The jones BAY oystercatcher habitat restoration project (project) plans to restore up to four existing remnant islands and adjacent intertidal reefs which will support american oystercatcher…

The jones BAY oystercatcher habitat restoration project (project) plans to restore up to four existing remnant islands and adjacent intertidal reefs which will support american oystercatcher (haematopus palliates) nesting and foraging in jones BAY located in galveston county, texas. Galveston BAY foundation (GBF) will serve as a member of the project team along with the U.S. Fish and wildlife (USFWS) gulf restoration office, USFWS coastal program, and other partners. This project was engineered and designed utilizing funds from USFWS coastal program and ducks unlimited. This project will be constructed using funds associated with the natural resource damage assessment (nrda), in combination with funds provided by phillips 66. Additional project funding is being provided through the coastal erosion planning and response act, the gulf of mexico energy security act, and the texas center for environmental qualitys galveston BAY estuary program. GBF services will include subrecipient awards to implement restoration activities. Restoration activities include island and intertidal restoration with the primary objectives of restoring up to 1 acre of island nesting habitat and up to 1.5 acres of intertidal reef to support foraging needs, as well as installing protective features to prevent erosion. Each site involves the restoration of a remnant island, now predominantly submerged, to create areas of higher elevations and allow for successful nesting. Adjacent to each restored island, GBF plans to restore and or enhance intertidal reef to provide nearby foraging habitat for nesting oystercatchers and their young. At least five years of post-construction monitoring will determine if the restored islands and reefs are being utilized by nesting oystercatchers and how well the restored islands serve to increase oystercatcher nesting success. With limited existing information on design specifications for ideal oystercatcher nesting habitat, the monitoring results will help develop best practices for future nesting island restoration.