The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) was created in 1972 as a federal and state partnership. Its mission is to provide integrated research, education and engagement (communication, extension and legal programs) to coastal communities that lead to the responsible use of ocean and coastal resources.
Within sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, MASGC invests in sound science to inform policy and economic decisions for marine species including oysters.
Over the past 50 years Sea Grant has supported 67 research projects involving oysters with funding totaling around $22.34 million (adjusted for inflation). This total does not include funds provided for education and engagement. While looking at these oyster investments, they can be grouped into four major categories: seafood safety, farming, restoration and ecosystem services of oyster reefs and farms.
Throughout the years, the progress made in sustainable oyster reefs and oyster farming has relied on strong partnerships between the private sector, state agencies, university partners, environmental non-profits and funding agencies, such as MASGC. Not every Sea Grant-supported project has been a “homerun,” but sustained investments in needs-based, hypothesis-driven research supported by robust education and engagement programs has led to some important outcomes.
Seafood safety research, extension
Seafood safety has been a major area of investment. Early investments in the 1970s through 1990s led to the application of research technologies commonly used today. Before there was a Mussel Watch Program to assess contaminant monitoring along the nation’s coasts, MASGC was supporting the science to determine levels of chemical contaminates found in oysters. An early MASGC’s research project, funded in 1972, determined the distribution and significance of copper and lead in Mississippi Sound oysters.
Sea Grant funded research that led to identifying most of the oyster genome, important in understanding oyster growth and survival, and refined the use of DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodologies now used routinely to rapidly identify pathogenic bacteria like Vibrio vulnificus in oysters.
Sea Grant extension work in the 1990s led to the development of Seafood Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), a systemic and broadly used approach to ensure the safety of the seafood we consume.
Oyster farming
The development of a sustainable oyster farming industry in Alabama and Mississippi required strong partnerships and applied research. Sea Grant-supported research in 1972 revealed oysters raised in our region could be grown to market size in as little as eight months. The suite of research and extension projects supported by MASGC and others has led to the creation of at least 11 oyster farms in Alabama and at least 15 farms in Mississippi; valued at approximately $2.5 million.
Sustained research and extension funding, increased demand for alternative jobs, necessary infrastructure (e.g. hatcheries and production equipment) and supportive marine resource management agencies were all key to the success of this new sector for the commercial oyster industry. The outlook for oyster farming is favorable, and Sea Grant will continue to support the needs of this sector as it faces the challenges of a maturing industry.
Oyster reef restoration
Methods to optimize oyster reef restoration continue to improve. MASGC has supported work to identify compounds in oysters that cause larvae to set (1970s), determine the seasonal distribution and location of oyster spat in Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound (1970s), understand the optimal size of spat for planting (1990s), and pioneer development of breeding programs for hypoxia-resistant oysters (2000s).
In addition to applied research, Sea Grant helped establish the Mobile Bay, Little Lagoon and Mississippi oyster gardening programs. Led by Sea Grant-supported extension professionals, these programs directly connect with citizens living along Alabama and Mississippi coasts. Since 2001, oyster gardening volunteers have produced nearly 1.2 million oysters for restoration.
Ecosystem services valuation
Oysters are a foundational species in our estuaries and provide numerous ecosystem services, which can be defined as direct or indirect contributions to human well-being. From a practical standpoint, wild or farmed oysters:
- Provide jobs for commercial fishermen, processors, retailers, and for-hire and recreational fishing interest.
- Provide critical habitat for many species of marine animals.
- Mitigate against storm surge and shoreline erosion
- Remove excess nutrients from the water.
- Provide cultural and spiritual experiences for coastal residents and tourists.
Translating the services provided by oysters into economic values is challenging, and Sea Grant has funded a great deal of research to determine the values of services provided by oyster reefs and oyster farms. Calculated values vary widely, depending on the location and focus of the those making the calculations. MASGC has partnered with other funding programs to support regional research to calculate ecosystem service values for oyster reefs.
Supporting the evolving needs of the industry
MASGC is one of many organizations that supports the sustainability of oysters. Considering the needs of our coastal communities and MASGC’s available resources, MASGC’s sustained investments in oysters have resulted in multiple positive impacts on the environment and the economy.
What does the future hold for the industry? No one knows for sure; however, MASGC’s involvement will be guided by routine input from all oyster stakeholders ranging from private sector to public agencies.
If the past can help predict the future, then we expect to see the oyster farming sector expand, greater use of farmed oysters for reef creation and a greater need for workforce development for the next generation of people who make a living on the water.