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A Comparitive Case Study of Three Oyster Reef Restoration Projects

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A Comparitive Case Study of Three Oyster Reef Restoration Projects A Comparitive Case Study of Three Oyster Reef Restoration Projects Cate Mingoya Image: Creative Commons: Pixbay.com Ecological Urbanism Im age: I Oystertecture: A Comparative Case ma Gowanus Canal ge : N NY Y Study of Three Oyster Reef Restoration / N J B a Projects y k e e p -Cate Mingoya e NJ r Abstract: This case study investigates three oyster DE Im New York/New Jersey ag e: MD N reef restoration projects: Withers Estuary Waterways Y / N J in Myrtle Beach, SC; Gowanus Canal in B a y k e Brooklyn, NY; and several sites in New e p e VA r York and New Jersey’s waterways. Over- fishing, ocean dredging, and pollution from human sewage, storm water and NC Im industrial manufacturing have dramati- Withers Estuary ag e: N e i l cally reduced both the oyster population C h a m and human enjoyment of many east b e r SC s ; D coast estuaries. Over the past 15 years, e p a r t m there has been an increased interest from e n t o f O e y r s municipalities, activists, architects and t u e t r c t e Images: Google Maps, NY/NJ Baykeeper, Hudson River Foundation, Neil Chambers scientists in using natural methods to cleanse and restore these areas. Oysters, along with other mollusks, have tremendous filtering capacity and a single adult oyster is capable of cleansing bacteria, viruses and certain pollutants from between 20 and 50 gallons of water per day. Rebuilding and repopulating mollusk reefs adds a sig- nificant, natural cleansing mechanism to waterways. The three restoration projects presented in this case study approached reef development with significantly different methods in regards to materials used, participants engaged and scale of project. Success- ful projects capitalized on the support, or indifference of government officials and contributed to the greater landscape literacy of the estuary. Concerns arise, however, about mollusks’ inability to filter out certain toxins such as lead, mercury and BPAs. These pollutants may lodge themselves in in the tissue and shells of the mollusks and it is not yet know what impact this may have on other organisms. Image: Library of Congress 1919 Congress Library of Image: Library of Congress: Orr, John William, 1815-1887 William, John Orr, Congress: Library of Image: Museum of the City of New York York New of the City of Museum Image: INTRODUCTION Oysters belong to a category of organisms called mollusks and are commonly found in estuaries- ecologi- cally unique areas where the ocean’s salt water meets a fresh water source. In the United States, oysters have a long and important ecological and cultural role. In the northeastern United States, a significant industry grew out of harvesting and processing oysters for food, animal feed and fertilizer, among other uses. In New York, ven- dors would line the downtown areas selling oysters on the Figure 1: New York street vendors sell oysters for a penny each Image: Library of Congress Archives 1987 Archives Congress Library of Image: half-shell for a penny each- an early 19th century version of the hotdog cart (see figure 1.)1 Historical accounts make plenishing estuaries with oysters and other native mollusks. mention of harvesting oysters from northeastern estuaries Municipalities, environmentalists, scientists and residents have that were the size of dinner plates. 2 Not only were oysters rediscovered the environmental, social and economic benefits of large, they were prolific and capable of cleansing bacteria, long forsaken waterways and are looking for innovative, cost-ef- viruses and other pollutants harmful to human health out fective ways to restore the health of their estuaries. of the water. In the 1600’s, oysters were so numerous in Water quality is of deep concern to municipalities, local the Chesapeake Bay that they were able to filter all 4,500 residents and prospective developers. Many eastern estuaries square miles of water in a single week.3 Present day pop- that sit close to developed areas suffer from pollution, limiting ulations have dwindled so significantly, that it takes the the water’s use as a spot for fishing, swimming or other recre- oysters over a year to filter the bay. ational activities. Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) during wet Overharvesting, reef dredging to facilitate the weather can dump human waste into the estuaries, producing movement of ships, pollution from industrial manufactur- foul smells and spreading illness. When estuaries remain full of ing, and human waste runoff took their toll on the oyster toxins and pathogens, cities and property holders stand to lose and by the mid-20th century, urban oyster reefs across some of the earning potential associated with the use of healthy the country were sparse or barren. The past twenty years waterways. have ushered in a renewed and vigorous interest in re- Mollusks have an extremely high filtering capacity with 1 adult oysters capable of cleansing between 20 and 50 gallons of 2 3 Orff, “ShellfishUrban as LivingGreen Infrastructure.” Ibid. Chambers, . water per day.4 Oysters are particularly skilled at filtering out pathogens that are a threat to human health such as the bacteria and viruses frequently found in fecal matter. Oysters grow by adhering to hard surfaces in the water, including other oyster shells; because they latch tight- ly onto the rocks, wood and other hard-shelled animals, oysters can also help prevent soil erosion at the hands of waves or storm water. Estuary soil is important not only for preserving and protecting coastal lands for human use, but the low-saline soil also provides a home for estuary plants, which are known to effectively sequester carbon.5 Figure 2 Withers Estuary Community Collaborative Partners; Image by Overall, mollusk reef restoration stands as an intuitive Neil B. Chambers. option in the quest to protect coastal land and water. provide a family their food for a week.7 Overfishing and pollution produced an estuary with limited biodiversity; overflows from CASE ONE: the city’s sewer system resulted in the frequent closure of the waterway. Myrtle Beach is a popular destination for tourists WITHERS ESTUARY seeking sun, sand, and swimming; Withers Estuary’s contam- ination was not only a social loss, but also an economic one for locals and for the city. In the early 2000’s, developer Neil Cambers was Chambers, already interested in incorporating “green” hired to work on a housing start in an area of Myrtle practices into his developments turned to other reef and water Beach known as Withers Swash- in reality the swash is restoration projects along the coast of South Carolina for inspi- an estuary and will be referred to as such throughout this ration. The government of South Carolina was keenly aware of case. Conversations with residents revealed to Chambers the commercial, social and health and safety benefits of cleaning that the waterfront to this development was remembered up the waterways and allowed non-governmental organizations as a prime spot for fishing and swimming;6 older commu- to build reefs. nity members claimed that an afternoon of fishing could The process of rebuilding the estuary’s reefs brought 4 Orff, Reviving New York’s Rivers -- with Oysters! together a variety of nonprofit organizations and local residents 5 . into the “Withers Estuary Community Collaborative,” affection- 6 Pendleton et al., “Considering ‘Coastal Carbon’ in Existing U.S. Federal Statutes and 7 Urban Green Policies.” Hanscom, “Putting the Wilderness Back in Our Cities.” Chambers, . Figure 3: Volunteers build oyster reefs using mesh bags filled with oyster shells: Image Neil B. Figure 4: A sign in WIthers Estuary informs visitors of the project and warns them Chambers to not consume the oysters. Image: Neil Chambers ately known to some as the “Bureau of Oystertecture” soil underwater mimic the natural development of oyster reefs. (figure 2). Spats will latch on to hard surfaces and continue to build off The process of rebuilding reefs using mesh bags of the shells of other mollusks, creating a reef. The cost of the stuffed with restaurant-discarded mollusk shells drew reefs placed in Withers Estuary was quite inexpensive; each wide support from those living near the estuary. The hope, reef carried a $200 price tag and resulted in 3,000-4,000 oysters residents expressed, was that the project would clean added to the waterway.8 Each reef has the potential to filter over the waters well enough to allow swimming and increase 200,000 gallons of water each day. The Withers Estuary Commu- the water’s biodiversity. Such a change might encourage nity Collaborative placed 13 reefs in Withers estuary for a filter- further development, grow the area’s tourism industry, ing capacity of up to 2,600,000 gallons per day. increase housing prices and turn the estuary into the com- The oysters in this reef are self-sustaining. Volunteers munity resource it once was. occasionally check in on the oyster beds to take measurements, Volunteers organized to collect old mollusk shells assess oyster bed health and to estimate survival rates. Signage from restaurants, place them into mesh bags and then is erected at each reef site to inform the public of the project and seed them with oyster spats(young oysters) (figure 3). The to warn them, that for their safety and the safety of the reef, heavy bags of oyster shells nestled into the soft sand and they should not yet consume oysters taken from Withers Estu- 8 Chambers, “Re-Imagining Infrastructure: Part 5.” The government of South Carolina and the city council of Myrtle Beach have welcomed the volunteer-led oyster restoration proj- ect and the Myrtle Beach city council has incorporated mollusk reef rehabilitation programming and funding into their long- term coastal management strategy.
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