Hauling somewhere around 10 tons of oyster shells out into the North Newport River across from St. Catherine’s Island, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division (CRD) has kicked off its latest oyster restoration project along Georgia’s approximately 100 miles of coastline. The project is aimed at encouraging the growth of new, native Eastern oysters.
“Oyster restoration is a critical component of protecting and restoring Georgia’s coastal ecosystems,” said Paul Medders, CRD’s Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Unit lead. “This project will help to reestablish oyster reefs in the North Newport River, which will benefit both wildlife and people.”
A successful new oyster reef provides habitat for innumerable other wildlife, such as crabs, shrimp and fish, and in turn, the numerous birds and other wildlife that eat those crabs, shrimp and fish. And, in turn, the people that eat all those crabs, shrimp and fish. The project is a partnership between the CRD, Georgia Southern University and Yamaha RIghtwaters – a conservation arm of boating powerhouse Yamaha Marine.
“Not only do established reefs provide important habitat for several kinds of sea life, they also reduce carbon dioxide and, in turn, reduce ocean acidification,” said John Carroll, associate professor of biology at Georgia Southern University. “The research from this Yamaha Rightwaters-supported project will provide us with Georgia-specific data that will ultimately help us determine the carbon burial potential of newly formed oyster reefs in Georgia.”
In addition to the wildlife and potential carbon sequestration potential, oyster reefs also help to prevent shoreline erosion and storm damage, a concern on Georgia’s relatively short coast. Oysters are also filter feeders, meaning they can help to prevent algae blooms and eliminate other particulate that may result in poor water quality or clarity – one of the ways they help to establish a thriving ecosystem.
“In 2022, we teamed up with Texas A&M University’s Harte Research Institute and the Coastal Conservation Association to initiate a similar conservation project designed to evaluate the role of oyster reefs in capturing and storing carbon in St. Charles Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. This new project in coastal Georgia allows us to do the same thing in the Atlantic,” said Martin Peters, director of External Affairs for Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “It’s our hope that the data collected through the two initiatives will give us more information about the carbon sequestration value of oyster reefs. The data will allow us to evaluate the possibility of increasing the scale of these programs to achieve a measurable result.”
This is the CRD’s seventh oyster restoration project since 2018. Oyster populations were depleted in Georgia due to overharvesting, habitat loss and other factors. Ultimately, a thriving Georgia oyster population could also mean local oysters finding their way on to menus. Restorations are done through the placement of old oyster shells on wooden pallets – a simple but effective way of providing the kind of habitat required for oysters to grow and spawn.
The CRD encourages Georgians to get involved in their oyster efforts, either by volunteering to help with restoration projects, donating oyster shells and encouraging restaurants to do the same.
