Oyster gardening in Mississippi begins the 2023 season this month.
Oysters for the 2023 gardening season in Mississippi will be distributed at the end of this month. This season marks the 7th year that volunteers in Mississippi are contributing to restoring their local waters by growing oysters used for restoration projects.
Currently, the juvenile oysters, known as spat, are being housed in tanks at The Dauphin Island Sea Lab. This year, volunteers will receive two different bags of oysters. One bag will contain oysters exposed to cues from a predator, while the other will contain oysters not exposed. Oysters exposed to predators during their juvenile stage are thought to produce stronger shells, and data collected from this season can help to examine this relationship.
As with normal gardening seasons, volunteers will care for the oysters over the next few months by removing predators and shaking gardens to remove mud and prevent growth through the cages. This care helps to provide the juvenile oysters with a greater chance of survival and allow them to reach a size that can be used for restoration. With the expansion of our program this year, we are excited for the opportunity to have a larger impact on restoring local habitats through the increase in the number of oysters grown this season.
If you are interested in learning more or participating, please send an email to [email protected].