Jul 1, 2009 7:36 pm US/Eastern
Effort Launched To Bring Wild Oysters Back To MA
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
"The Wellfleet Oyster is world famous," said Bob Prescott, Director of Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
We met at low tide on the muddy flats of the Bay early one morning.
Shrouded in fog and mist, the erie calm hid the true nature of the monumental task at hand.
"There used to be an oyster reef here. It is gone," said Prescott.
"Where did the wild oyster population go?" I asked.
OVERFISHING OYSTERS DWINDLES POPULATION
"It's sort of the dirty secret -- we have overfished oysters every generation," stated Prescott. "The demand for oysters just ate this habitat out."
And oyster reefs have suffered the same fate worldwide having suffered 80 percent in recent history, mainly from overfishing. Bob Prescott hopes that man made materials will turn the tide on the reef habitats eaten away by man. With the help of voluteers, a matrix of 9 test beds have been carefully placed during low tide on the muddy flats. Some of the artificial habitat is made up of reef balls that look like overturned planters with gaping holes. Another area is lined with oysters castles that look like decorative cement blocks. "Culch" piles comprised of discarded shells make up the third housing option for the wild oysters.
"So they got one shot when they are drifting as plankton. If they land in the mud or on the sand, they die. There is nothing they can grow on," explained Prescott. So the new artificial reef offers lots of possibilities. "Either they are going to like the shells best or they're gonna like the reef balls best or they're gonna like the blocks best. We just dont know what the oysters are going to settle most on," added Prescott. "But when the oysters come to rest here -- it is for life. It's home."
OYSTERS CLEAN HARBORS
Oysters are more than a meal. They also provide many important ecological functions.
"They can literally clean the water. The harbor needs the filtration that the oysters provide. They also take nitrates, waste from all the beach front homes, out of the water," added Prescott.
And oyster reefs can also function as a buffer against storms, helping to break up wave action to limit beach erosion.
The chilly June we had is delaying the spawning, but soon the faux reefs will be teaming with life.
"In July, you'll start to notice little dots. In August, you will be able to start to see the oysters," indicated Prescott. Wellfleet Oysters grow particularly fast due to the high content of phytoplankton in the water.
To harvest an oyster, the shell must be at least 3 inches in length, which usually takes about 3 years. Once the time is right, the artificial reefs will be open to harvest.
"Shellfish in Massachusetts have to be harvested. We can't just grow them and leave them. It's the Colonial ordinaces. We will open the areas to harvesting. We can establish harvest rates that take into account ecological services that the oyster provides along with predators and disease," explained Prescott.
EFFORT LAUNCHED TO RESTORE HABITAT
"The oyster industry is very important to this community, and this is a way to restore some of the habitat. If you get generation after generation of oysters growing, then you have a reef," Bob said with a hopeful heart.
This is the first oyster restoration project in Massachusetts. If it proves to be successful, these artificial reefs could be replicated up and down our coast.
If you would like to help build artificial oyster reefs, The
Nature Conservancy, a partner on the project, is looking for volunteers. Other partners include Wellfleet town government and local fisherman.
Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
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