Robin...CUR

Oyster Mat: Part Two of Cost Effective

Continuing research:

 “What do I want this experiment to show?” This experiment is the second part to the “Cost Effective of Plastic Base Oyster Mats vs Concrete Base Oyster Mats”. So therefore part two is necessary to show if it is “effective in attracting oyster spat” in order to see if it will be productive or nonproductive.  So in order for it to really be cost effective, it must be productive. Also we will need to see if nature is going to except or reject the material being used.

The second part of this project is to see whether or not spat will except or reject the concrete base mat and if the numbers are greater than or equal to the plastic based mat. The number of spat and design set-up of the experiment statistical done should give us a final conclusion in just how effective the CBM is, which is also the final conclusion of how cost effective it really is.

The initial design of deployment was setup with the concrete base mats next to the plastic base mats. Six of each, two rows of three and placed beside each other. Approximately 7ft from water line at low tide. After further consultation with Dr. Debra Woodall and Annie Roddenberry, it was decided that this setup will not do, for statistical research, nor adequate spat attachment do to intertidal waters of the estuary project site.

Take two: The second set-up design of mat deployment experiment was based on a more statistical mathematical concept and nonrandom sampling method.

In the take two set up design the mats are alternated, plastic base, concrete based, and so-on with a total length of 22ft and 3inch. There is approximately 9inch in between each mat and from center of each mat to the water line (at low tide) is 24inch, at high tide the water depth level is approximately 3.5ft (1.0668m) over the mats and roughly 6 ¼ hours in between tidal change. Therefore the water level hits all mats at the same time at high tide , total water coverage at the same time and leaves them at the same time at low tide. (June 2, 2015)

 

Two weeks form second design set-up, June 16, 2015, was the first count, and the results show promise, there will be a count one month thereafter for five consecutive months. I will also be looking at things such as salinity (ppt), DO (mg/L), wind direction, air temperature, water temperature, new recruitment, shifting settlement, other species (diversity) and will record any observations I feel necessary and/or interesting for further research.