A Guide to Olympia Oyster Restoration and Conservation: Environmental Conditions and Sites that Support Sustainable Populations in Central California

This guide identifies key environmental conditions that affect Olympia oysters in central California. Availability of hard substrate, abundance of phytoplankton, and relatively warm water temperatures are identified as important factors for supporting sustainable oyster populations. Low salinity, low dissolved oxygen, warm air temperatures and abundant predatory oyster drills are found to be the most important stressors negatively affecting oysters. In general, stressors already facing oysters today appear likely to exert more influence over Olympia oysters in coming decades than emerging climate-related stressors. Using data on oyster attributes and environmental conditions, the authors evaluated 21 sites in San Francisco Bay and Elkhorn Slough for their restoration and conservation potential. 

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