Ken 8/ew'fls/Wilmington Star-News 



They found that more aquatic species 

 used patchy reefs — each of which were more 

 than five meters in diameter and had channels 

 between them — than a large continuous area 

 of shells, according to Posey. 



While the use of multiple patch reefs is 

 beneficial in oyster habitat restoration, fragmen- 

 tation — the loss of oyster coverage through 

 degradation, burial of reefs and mortality of 

 oysters — is not useful, according to Alphin, 

 a UNC-W senior research associate. 



"When you look at habitat loss through- 

 out the state, increased pollution has caused 



fragmentation of oyster 

 reefs," Alphin adds. "In 

 fact, some reefs have 

 become so fragmented 

 that they may no longer 

 function." 



□YSTER 

 RESTORATION 

 PROJECTS 



Using the study 

 results, Posey and Alphin 

 are working closely with 

 the N.C. Coastal Federa- 

 tion on site selection, reef 

 design and the sizing of 

 oyster reefs on a number 

 of coastal projects, 

 including the one at 

 Hewlett's Creek that 

 feeds into Masonboro 

 Sound. 



"Martin and Troy 

 recommended four small 

 reefs instead of one large 

 one at our Hewlett's 

 Creek site so that there 

 would be good water 

 flow between the reefs 

 and also to increase the 

 space for habitat niches," 

 says Ted Wilgis, N.C. 

 Coastal Federation's 

 Cape Fear coastkeeper. 



"This project is part 

 of an increasing effort 

 by a diverse coalition of 

 private organizations, state and federal agencies 

 and researchers to restore oyster habitats and 

 protect water quality," says Wilgis. "You can't 

 restore oysters without improving habitat and 

 water quality." 



In light of the research findings, Sea Grant 

 scientists also are working with the U.S. Army 

 Corps of Engineers and others to initiate an 

 oyster restoration project in the Lower Cape Fear 

 River system. And the study can be applied to 

 intertidal reef restoration in South Carolina and 

 Florida, adds Posey. 



DMF will use the data for cultch planting 



of hard materials like shells and limestone on 

 man-made oyster beds, according to Craig Hardy, 

 DMF Resource Enhancement Section chief. The 

 cultch serves as a substrate for new spat set — 

 the initial attachment of oyster larvae that spawn 

 from June through August. 



Baby oysters begin their lives as highly mo- 

 bile plankton. After the first three weeks, oysters 

 become permanently attached to solid surfaces. 



During the summer months, DMF plants 

 shells and rocks to provide additional habitat for 

 larval oysters and clams. Large vessels transport 

 the cultch out to designated sites. The shells are 

 either dumped from a front-end loader or sprayed 

 off the boat deck with a high-power hose. About 

 500,000 bushels of cultch material are planted 

 annually. 



"The Sea Grant research will provide guid- 

 ance in the way that cultch is deployed in shallow 

 waters from Cedar Island to South Carolina," says 

 Hardy. "In the past, cultch has been placed on the 

 bottom during the summer to provide additional 

 oyster habitat. We relied on the natural spawn to 

 provide the spat set." 



Scientists have made great strides in 

 moving oyster restoration forward — from 

 research on better placement of sanctuaries to the 

 understanding of needed geometry of the mounds 

 — according to Sara Mirabilio, North Carolina 

 Sea Grant fisheries specialist. 



However, Mirabilio says the research will be 

 of limited value unless everyone — from private 

 citizens to restaurant owners — helps to conserve 

 another important natural resource: oyster shells. 

 "Baby oysters settle on oyster shells better than on 

 any other substrate," she adds. 



She cites DMF's Web site, "One individual 

 may not be able to create a sizable reef, but by 

 pooling our resources, researchers and scientists 

 can construct large reefs in prime oyster-growing 

 areas, enhancing oyster productivity and provid- 

 ing hook- and-line fishing opportunities for the 

 public." 



NATIVE OYSTER 



The Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginicus) 

 provides many ecological and environmental 

 benefits, including filtering the water. The species 

 also contributes to turbidity reduction and the 

 removal of particles in the water column. With 



8 AUTUMN 2004 



