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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 18, Issue 02 | June 21, 2021

Policy Memo: Farming and Restoring Oysters to Combat Climate Change​

Heidi Yeh (1,2), Elizabeth Bouchard (2,3), Austin Grubb (1), Hunter Lanovoi (4)
  1. Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ 
  2. Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Port Norris, NJ
  3. Rutgers University School of Environmental & Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology & Evolution, New Brunswick, NJ
  4. Rutgers Biomedical & Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Neuroscience, Newark, NJ 

Corresponding author: [email protected]​
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG180212
Keywords: oysters; restoration; aquaculture: climate change
Executive Summary: To confront the myriad challenges posed by climate change, we present oysters as a nature-based solution with an abundance of environmental benefits and economic stimulus to coastal communities. We encourage the Biden administration to support international efforts to restore oyster reefs by presenting an “Oyster Restoration Initiative” to the World Economic Forum, mirroring recent actions on trees. On the domestic front, several legislative actions can be taken to sustain the current trajectory of restoration efforts. These efforts can be pursued in tandem, but we recommend that policy actions focus on expanding low carbon, oyster-based restorative aquaculture programs. This can revolutionize U.S. food production while reducing pollution from other forms of agriculture.

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Heidi Yeh is a graduate student at Rutgers University, pursuing a PhD in Oceanography. Her research focuses on the oyster microbiome in the context of aquaculture and reef restoration. Heidi holds a B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University and a M.S. from the University of Connecticut. She enjoys communicating science through food, and was drawn to oysters as a vehicle for connecting people to the environment. 
 
Elizabeth Bouchard is a 1st year graduate student in the Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program at Rutgers University. She holds a BA in environmental science from Wheaton College (MA). Her research investigates the influence of the oyster aquaculture industry on the ecological relationship between horseshoe crabs and a threatened migratory shorebird species. Elizabeth is passionate about science communication. She strives to bridge the gap between scientists, industry, and policymakers.

 
Austin Grubb is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in Oceanography at Rutgers University. His research focuses on the costs and benefits of calcification in a group of marine phytoplankton known as coccolithophores. Austin holds a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Spanish from Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA. He is interested in policy solutions to mitigate environmental issues, particularly around large and complex issues like climate change.
 
Hunter Lanovoi is a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate in the department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience at Rutgers New Jersey Medical school. His dissertation work focuses on how animals integrate external social cues and internal bodily cues to support social-emotional behaviors. Hunter holds an A.B. from Rollins College, Winter Park FL. He is passionate about enhancing communication between scientists and the public and engaging in discourse on healthcare, mental health, and basic research policy.
 
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Science Policy Advocacy at Rutgers (SPAR) for catalyzing the work of this team. 
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance or issue partners/sponsors. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

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