Oyster Brood Reef Monitoring

ENCOS was contracted by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to conduct dive sampling on four oyster brood reefs; one near Petit Pass, one in Karako Bay, one in Lake Machias, and one near Mozambique Point. Three square meter dive samples were collected at each location by a certified diver. One sample was collected at "shallow" depth, one at a "mid" depth, and one at a "deep" depth within the brood reef. For each sample, ENCOS counted and measured any live or dead oysters present, collected discrete water quality readings, and made note of any other organisms found in the sample. These dive samples were meant to quantify and document oyster stock recruitment, growth, and abundance inside each project area.