Acres of Habitat Restored:
Created a fish/shellfish reef by planting 900 cubic yards of oyster shell onto a four-acre plot.

Justification for the Project:
The creation of reefs using oyster shell serves two important ecological functions. First, planting clutch material using oyster shell provides important habitat for the setting of oyster larvae. Second, the creation of critical fisheries habitat for sport fish and non-sport fish on and around oyster reefs is equally important.

Project Objectives:

1. Create fish/shellfish reef. On May 5, 2004 an approximate 900-cubic-yard reef was created near the mouth of Malini Bayou within Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. This project created a new shellfisheries and fisheries habitat in Bay St. Louis through a partnership with the groups listed at the bottom of this page.
2. Public outreach and education included the creation of displays and exhibits at the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, which represent the biological and environmental processes involved by creation of this reef. Creating the reef using oyster shell serves two important ecological functions: First, planting clutch material using oyster shell provides important habitat for the setting of oyster larvae. The importance of oyster reefs is widely recognized as a means of stabilizing estuarine substrates. Oysters are very effective in directly and indirectly removing nutrients from the water. One adult oyster has a clearance rate of as much as five gallons/hour (19 liters/hour). Second, creating critical fisheries habitat for sport fish and non-sport fish on and around oyster reefs is equally important.
3. Monitor biota of newly constructed reefs. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has monitored this site since its creation in May 2004 and will continue to monitor the site for several years to ensure success. The following parameters are included in this effort: dissolved oxygen, salinity, water temperature, turbidity, pH, Secchi disk readings, tide, wind, and air direction. Once this reef has become established, future monitoring activities will include square meter sampling to assess oyster density and mortality. We anticipate that approximately two years will be needed for this reef to become established. The use of Side Scan Sonar is an integral used to access substrate suitability, uniform cultch (oyster shell) deployment, and final reef orientation and size. The Department of Marine Resources uses a Triton Elics International acquisitioning side scan system with Delphmap for the Mosaic software. The topside computer is a Fieldworks 8000. The Towfish is a 272-TD which can scan at 100 or 500 kHz. Using side scan is the best way to monitor the physical structure of oyster reefs. The side scan provides a complete picture of the reef along with the precise GPS coordinates on the entire reef. The side scan information obtained allows researchers to know the size of the reef, the distribution of material that created the reef, where to sample on the reef and through time the side scan survey can detect if the reef is subsiding or expanding.
4. Provide learning opportunities for the public through the development of a public exhibit of an oyster reef ecosystem at the J.L. Scott Aquarium and Marine Education Center located in Biloxi, Mississippi. Outreach activities occurred in two areas: First, displays and exhibits were created or updated at the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. A marine aquarium was renovated so that it demonstrates an oyster shell reef and all associated biota for the public to view. A large wall painting/mural was updated that demonstrates the bio-complexity of an oyster shell reef. Several aquarium back drops were created or updated to reflect the diversity created by establishing oyster shell reefs. All these displays were designed to inform and educate the general public about the biodiversity of the oyster shell reef community. Second, several newspaper articles and television segments were generated. Partnership volunteers assisted with loading oyster cultch (oyster shell) onto barges in preparation for shell planting and assisted with the telegraphing of the shell over the site. Once this site becomes established and a viable ecosystem that includes an adult population of oysters is formed, partnership volunteers will assist by comparing catch per unit effort and hook-and-line surveys. We anticipate that the site will become established and exhibit all size classes of oysters in the second year. Although no money from this grant was allowed to be spent towards education and outreach, this objective was funded, in-part, by project partners and was successfully completed.

• DMR released press information concerning Gulf of Mexico Foundation CRP grant.
• May 13, 2004 - article entitled "Project adds oyster reefs, Back Bay, St. Louis included" appeared in the Mississippi Sun Herald.
• Feb 7, 2004 - article entitled "Oyster test bed to be planted in polluted waters" appeared in the Mississippi Sun Herald.
• Feb 9, 2004 - article titled "Oyster beds to improve water quality and fish habitat" appeared in The Bay Press.
• Feb 9, 2004 - article entitled "Oyster beds planned to clean up polluted waters" appeared in the Mississippi Press.
• May 2004 - local ABC news affiliate WLOX produced several segments reflecting the shell plant that occurred on May 5, 2004.

Environmental and physical data collected will contribute to future projects of this type by providing insight as to the conditions that contribute to a successful spat set. These data will also provide a baseline for project management as the site matures through time. Additionally, these data will be available to the partners and collaborators to aid in management and implementation of any projects they may develop.

One of the first challenges the project faced was site selection. Valuable comments from the public and project partners led to selection of an alternate site rather than the initial selection. The alternate site proved to be the best site once all site selection factors were considered.

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and its partners listed below wish to thank the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, NOAA, the Community-Based Restoration program and all those that aided and assisted the funding this project.

• Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
• Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium
• University of Southern Mississippi
• J.L. Scott Aquarium & Marine Education Center
• Mississippi Chapter of The Nature Conservancy
• Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks
• Mississippi Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association
• Mississippi Wildlife Federation
• Congressman Gene Taylor’s Office