FGCU and volunteers to begin reef construction
Florida Gulf Coast University scientists and local volunteers will begin reef construction and restoration in Estero Bay on Saturday, April 3. Volunteers will meet at Carl Johnson State Park Boat ramp in the picnic area opposite Lover’s Key State Park at 9 a.m.
FGCU scientists, Lee County and West Coast Inland Navigation District in collaboration with local, state and federal agencies are involved in a project that creates and restores oyster reefs in Estero Bay (200 square meters), thereby improving water quality, habitat availability, as well as protecting shoreline and mangrove erosion.
In its seventh year, the project involves loading fossil oyster shells into wire mesh bags, transporting them and placing them in strategic points in the estuaries that attract natural oyster spat (larvae) and eventually form reefs.
Aswani Volety, professor of Marine and Environmental Science at FGCU and chair of Marine and Ecological Sciences, has been the lead investigator and project coordinator for the event. It will provide stability to mangroves shorelines by minimizing the impact of boat wakes, and provide food, shelter and habitat to nearly 300 species of invertebrates, fishes and birds.
“We will create 200 square meters of hard surface area (substrate) using fossil shell so that oyster larvae naturally occurring in the water can attach to the substrate and grow to form oyster reefs,” said Volety.
The event will produce more than 1,000 oysters per square meter, filter at least 10 liters of water and particulate per oyster per hour from the water column.
“The substrate and the reef provides habitat for numerous estuarine and marine species including those that are of recreational and commercial importance,” said Volety. “Some of the species that use oyster reefs as a habitat include: white shrimp, snapping shrimp, blue crabs, stone crabs, mud crabs, anchovies, gray snapper, sheepshead, mangrove snapper, silver perch and lined sole.”
The project coordinator said the project has been successful because of community volunteers. To date over 1,000 volunteers have spent over 7,500 hours in creating reefs in various estuaries.
“We are looking for volunteers in helping us out with the reef creation effort in Estero Bay,” said Volety. “Volunteers should be prepared to lift shell bags that weight about 20-30 lbs. Fruit, water and snacks will be provided.
“Once established, oysters in this reef alone will filter 50 million liters of water per day. That is equivalent to 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. This filtration will result in increased water clarity, promote growth of sea grasses and benthic microalgae, and provides habitat for numerous estuarine organisms.”
For more information on this project, contact Volety at 590-7216 or avolety@fgcu.edu