Year 3 (2019) will ideally see the completion of the reef construction and continued monitoring of oyster colonization and tracking of how water quality parameters, such as salinity in areas adjacent to the reef, change depending on tidal height, winds, and river discharge. Years 4-8 (2020-2024) are dedicated to monitoring how the oyster reef responds to changing environmental conditions, especially droughts and storm events.
