Jun 7, 2013
For a simple bivalve, the oyster has played an unusual role in human history. It’s celebrated as a food source, as a reputed aphrodisiac and, now, as a possible savior of coastal cities threatened by flooding.
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For a simple bivalve, the oyster has played an unusual role in human history. It’s celebrated as a food source, as a reputed aphrodisiac and, now, as a possible savior of coastal cities threatened by flooding.
Six Locations, Twelve Reefs and Two Types of Estuaries
With the oyster restoration project in the Greater Myrtle Beach area, we are looking at six locations to sample for fish species. The goal is to determine the extent of how oyster reefs improve fish populations. We will take samples before the reefs are installed and again after they are installed.
Of the six locations, three are non-impacted estuaries and three are impacted estuaries. The three non-impacted areas are North Inlet (in Georgetown County), Murrells Inlet (in Murrells Inlet, town south of MB) and Hog Inlet (in North Myrtle Beach). The three impacted estuaries are Withers, Singleton and Whitepoint. Withers is in the heart of the old town of Myrtle Beach. It was the site oft eh first home in Myrtle Beach in the 1700’s and the location of the first post office and near the first train depot. Singleton is north of Withers at the edge of the city limit of MB. Whitepoint is near Singleton, abutted by Briarcliffe Acres and North Myrtle Beach.
Withers is impacted by the most urbanization and diversity of building types – from single family and multi-family dwellings to light industrial to commercial. Whitepoint and Singleton are surrounded, primarily, by low-density, single-family housing. There are signification commercial buildings in the area – hotels, restaurants, retail and entertainment. The roadways in these two areas are designed in a more suburban style verses an urban layout – meaning you have to drive a car to get from place to place.
We compared the six locations to estuaries within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR) on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries in the NERR are considered to be pristine and are managed on daily basis. We wanted to see how our study areas compared to these habitats in size, surrounding and geography to better understand how our impacted sites could be restored to the highest level possible.
At first we thought that the impacted estuaries would rank lowest in size with the other estuaries, however that turned out to be an incorrect assumption. Next we guessed that the NERR estuaries would not have urbanization near them – that again was an incorrect assumption. Visually assessing the NERR estuaries with Withers, Singleton and Whitepoint revealed 2 potential reasons for their reduced healthiness: 1. Is that they are no longer connected to the natural hydrology of the area (the Intracoastal Waterway bisects the entire coastal plain of the Greater Myrtle Beach area) and 2. Currently no plan is in place for the management and/or expansion. Inversely, these factors are present with the NERR estuarine habitats.
Oyster-tecture: the Next Steps
Oysters in urban areas is a good thing. Getting them back into the estuaries, bays, tidal creeks and brackish waters of urban locations like NYC, Charleston, Boston, Providence, Jersey City and other coastal cities is another thing.
At a recent visit to the subcommittee for the Oyster Restoration Project for New York Harbor, I had an opportunity to sit down and talk to some of the people that are leading the way to restoring oysters in NYC.
The subcommittee is impressive by any measure. At the meeting were representatives from the Port Authority, Hudson River Foundation, Rutgers University, RocktheBoat, as well as other agencies, institutions and businesses. They are all looking to find ways to reestablish the once thriving population of oysters in the tidal waters of New York and New Jersey. In all more than 25 people were present with another 30 to 40 others that could not make the meeting that day.
Most organizations working to restore oysters never have that kind of support from government, business, non-profit and citizen groups – at least, not active support. It points to a positive future for the waters and biodiversity of NYC to have such a tremendous amount of interest in the idea and practice of oyster restoration.
Currently there are 6 sites that have had oysters planted throughout the NY Harbor area + 2 others in the NJ Raritan River area. Scientists are putting time and effort into monitoring and better understanding many factors of these sites. For example, the sites are “seeded” with oyster spat…that is, live baby oysters that have anchored themselves to shell are placed in the reef to grow. The number of spat are usually in the thousands, so the researchers can determine the mortality rate of the seeded spat. This is important to better understand how stressed oyster populations are in the waters – it also helps researchers determine if they are picking the optimum locations to start restoration.
In most of the sites, mortality rates are high. Many factors contribute to mortality – predation, transference, pollutants, temperature change and pathogens. The science exploring these issues is highly engaging and thought provoking – especially from the scientists from Rutgers looking at the physiological implications of oysters exposed to heavy metals and other toxins in NJ river. Pollution is thought to contribute to brittle shell allowing for high levels of juvenile oysters to be eaten by predators like Blue Claw Crab and oyster drills. Oysters reproductive organs are highly affected by pollutions as well making natural establishment of spat impossible.
From researchers at Baruch CUNY, they are investigating beneficial functionality of oysters. For years, people have quoted that oysters filter certain amounts of water per hour (including me). Water column filtration leads to water quality improvement – a fundamental ecological service oysters offer as they are reestablished as a habitats. What the studies at Baruch are finding is that oysters may provide another ecological service just as valuable. Preliminary studies are finding that oysters remove nitrogen from the water column in substantial amounts. They also increase the rate at which nitrogen is cycled out of sediment. Nitrogen deposits as well as newly introduced nitrogen is a leading contributor to hypoxia – or depleted dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats. Hypoxia can lead to dead zones, fish kills, and algae blooms. Such events hit local coastal economies hard by affecting sport fishing, fish hatcheries and tourism – with good science backing the findings, the value of oyster restoration may increase. Of course, it is the value of oysters that needs to be analyzed.
Right now, oyster-tecture is predominately driven by scientists and researchers. There is not a standing economic assessment or cost analysis for oyster-tecture comparing the benefits of oysters to other techniques and technologies. The science is necessary to make oyster restoration a meaningful activity, but there is a strong need for financial evaluation to discover three critical points: 1. To see if oysters are economically valuable as a large-scale solution for water quality, stormwater manage and other needed services as compared to existing large-scale approaches; 2. To discover what areas of the process of restoration oysters could be make more economically feasible to make it more competitive to existing approaches and 3. To determine if there can be a business model for oyster-tecture that would create meaningful job creation, revenue streams and commercialization.
This is the next step for oyster-tecture – it must go through the test to see what a business model would look like for its future. If there is, putting more oysters into urban areas may become easier as well as finding a way to see oyster-tecture form a infrastructural system throughout the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.
Oyster-tecture in Withers Estuary
Withers Estuary has been actively reestablishing oyster population in Withers Estuary for the last five years. In that time, many accomplishments have been completed and helped move the effort forward.
May 17, 2012 was the 4th annual oyster reef installation for Withers Estuary. A total of 11 people assisted in building a reef within the tidal basin of the estuary. The reef is made of 100 bags of oyster shell – the dimensions of the finished reef are approximately 4 feet x 8 feet. These new reefs provide needed substrate for oysters to plant themselves and grow.
Oyster reefs use old oyster shell as the basis for the construction. The chemical makeup of the shells attracts oyster larvae – assisting in the colonization of the reef with new spat.
Historic accounts of oysters in Withers say there were oysters throughout the estuary. Estimations of the number of oysters would be hundreds of thousands. We intend to provide enough oyster reefs to regrow the historic numbers.
Withers, unlike Singleton or White Point Estuary, is highly modified. The improvements to Withers will need to go beyond oysters – but all future improvements to Withers should be based on oyster habitat. Insuring that oyster habitat thrives in Withers will mean a healthier Myrtle Beach and Long Bay region.
First, the channelization of the canal connecting Withers to the Atlantic Ocean should be expanded. If it is unable to be expanded, other means should be undertaken to increase the interaction of tidal waters with the upper areas of the Withers tidal basin and tidal creeks. The local lexicon describes Withers as a swash – a swash is the upper area of a beach where waves crest and break onto the beach. In the past, the mouth of Withers was wide enough to allow waves to swash into it. Today that is impossible and part of the reason the health of the estuary has deteriorated.
Future efforts such as the Withers District Master Plan calls for the enlarging of the canal – and will help with bringing more water into the tidal basin. With a greater interaction of ocean water, the estuary will have less problems with pluff mud and sedimentation which coats all of the hard substrate where oysters would typically grow. Another important hydrologic factor is that the estuary has been cut off from inland fresh water flow by the Intercostal Waterway. The Intercostal Waterway bisects the estuary approximately 4 to 5 miles away from the beach. It is unclear how much fresh water flow is disconnected via the intercostal – for example, ground water could transverse the waterway if deep enough. However, all surface water along with groundwater less than 20 to 30 feet deep would not flow into Withers naturally – but be input to the waterway.
The full extent of oyster-tecture within Withers should address as many of these issues as possible and find creative methods of resolving them. A vibrant oyster habitat throughout the coastal plain of Myrtle Beach would be a great amenity to the area as well as a way to enhance the tourism and economy in rich ways. New infrastructural practices like oyster-tecture will require decision makers to reevaluate older methods along with existing infrastructures. A good example is the intercostal waterway. The waterway was designed and constructed at a time that the extent of how it would effect local, state and continental hydrology, ecology, property values, stormwater management and human health was not full understood. Oyster-tecture would likely call for the intercostal waterway to be eliminated and filled in so that historic hydrological conditions were restored.
In the case of Withers and the Long Bay region, a floating dead zone has been identified in Long Bay. The dramatic changes to water transfer from the surrounding land to the ocean is the source of the depleted oxygen levels. Stormwater runoff has greatly increased due to the addition of urbanization and hardscape in Myrtle Beach over the last hundred years. The estuary system throughout the region manages most of the stormwater and transfers it to the Atlantic Ocean. Without the natural fresh water flow from the inland swamps and wetlands, these estuaries discharge primarily runoff from pavement and buildings. With the reconnection of the inland swamps by infilling the intercostal waterway, the dead zone could be dealt with in a holistic way that encourages oyster habitat while supporting a better stormwater management system as the same time. More study is needed to verify this approach.
Visual Assessment for Oyster-Tecture Expansion
We surveyed two estuaries today: White Point (WP) and Singleton (ST). (For reference: both of these estuaries are called swashes within the local vernacular). WP is the more naturalized of the two. Both are much more naturalized than Withers Estuary (WE). Of the three estuaries, WP has the largest existing population of wild oysters. Clusters numbering between 10 to 30 were found throughout the survey area of WP. A healthy reef of approximately 4,000 to 10,000 is present under a bridge crossing WP. The piers of the bridge are caked with oysters…they look like balls the size of beach balls clustered together. We evaluationed WP during low tide, and there were many signs of other biodiversity. Razor Clam, stingray, fiddler crab, blue crab and an assortment of fish as well as aquatic flora are all present in WP. WP is the largest of the 3 estuaries as well as the most naturalized.
White Point Estuary
WP boundaries extend from the beach to HWY 17 to the west by development to the north, to the east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the south is the Baba Center. The healthiness of WP may have to do with the fact that the Baba Center has not gone through a highly developed phase and is still very natural. WP is not a nature preserve or protected by local, state or federal law.
We identified 3 to 4 areas where oyster reefs would be appropriate and beneficial for the area. A condition we found throughout WP is erosion of the tidal creek banks. A long oyster reef measuring 4 to 7 feet in width and 40 to 50 yards in length at any of these identified areas would preserve the tidal creek bank and reduce or eliminate the erosion of the bank. Currently, breakwater walls are installed to fortify the tidal creek banks or to completely replace them where needed to support a roadway, parking lot or development such as a hotel or condo.
Eco-Zones
There appeared to only be two eco-zones throughout WP. An estuary saltmarsh and a highland wooded area. Trees such as oak and maple were present only when the elevation was more than 4 to 5 feet above the saltmarsh. WE has an estimated 5 to 7 different eco-zones throughout its area – a significant determination with the size of WP being much larger than Withers. WE is the location of the first establishment within the Long Bay area – in the 1800’s. the topographic differences throughout WE is much more pronounced than WP. WP is a flatter more constant condition. WP has the opportunity to be restored and protected in ways that are not currently feasible for WE – specifically that the areas of WP are still far less developed than WE. Steps should be taken to work with local stakeholders to set a suitable boundary for preserving the existing natural areas and to identify how ecological restoration can best serve the residents and businesses within the area.
Singleton Estuary
Of the three estuaries, ST is the second largest behind WP and ahead of WE. It is also less developed than WE but more developed than WP. The development is not extremely dense but does affect the estuary. A golf course is to the south of ST – the mouth of ST is pinched by hospitality development. Oysters are present in ST – but not to the degree of WP. There may be a large amount of harvesting of oysters and clams in ST. During the time we were onsite surveying the area today – we witnessed 3 separate people collecting clams and oysters.
Along the main tidal creek – there were no significant counts of wild oysters though substrate is present and available for inner tidal and subtidal growth of oysters. The reason for this is not clear at this time. We did find a colony of oysters on a mudflat numbering between 1000 to 2000 individuals. The oysters were not supported on a reef or in large clusters but in small clusters of 5 to 6 individuals or smaller groups.
We identified 2 or 3 areas for installing oyster reefs that could play a significant role to creating a living shore for the area that could protect Shore Dr that runs north to south along the estuary and as the closes road in the area to the beach.
It is unclear if the condos, hotels or other developments in the area would be supportive of oyster restoration, but the addition of such fixtures could increase the value of the area as an eco-park amenity. The density is low and a more naturalized master plan or comprehensive plan for ST could be envisioned if stakeholders could work together to develop and implement such an idea.
Eco-Zones
There appears to be 2 to 3 eco-zones – primarily mudflats and estuary saltmarsh. It was low tide when we evaluated the area. ST does seem to have gone through an intense phase of vegetation removal. The flora does not look naturalized as if native. This is only a guess – but it is much different in appearance than WE or WP.
Five Oyster Habitats along East Coast
Oysters were everywhere along the east coast at one time, but virtually have disappeared from 85% of their historic range. Five separate habitats show great potential for restoration and to help repopulate the eastern seaboard of the United States.
There are currently active restoration projects in Long Bay, Chesapeake Bay and New York City Harbor. At a recent event at the Academy of Science in NYC, Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, explained that there were once trillions of oysters in the New York City Harbor.
The image above are the five habitats compared at the same scale. You can see that the NYC Harbor is one of the smallest areas of the five. WIth the potential of trillions oysters off the tip of Manhattan, imagine the number possible for Chesapeake Bay.
The reestablishment of large oyster populations in these areas could kickstart the restoration of the invertebrates throughout the eastern waters of North America. Oyster populations can't regrow naturally without the presence of a metapopulation - which is absent via the local extinction of oysters in 85% of the historically range. The creation of large-scale restoration projects in these five critical areas would essentially be the beginning of a new metapopulation. A new metapopulation could fuel the genetic and spat (juvenile oysters) numbers needed to make other smaller projects along the coast more easily possible.
new infrastructure
for more than six months now, i've been desperately trying to put into words what ecomimicry would be. i'm starting to figure it out: ecomimicry is new infrastructure - not where people and engineers try to make existing infrastructure more efficient or more sustainable, but new stuff that isn't typically thought of as an option. i'm starting a series of articles for treehugger.com about what i think are some emerging new infrastructures...as well as options that could change the way we see solutions at the infrastructural level. things like oyster-tecture, private mass transit, net zero, urban wilderness, micro-cars and mobile zero energy. these equal a suite of techniques to revitalize the backbone of the United States in green and ecological ways without having to spend gigantic amounts of money to do it. these techniques address hard infrastructure and not soft infrastructure like healthcare and education. there are some options within soft infrastructure as well, namely biophilia. healthcare providers have to reinvent the way they approach and construct healthcare facilities. hospitals should be interconnected with the communities they serve....acting as much as community centers (spiritually and culturally) as much as they act as places to heal people (spiritually and physically).
we have to give up the notion that we can redesign the world by trying to keep the old infrastructure. things like the energy grid and massive waterworks will need to be replaced by ecological services and human-design that integrates with ecosystems. smart grids and renewable energy often take on the same character and size as standard energy projects. this isn't helping us live in harmony with nature.
cities, urbanized spaces, suburbs, metropolitan areas and megalopolises will need to reshape themselves to fit into the context of ecomimicry. Eco-master planning and ecological land use planning will need to take first seed in urban design, architecture and regional planning. new infrastructure is not about smart grids or solely depending on technologies. the tendency for people to look to technology for results is an older behavior than our understanding of ecosystematic functions. technology is, in essences, the more primitive approach for societal change and method to manage our relationship to nature.
i'm currently working on an oyster-tecture project in Myrtle Beach, SC that is in its 4th year. we are beginning to take the successes of the last several years and expand them to the larger region of the Grand Strand. i've been working to get more involved with the oyster projects in NYC for the last few months, but nothing has really happened with that yet.
I'm excited about the new infrastructure series. it will be the first time since i finished my book that i'll have some space to write about infrastructural issues in a way that tries to find new solutions to our pressing environmental problems. i'm excited about the projects that my company is taking on too. they are interesting, innovative and challenging. each project is teaching me how to bring to life ecomimicry within the constraints of standard design and construction. i hope to be busier and busier, there is still lots to learn.
Oyster Shell Recycling
Many of the oyster restoration projects throughout the country are based on recycled oyster shell. The reefs that are installed in the water are actually made from recycled oyster shell from restaurants. The shell is bagged and then placed into the designated site to attract spat which will populate the new reef.
Oyster shell recycling needs to be upgraded. Most, if not all, recycling programs are ran by state agencies. They do a good job for the projects within their state boundaries but the practice only complicates the larger vision of an East Coast oyster-tecture.
This bureau, in partnership with non-profit and for-profit organizations, is looking at starting a new model for oyster recycling for several cities along the eastern seaboard. More details will be provides as they come about.