CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WECT) –
Oysters are more than just a delicious meal at a summer oyster roast, the shelled sea creatures also play a crucial part in our environment.
“The adult oysters can filter up to 50 gallon of water a day,” explained Michelle Shreve, a graduate intern with the NC Coastal Federation. “They are pulling pollutants and sediments out of the water to really clear it up which makes it a lot better for shellfish fishing, fishing and tourism.”
The North Carolina Coastal Federation has been working for months on their Oyster Restoration Project.
Oysters are dropped, shuffled and stuffed into net casings to take on another role as a living shoreline along the Cape Fear River.
“If we just put loose shell in the water, all the shell would get washed away,” said Coastal Education Coordinator Ted Wilgis. “So we had to put it in bags. Then (once in the water) baby oysters will sit on those bags and grow, and it will be cemented together to form a big reef.”
Our shores take a beating every day, but with these new “speed bumps” in place it will put more oysters back into the water, and help stop the ongoing erosion.
All of the oysters used for this project are recycled, something volunteers said is just one small thing anyone can do to help pitch in.
“It could be as simple as when you are done with your oysters you are putting them in their designated area so they can end up here and we can do our work,” added volunteer Evan Sonderman.
Ted Wilgis said he hopes to make close to 4,000 oyster bags by the end of next week. Next Saturday the NC Coastal Federation is planning to start packing 200 feet of their 600 foot oyster reef.
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