Using Oyster Aquaculture as a Nitrogen Mitigation Tool

Presenter(s): Anthony Lima, CCME II, NOAA Office of Education, Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI)

Sponsor(s): NOAA EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers

Seminar Contact(s): Audrey.Trotman@noaa.gov, oed.epp10@noaa.gov

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Abstract: Eutrophication is the process of environmental degradation due to increased nutrient loading, typically as runoff from agriculture and industry. Determining economic costs for ecosystem services (i.e., nutrient regulation), is a complex and multidisciplinary endeavor. This research project utilized a series of models to 1) screen eutrophication 2) calculate nitrogen assimilation into tissue and shell and 3) an engineered wastewater equivalent to nitrogen removal. Hydrology and water quality data was first screened using the Assessment of Estuarine Trophic Status (ASSETS)software during a NOAA Experiential Research Training Opportunity (NERTO). Next, nitrogen assimilation was estimated using the Farm Aquaculture Resource (FARM) calibrated locally for Copano Bay, Texas across two years with high and low salinity. Lastly, an avoided cost/replacement method was used comparing nitrogen removal costs among theoretical wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) technologies with varying efficiencies. As oyster aquaculture continues to grow in Texas, there are many waterbodies that may improve utilizing nitrogen bioextraction. Anthony completed his NERTO under the supervision of Suzanne Bricker of the National Ocean Service (NOS).

Bio(s): Anthony Lima received his Ph.D. in Coastal and Marine System Science at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in December, 2023, where he was a NOAA CCME-II scholar whose research focused on the development of marine resource use and socio-economic considerations in marine resource management. He received a M.S. in Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Science from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as a NOAA CCME scholar, where he studied the fishery management network of the Gulf of Mexico. He received his B.S. in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland University College while serving in the United States Navy. His research at the TAMU-CC Harte Research Institute of Gulf of Mexico Studies investigates the plausibility of expanded oyster aquaculture in Texas. His dissertation focused on states’ oyster aquaculture regulatory environments, the value of ecosystem services performed by bivalves, and comparing growth simulations with different environmental variables. His NOAA Experiential Research and Training Opportunity (NERTO) focused on eutrophic assessment models in south Texas estuaries and the value and quantification of oyster nitrogen. Anthony is currently pursuing opportunities for a career researching aquaculture, fisheries, and ecology to advance sustainable domestic seafood on America’s working waterfronts.