Efforts to improve water quality and restore estuarine habitats through the interaction with oyster reefs are underway in Mississippi and Alabama. Oysters for the Oyster Gardening Program have been deployed in both states for this season.
As a keystone species, oysters play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems through water filtration and the habitat that they provide. Over the past several decades, oyster populations have been in decline due to overharvesting, habitat loss, pollution, runoff from human development and water quality issues stemming from excess rainfall in watersheds. Efforts by both the Mississippi and the Alabama Oyster Gardening programs aim to increase local oyster populations with the help of many dedicated volunteers.
Each year, oyster shells collected from restaurants are recycled and used for restoration purposes with the Oyster Gardening program. After curing in the sun and being carefully prepared, the recycled shell is sent to the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory to be set with baby oysters, or spat as they are called.
These oysters are then delivered to volunteers throughout Alabama and Mississippi who have access to approved areas for growing oysters.
Volunteers give the oysters the best opportunity to grow to a size that can be used for restoration by providing extra care throughout the gardening season. Predator removal and gently shaking cages to remove mud and pseudofeces are some of the main tasks that volunteers participate in during this time. After several months of specialized volunteer care, oysters are then collected and planted at identified sites for restoration purposes.
This year, oysters in Alabama were deployed in June and oysters for Mississippi were deployed later in August. Oysters in Mississippi were put out later in an attempt to reduce mortality from freshwater inputs seen over the last two years. Young oysters do not tolerate low salinity as well as their counterparts.
Deploying Mississippi oysters later in the summer gives them the best chance of survival by mitigating the risk associated with low-salinity events. If you are interested in the program and would like to learn more or become a volunteer, please send an email to [email protected] for more details.
Meet the author
Conrad Horst
Master Oyster Gardening Program Coordinator
As a keystone species, oysters play a vital role in improving water quality, producing habitat and reducing shoreline erosion in coastal communities. Conrad Horst is a coordinator for the Master... Read more
Phone: 251-471-2124 Ext. 15
Email: [email protected]