Abstract
Oyster reefs play a vital role in the ecosystem aiding in the removal of algae from the water column, providing habitat for more than 300 different species, and helping to protect the coast from erosion. The Mississippi Oyster Gardening Program is a volunteer-based project that focuses on educating citizens on the role oysters play in the environment. Volunteers, also known as “Oyster Gardeners,” receive spat set on whole shell from an oyster hatchery at the beginning of the season, typically May through June. Throughout the season (May/June – December), gardeners provide nursery phase care and protect the growing oysters by removing predators such as blue crabs, stone crabs and oyster drills from the gardens, removing biofouling such as mud and algae to optimize feeding. Gardeners track growth rates by taking and reporting oyster height measurements to the program. Established in 2016, the program is now in its fifth year of oyster gardening with 50 sites throughout coastal Mississippi. Future plans of the program include bringing lesson plans to classrooms focusing on oyster ecology and oyster anatomy to further the educational component. In addition, kiosk style displays that highlight oyster impacts on the ecosystem and how to get involved in the program will be placed in high traffic areas. To date, with a partnership among MASGC and MDMR, and funded by NFWF, the program has reached over 200 gardeners who have produced over 100,000 oysters that were planted on restoration reefs in the Mississippi Sound and represent a restorative potential of 5 acres and an economic impact of $107,155.49.
