Oysters
Nature's Filter System
Oysters and the reefs they form are culturally and ecologically significant in Northeast Florida. These oysters do not look like what you typically find on a half-shell in a restaurant.
They form thick clumps within the estuary that are exposed at low tide and surrounded by marshes and mudflats. They provide habitat for fish, prevent shoreline erosion, improve water quality, and are a food source for many animals, including humans.
Within the GTMNERR, scientists have determined that oysters filter over 60% of the estuary water volume every two weeks.
Staff researchers and volunteers monitor a set of oyster reefs within GTM every winter to monitor their condition and assess changes.
Additionally, NERRs along the South Atlantic coast are working together to develop a way to use unmanned aerial vehicles, a.k.a. “drones,” to monitor oysters on a larger scale.
Oyster work is not easy. The GTM Research Reserve has been assisted by volunteers, interns, local oystermen, and visiting scientists to further our understanding of our local oyster populations. Here, we highlight a few contributors to these efforts.
Remo Mondazzi
Volunteer
Olivia Escaondell
Past Intern
David Kimbro
PhD Visiting Scientist, Northeastern University
Mike Sullivan and Phil Cubbedge
Local Harvesters
David Kimbro
PhD Visiting Scientist, Northeastern University
Olivia Escondell
Past Intern
Remo Mondazzi
Volunteer
Mike Sullivan and Phil Cubbedge
Local Harvesters
Latest Trends
Monitoring monthly spat recruitment at sites throughout the estuary was a continuous effort at the reserve from 2015 to 2020. Check out the 2020 Spat Report to learn more about this project and our findings. Cleaned, disarticulated oyster shells were strung in pairs of six shells onto a PVC T-bar that allowed the shells to hang suspended in the water column at the same elevation of live oysters in adjacent reefs. Volunteers heavily assisted in data collection and we could not have done it without their dedication!
Linking local communities to become stewards of the GTM estuary is a primary goal of the reserve. We integrate the most up-to-date scientific information into professional training workshops and educational programs.
We also participate in local groups such as the Oyster & Water Quality Task Force of the Guana, Tolomato, and Matanzas Rivers in order to ensure the sustainability of local oyster populations.