At this month's NOAA Social Sciences Committee meeting, Dr. Suzanne Bricker (NCCOS) highlighted a recent project on quantification and valuation of the nutrient removal capability of cultivated oysters in Long Island Sound and the Great Bay -Piscataqua estuary.

Oysters filter nutrients from the water. The project team quantified this nutrient removal using a model that measured water quality and oyster growth data. The nutrient removal represents an ecosystem service that might provide a farmer additional income in a nutrient credit trading program since the value of the removed nitrogen can be determined as an avoided cost of additional water treatment by traditional measures.The project supports nutrient water quality management programs, and has the potential to stimulate seafood production and create jobs through the expansion of aquaculture activities.

The Social Sciences Committee noted the project as a good example of the application of ecosystem services quantification and valuation to demonstrate connections between ecological and community well-being.  The goal of the committee is to integrate natural sciences with social, behavioral, and economic sciences to better support NOAA's mission.

For access to the models used in this project, visit:

• Assessment of Estuarine Trophic Status[ASSETS] eutrophication model webpage
• Farm Aquaculture ResourceManagement [FARM] shellfish aquaculture model webpage

Related project pages:

• Aquaculture and Eutrophication in Long Island Sound and Great Bay - Piscataqua Estuary
• AquaSpace - An Ecosystem Approach to Making Space for Sustainable Aquaculture
• Eutrophication and Oyster Aquaculture in the Patuxent River
• Improved Aquaculture Decision-making Using the Aquaculture Mapping Atlas and FARMModel
• National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment: Update
• Planning for Sustainable Shellfish Aquaculture in Complex Multiple Use Environments:Determining Social and Ecological Carrying Capacity for South Puget Sound (PECSA)
• Shellfish Aquaculture and Payment for Ecosystem Services in Chesapeake Bay

For more information, contact Suzanne.Bricker@noaa.gov.