Thinking About Oyster Resources as a Portfolio of Ecosystem Services

OneNOAA Science Seminar Series

Title: Thinking About Oyster Resources as a Portfolio of Ecosystem Services. Seminar No. 4 of 13 in NOAA's RESTORE Science Program Seminar Series: Actionable Science in the Gulf of Mexico

Speaker: Dr. Daniel Petrolia, Mississippi State University

Sponsors: NOAA RESTORE Science Program and NOAA's National Ocean Service Science Seminar Series. Points of contact are Andrew.Lade@noaa.gov and for webinar questions, Tracy.GIll@noaa.gov 

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Abstract: The presentation will cover the 3 key components of a NOAA RESTORE Science-funded project focused on the economics of ecosystem services provided by oysters: 1) use of expert knowledge to estimate the ranges of ecosystem services provided by three diverse oyster resources, 2) a comparison of the ecosystem service values,total benefits, and costs of the three oyster resources, and 3) an overview of how the three oysters resources can be seen as part of an "oyster portfolio"for providing ecosystem services.  Part of the presentation will provide an overview of the SPAT (Shellfish Portfolio Assessment Tool) decision tool. Oyster resources are organized into three broad categories:  on-bottom production (traditional bottom leases and commercially harvested oyster beds), off-bottom farming (containers where oysters are kept off the bottom, including cases where the container itself sits on the bottom), and restoration/conservation efforts (living shorelines and restored reefs with the intention of no-harvest). Ecosystem services featured are: oyster harvest (as indicated by oyster density), improved water quality (net nitrogen assimilation), shoreline protection (net erosion), and other fish habitat (blue crab and red drum density).

Bio: Dan Petrolia is a professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University, where he has been on the faculty since 2006.He is a Louisiana native, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. in agricultural & applied economics from the University of Minnesota. He teaches graduate courses in environmental/welfare and mathematical economics.  Most of his research focuses on the economics of coastal resources and natural hazards,including flood and wind insurance and mitigation; valuation of coastal wetlands, barrier islands, and ecosystem services; and consumer preferences for Gulf seafood.  Dan serves as an editor of the journal Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy. This year, Dan is co-chairing the program committee for the 2020 Bays & Bayous Symposium. Dan splits his time between Stennis Space Center in coastal Mississippi and the main campus.

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(Dr. Daniel Petrolia, Mississippi State University)