Oyster Research

Students from the University of North Florida install oyster monitoring devices on the Fort George River edge.

NPS Photo

Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is partnering with the University of North Florida's Coastal and Marine Biology Research department to determine if sufficient oyster larvae exists in the Fort George River near Kingsley Plantation to create an oyster reef. The presence or absence of oyster larvae, known as spat once it attaches to a surface, will be determined by studying the clean oyster shells suspended by metal wires from the PVC pipes placed along the river shore. The oysters will be left to collect spat over the next several weeks and will be collected and examined to determine if new oyster spat is forming on the suspended shells. If enough oyster spat is present, the next steps will be to place oyster shells, lightly covered in concrete to serve as a base for new spat to grow on.

Eventually, the hope is these efforts will help promote oyster bed growth in this area that will not only serve to provide habitat for marine life, but also to help combat erosion from boat wakes.