Posted May. 8, 2008
By David Ortiz
PBN Staff Writer
CHARLESTOWN – Volunteers working for a new public-private conservation partnership today transplanted more than 90,000 clams, collectively weighing nearly 20,000 pounds, into Ninegret Pond.
The work was the first step in a new shellfish and eelgrass restoration effort in the South County region’s salt ponds. The transplant restoration project is an effort of a national partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Community-Based Restoration Program and The Nature Conservancy’s Marine Initiative, with local participation from the R.I. Dept. of Environmental Management, Save The Bay, the Salt Ponds Coalition and Marta Gomez-Chiarri from the University of Rhode Island.
The transplant was assisted by the R.I. Shellfishermen’s Association, who in conjunction with the DEM, harvested clams this morning from Greenwich Cove that were then transported by truck to the Ninigret Pond site at Lavin’s Landing Marina. Volunteers then joined members of the various organizations to help re-plant the shellfish in Ninigret Pond’s spawner sanctuary, using boats provided by the Salt Ponds Coalition.
In the sanctuary itself, clams may not be harvested. But the region will serve as a breeding ground for the shellfish, eventually increasing the number of clams available in the rest of the pond.
As an added benefit, clams filter water to feed, thereby reducing excess plankton. As their numbers grow, they will help better clean the water in which they live, contributing to an overall improvement of water quality in the pond.
“The Nature Conservancy is normally associated with land conservation, but working on restoring aquatic habitats is a logical extension of our efforts into where the land meets the water in coastal ponds,” said Janet Coit, director of the Nature Conservancy’s Rhode Island chapter.
NOAA and The Nature Conservancy are providing $143,414 in financing for the integrated restoration project, with additional technical support being contributed by NOAA and the University of Rhode Island.
The second half of the shellfish transplant – involving a similar quantity of clams – will take place in Quonochontaug Pond on May 20.
To test the value of combining shellfish with eelgrass restoration, the restoration project will include a May 15 eelgrass transplant into two small test plots in Ninigret and Quonochontaug Ponds. A full-scale eelgrass transplant led by Save The Bay is slated for this September.
Today’s hands-on transplant effort was coordinated by the DEM’s Marine Fisheries division, working with the R.I. Shellfishermen’s Association, whose members harvested the clams.
The shellfish were taken from “uncertified waters” in Greenwich Cove, where shellfish may not be harvested for eating. After being tested to ensure they were healthy, they were placed in the spawner sanctuary, where they are still prohibited from being harvested. By breeding in these protected areas, the shellfish will naturally extend the range of the clam population into areas with clean water, where new, healthy clams can seed and grow, all the while continuing to improve water quality in their own right.
Volunteers for the effort – who are also being recruited for the May 20 transplant in Quonochontaug Pond – are being coordinated by Save The Bay, a nonprofit renowned for its volunteer-organizing capabilities; and the Salt Ponds Coalition, a local citizen volunteer monitoring group that has championed the protection of the South County ponds for decades.
To sign up for the upcoming transplant, contact Stephanie Hessler at Save The Bay at 272-3540, x130, or shessler@savebay.org. Volunteers should be able to lift a 50-pound bag, and must provide their own gear, including work gloves and waders or closed-toe shoes.
