sinks into the ground and the root systems hold the soils and
absorb water,” Taylor says. “Always be aware of what pesticides and
fertilizers you use as those will end up in our water systems.”
As a sentinel species, oysters mirror the level of contaminant in
the water and surrounding sediments, reflecting the effect on the
environment. That we have witnessed such a sharp decline in the
oyster population in a short time period is a sign that local waters
are in big trouble, but efforts already in the works are proving
successful. The damage can be arrested and reversed.
The future of oysters is positive, and with continued diligence
by all involved, we might ultimately eliminate “Closed to Shellfish”
signs and enjoy all the benefits that a healthy local oyster popula-tion
41
THE University of North Carolina
Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science
Shellfish Hatchery at CREST Research
Park on Masonboro Sound operates a
12,000-square-foot facility dedicated to the propaga-tion
of marine bivalves, including oysters. The hatch-ery
has established outreach opportunities for the
community and offers high school internships along
with college undergraduate and graduate programs.
Under federal and state public trust doctrines,
individuals cannot own navigable waters or the lands
beneath them. However, the North Carolina General
Assembly recognizes the value of aquaculture, which
can be accomplished through various methods,
including seeding and growing oysters in racks. The
state has enacted laws allowing private citizens to
lease public waters for this purpose. Relevant legisla-tion
is being continually tweaked to maximize aqua-culture
harvesting incentives while sustaining healthy
growth and minimizing adverse effects on adjoining
riparian property owners.
North Carolina is coordinating with federal agen-cies,
including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to
increase the number of potential sites available state-wide
for shellfish leases. These agencies recognize the
value of incentivizing aquaculture, and that growing
the seafood industry will further promote environ-mental
stewardship, ultimately improving the health
of our waters.
Beyond growing more oysters, responsible steward-ship
Below: Franz Hueber turns oyster baskets in the Intracoastal Waterway
to keep them clean. Oysters from different locations around the state are
grown in a controlled environment. Work done at the University of North
Carolina Wilmington’s Shellfish Research Hatchery at CREST Research Park
supports the oyster aquaculture industry in North Carolina.
demands the curtailment of activities that harm the oyster
population. The Heal Our Waterways program, a voluntary col-laborative
effort established by the City of Wilmington in 2012,
seeks to drastically reduce the amount of polluted runoff entering
Hewletts and Bradley creeks. Stormwater runoff, polluted with
fecal coliform bacteria, has affected the quality of these waters to
an extent even greater than that of sewage spills.
Increased development, which escalates the amount of impervi-ous
surface area, contributes significantly to the problem. Heal Our
Waterways encourages best management practices like using rain
gardens, rain barrels, vegetative buffers and permeable pavement,
and rerouting downspouts away from impervious surfaces.
“Native plants create an excellent buffer system as rainwater
offers.
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