Documentation and Station Locations for theWashington Dept.
	of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Willapa Bay Hydrographic,
	Oyster Condition Indices and Thermograph Data Sets

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Hydrographic Data

Trip 1 occurred in 1955 with observations on water density and temperature. Trip 2 was in 1957, and measurements were taken on water temperature, salinity, oxygen and Pearl-Benson Index values of sulfite waste liquor. Trip 3 was made in May of 1960 to gather information on a specific area around Nahcotta. In general, these 3 trips were made to determine the general magnitude of temperature, salinity and oxygen values. From this work it was observed that salinity in Willapa Bay was principally influenced by the rate of river runoff rather than changes in ocean salinity. 

In order to better understand the problems associated with oyster fatness (condition index), reproduction, and to gather background information for use in evaluating future changes in Willapa Bay, a special investigation was initiated by the Washington Department of Fisheries. Starting with trip 4, in August of 1960, a continuing series of combined hydrographic and productivity trips were made. A total of 50 trips were conducted which ended in October 1968. 

	

Station Locations for Willapa Bay Hydrographic Surveys 1955-1968



Station
             Location
             Maximum Depth Sampled (feet)
             Latitude
             Longitude
             
    1
             Can 11
             40
             46E 28Æ 57"
             124E 00Æ 34"
             
    2
             Can 14
             50
             46E 26Æ 07"
             123E 59Æ 41"

             
    3
             Can 7
             40
             46E 31Æ 02"
             124E 00Æ 04"
             
    4
             Can 2
             20
             46E 31Æ 14"
             123E 58Æ 30"
             
    4a
             Stanley Point
             40
             46E 27Æ 41"
             123E 56Æ 09"
             
    5
             Can 13
             50
             46E 27Æ 00"
             124E 00Æ 18"
             
    6
             Sunshine Point
             20
             46E 30Æ 12"
             124E 01Æ 04"
             
    7
             Can 6
             40
             46E 32Æ 42"
             123E 59Æ 04"
             
    8
             Riddle Spit Light
             50
             46E 35Æ 45"
             123E 58Æ 33"
             
    9
             Nun 2

             50
             46E 35Æ 41"
             123E 58Æ 37"
             
    9a
             Rhodesia Beach
             20
             46E 37Æ 20"
             123E 59Æ 05"
             
    10
             Buoy 1
             20
             46E 38Æ 54"
             123E 59Æ 35"
             
    11
             Buoy 18
             50
             46E 41Æ 27"
             124E 00Æ 24"
             
    12
             Buoy 22
             40
             46E 41Æ 48"
             123E 58Æ 21"
             
    13
             Green Pile 7
             40
             46E 41Æ 45"
             123E 56Æ 13"
             
    14
             Pile 19
             20
             46E 42Æ 12"
             123E 53Æ 14"
             
    15
             Pile 27
             20
             46E 42Æ 35"
             123E 51Æ 14"

             
    16
             Green Pile 33
             20
             46E 42Æ 08"
             123E 49Æ 56"
             
    18
             Stackpole
             20
             46E 35Æ 13"
             124E 00Æ 09"
             
    21
             Green Pile 39
             20
             46E 40Æ 13"
             123E 49Æ 00"
             
    22
             Green Pile 51
             20
             46E 39Æ 56"
             123E 48Æ 54"
             
    23
             Green Pile 55
             20
             46E 40Æ 35"
             123E 48Æ 02"
             
    
    


Station Locations for Willapa Bay Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Condition Index

Location
             Latitude
             Longitude
             
    Parcel A (Nahcotta)
             46E 29Æ 47"
             124E 01Æ 45"
             

    Oysterville
             46E 33Æ 56"
             124E 01Æ 00"
             
    Stackpole
             46E 35Æ 50"
             124E 01Æ 00"
             
    Stony Point
             46E 40Æ 35"
             123E 55Æ 31"
             
    Bay Center
             46E 38Æ 15"
             123E 56Æ 45"
             
    Casey Bed
             46E 35Æ 12"
             124E 01 08"
             
    Peterson
             46E 26Æ 05"
             124E 00Æ 36"
             
    Olsen Slough
             46E 24Æ 43"
             124E 00Æ 07"
             
    Smokey Hollow
             46E 26Æ 00"
             123E 58Æ 36"
             
    Bear River
             46E 24Æ 30"
             123E 58Æ 15"
             
    Nemah
             46E 31Æ 24"
             123E 56Æ 10"
             
    Naselle
             46E 29Æ 20"
             123E 58Æ 15"
             
    Wildlife Refuge

             46E 25Æ 00"
             123E 56Æ 00"
             
    North Long Island
             46E 30Æ 30"
             123E 58Æ 27"
             
    
Oyster Condition Index

The range of oyster condition index values is interpreted as follows:

Above 10 Excellent

8-10 Good

6-8 Fair

Below 6 Poor

Oyster Condition Index Determination Procedure (Westley (1961) method)

Clean oyster of all loose material, sand, mud

Determine weight in air (A), and in water (W) of container to be used (A) -(K) = K

Determine weight in air (Ta) and in water (Tw) of opened oysters

Open oysters

Determine weight in air (Sa) and in water (Sw) of shells

Make a small tray to accommodate sample and determine weight of tray (Pan Weight)

Drain meats for 10 minutes, place in tray and weigh (Pan + Wet Meat Weight)

Dry meats in oven for two days at 50E C and two days at 100E C.

Weight pan with dry meats (Dry Meat Weight + Pan) 

Calculation

(Ta) - (Tw) - K = Total volume of oysters (T.V.)

(Sa) - (Sw) - K = Total volume of shell (S.V.)

(T.V.) - (S.V.) = Volume of shell cavity

Dry Meat Weight = (Pan + Dry Meat Weight) - (Pan Weight)

condition index = Dry Meat Weight 

Volume of Shell Cavity

Notes:

Wet weight of meats is determine to allow comparison with previous work and to allow calculation of percent moisture. Wet weight of meats is not a reliable value.

Always use the same container for all determinations so K is constant. Have basket wet when determining K.

Clean oysters carefully. Oysters without tight fitting valves should be discarded.

Oysters should be in seawater immediately prior to analyses. Air inside shells throws values off.

When taking weight of shells in water, be careful that shell do not trap air.

As a general rule, Tw should always be greater than Sw.

Sample size usually 20 Pacific oysters, 50 Olympia oysters (Note: WDFW has been using 30 pacific oysters per sample since June 1996).

Westley, Ronald E. 1961. Selection and evaluation of a method for quantitative measurement of oyster condition. Proc. Nat. Shellfisheries Assoc., Vol. 50, pp. 145-149.

    


Primary Productivity data for Willapa Bay.

At each station, samples were taken in the photic zone (3Æ and 10") with a 4-liter non metallic Van Dorn sampler. Sub-samples for the various determinations were withdrawn from this initial sample. Samples for measurement of photosynthetic rate were immediately inoculated with one microcurie of radioactive carbon-14 and placed in a deck incubator covered with a suitable light filter for two hours, using natural sunlight. Carbon-14 and chlorophyll samples were filtered on the vessel. The pH and alkalinity determinations were made on the vessel. Nutrient samples were refrigerated and returned to the Point Whitney laboratory for analysis. Analysis of all properties was made by the methods outlined by Strickland and Parsons (1960). Ammonia was determined by the method of Richards and Kletsch (1964). Chlorophyll data were calculated by IBM methods through cooperation of the University of Washington Department of Oceanography. 

Richards, F.A. and R.A. Kletsch. 1964. The spectrophotometric determination of ammonia and labile amino compounds in fresh and seawater by oxidation to nitrate. Univ. Wash. Dept. Oceanog., Tech. Rept. (97): 1-17.

Strickland, J.D.H., and T.R. Parsons. 1960. A manual of sea water analysis. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada Bull. 125.



Nahcotta Temperatures

Nahcotta temperatures were recorded on Duro Thermograph Temperature Recorder, Model 400, 7 day spring wound chart drive.  Data are taken at a single location (boat basin) adjacent to the
WDFW Shellfish lab.  Approximate location is 46 deg. 30' 00"N and 124 deg. 01' 50"W.  
Temperatures are reported in degrees F.