Oysters are critical for the marine ecosystem.
A single adult oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day, consuming plankton -- thus allowing sunlight to penetrate the water depths, so that aquatic vegetation can flourish.
Oyster beds provide habitats for attracting fish, crustaceans and other marine life. And they are environmentally sustainable on their own since they do not compete with other species for food, nor consume more protein than they produce.
But the oyster that is, the Olympia oyster (ostrea lurlda) -- has experienced substantial population declines throughout its historical range, which is Sitka, Alaska to Baja California, Mexico, since the early 1900s.
Cal State Fullerton has received an $85,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the restoration of native oysters in Southern California. And the Long Beach city manager received the City Council's nod to execute a nonexclusive right-of-entry permit to the Jack Dunster Marine Biological Reserve for a restoration project, beginning Friday and ending Dec. 31, 2017.
According to a city staff report:
"Oyster restoration efforts along the west coast of the United States have augmented mudflat habitats with oyster shell in order to provide a settlement habitat for larval oysters. This restoration project will explore oyster larval settlement, shell attrition, epifaunal and infaunal community biodiversity, as well as oyster survival and growth. By restoring the native oyster beds at Jack Dunster Marine Biological Reserve, this project will improve the integrity and resilience of the area's ecosystem. Olympia oyster enhancement will improve the overall habitat and water quality."
A single adult oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day, consuming plankton -- thus allowing sunlight to penetrate the water depths, so that aquatic vegetation can flourish.
Oyster beds provide habitats for attracting fish, crustaceans and other marine life. And they are environmentally sustainable on their own since they do not compete with other species for food, nor consume more protein than they produce.
But the oyster that is, the Olympia oyster (ostrea lurlda) -- has experienced substantial population declines throughout its historical range, which is Sitka, Alaska to Baja California, Mexico, since the early 1900s.
Cal State Fullerton has received an $85,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the restoration of native oysters in Southern California. And the Long Beach city manager received the City Council's nod to execute a nonexclusive right-of-entry permit to the Jack Dunster Marine Biological Reserve for a restoration project, beginning Friday and ending Dec. 31, 2017.
According to a city staff report:
"Oyster restoration efforts along the west coast of the United States have augmented mudflat habitats with oyster shell in order to provide a settlement habitat for larval oysters. This restoration project will explore oyster larval settlement, shell attrition, epifaunal and infaunal community biodiversity, as well as oyster survival and growth. By restoring the native oyster beds at Jack Dunster Marine Biological Reserve, this project will improve the integrity and resilience of the area's ecosystem. Olympia oyster enhancement will improve the overall habitat and water quality."
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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