| The Chesapeake Bay is currently on the verge of an ecological crisis. Most of the Bay and tributary waters are considered impaired, flora and fauna populations are at all time lows, and there does not appear to be a significant solution in the near future. Over the years, there have been a number of attempts at improving water quality, most notably through wastewater treatment upgrades and changes in agricultural practices. Although these programs have been in place for years, there has been little effect, leading to the increased demand for new initiatives in this field. Additionally, all time low population levels have been recorded for Crassostrea virginica (the eastern oyster), a culturally, economically, and ecologically significant species for the Bay-region. Based on the need to increase both water quality and oyster populations, researchers have proposed a new initiative: the use of oysters' natural ability of filtration to reduce local levels of nutrients. Thus far, research related to this innovative idea has focused on filtration rates and the survivability of restored oyster populations. This thesis attempts to expand upon the current research by conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis on the costs associated with an oyster restoration project in the Great Wicomico River, Virginia as they relate to the amount of nutrients removed by the restored population. The goal of this analysis is to provide a comparison between the unit cost of removing one pound of a nutrient through oyster filtration versus that of the current or proposed alternatives. Based on the preliminary analysis and a Monte Carlo Sensitivity Analysis to account for variability, it was found that oyster restoration projects are not cost-effective solutions to reducing nutrients within Chesapeake Bay. The current alternatives can remove one pound of nitrogen at a cost of between {dollar}1.57/lb and {dollar}8.56/lb, while according to the Monte Carlo analysis, the oyster restoration project would cost roughly {dollar}77.77/lb of nitrogen removed. The results are similar in proportion with phosphorus removal. Overall, this thesis found that oyster filtration is not a cost-effective solution to removing nutrients from Chesapeake Bay, with the recommendation that current alternatives continue until a less-costly method is devised. |
