Zeiber, Rebecca

English

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
8-30-2007
Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles,
UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle
Rebecca Zeiber
UNH Media Relations
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Zeiber, Rebecca, "Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle" (2007).
UNH Today. 956.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/956
9/11/17, 12(46 PMUsing Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle
Page 1 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/aug/rz30oyster.cfm.html
 
Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH
Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle
Contact:  Rebecca Zeiber 
603-749-1565
NH Sea Grant
August 30, 2007
DOVER, N.H. – Ray Grizzle wades slowly in the shallow waters at the mouth of the Bellamy
River, inspecting the river bottom and finding some shells. “2006 was a good year, maybe the
best ever,” he says thoughtfully, in much the same manner a wine connoisseur would talk
about a fine vintage red. Instead, Grizzle is speaking about the 2006 “spat,” or young oysters,
around the Great Bay Estuary, one that added numerous juvenile oysters to the depleted
population.
Grizzle, University of New Hampshire research professor of zoology, and research technician
Krystin Ward have spent the morning loading up a boat with bins containing oyster shells
dotted with one million oyster spat, each no larger than a grain of sand. After a short trip out
to the Bellamy at low tide, Grizzle stops the boat and they begin gently tossing the shells into
the water near tall PVC pipes marking the location of their continued oyster reef restoration
efforts.
“People ask, ‘why oysters? What’s the big deal?’” Grizzle says. “Well, some consider them to
be a keystone species: they filter the water column for their food, they provide habitat and
food for other species, including humans, and in northern estuaries, they are a unique
species, one that’s important ecologically.”
The concept of oyster reef restoration isn’t new, but in Great Bay some changes have taken
place to make this particular one unique. In previous years, the oysters were raised for a few
months at UNH’s Jackson Estuarine Laboratory (JEL) prior to their release into the restoration
locations. This made the job more difficult and time consuming, as the baby oysters were
required to grow in size, making the bins heavier. In addition, they would often attach
themselves to one another or to the sides of the bins. When the shells were separated to
place individuals in the restoration site, it was a call to action for the species that feed on
oysters.
“The sound made by the shells when we broke them apart was like ringing the dinner bell for
oyster predators,” says Jenn Greene, lab supervisor. “You would see this army of mud snails
moving across the mud flat, just swarming around the oysters. Some oysters will be
consumed, that’s just a fact of life out there.” Although the mud snails are not usually
considered predators, they do feed on dead and dying oysters.
Placing the juvenile oysters in the restoration site when they are mere specks on a shell could
prove to be a quicker and more cost-effective method of restoration if the set is successful. In
addition, Grizzle explains that oyster spat of that size (less than one millimeter) won’t have
9/11/17, 12(46 PMUsing Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle
Page 2 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/aug/rz30oyster.cfm.html
the scent associated with them that larger, broken oysters do and therefore may not attract as
many predators, thus allowing survival to reproductive age.
“Since we started the restoration program in 1999, it has really evolved,” Grizzle says. “One of
the major conclusions we have drawn is that we need more hard substrate for baby oysters to
grow, and the best substrate is old oyster shells.”
But the bigger story, at least for those working at Grizzle’s lab, is where those old oyster
shells have originated.
“Oysters are harvested from the bay, eaten, and the shells are thrown into the landfill,” Grizzle
says. “That’s not the natural cycle. We wanted to complete the cycle that this species should
be going through naturally by putting shells back into the estuary.” So with the help of
Greene, the UNH Oyster Shell Recycling Program was developed in 2006.
The Bellamy River restoration site that Grizzle and Ward are working on is the completion of
that cycle, thanks to this recycling program. All the shells they are placing in the Bellamy are
from Great Bay and have been donated by the public, including recreational oyster harvesters.
A trailer located near JEL allows locals to drop off their used shells into separate large plastic
bins for use in the recycling and restoration efforts.
The idea behind a shell recycling program is similar in nature to those in southern states,
including South Carolina, but on a much smaller scale. Grizzle approached Ken La Valley,
extension agent for NH Sea Grant, for help in writing a grant to get the program started
locally.
“This project is an ideal example of community helping science,” La Valley says. “They had a
need for shell to enhance their restoration efforts, as well as the funding necessary to devote
their time. We paired them up with Cooperative Extension and NH Sea Grant to get money,
and we came up with a way to make it work.”
Getting the program off the ground also required the development of a hazardous analysis
and critical control point (HACCP) plan. La Valley explains that these plans are normally used
in the seafood, restaurant and processing industries as a preventative program that identifies
potential hazards in a manufacturing process of food handling situations. These hazards often
include pathogens that put consumers at risk. In the case of the shell recycling program,
developing a HACCP plan allowed researchers and managers to minimize the risk of bringing
pathogens or exotic species into the bay.
Along with UNH, the NH Fish and Game Department encourages the public to return oyster
shells once they’ve eaten the meat. Bruce Smith, marine biologist with the NH Fish and Game
Department’s Marine Fisheries Division, says that they sell between 400-600 oyster harvesting
licenses per year, and each license holder is sent a letter recommending they return the shells
once they’ve eaten the meat.
The Department is in charge of keeping track of and setting the harvesting regulations, such
as the number of oysters harvested and tools used. Although recreational harvest is allowed in
certain locations, other oyster beds are not open for such activity due to pollution loads from
nearby wastewater treatment facilities, Smith explains. A portion of the Bellamy River oyster
reef restoration project is one of those locations, thus providing a sanctuary for a possible
rebound in the oyster population.
9/11/17, 12(46 PMUsing Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle
Page 3 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/aug/rz30oyster.cfm.html
Although the oyster reef restoration efforts have resulted in both successes and failures over
the years, the shell recycling program has added a positive component to the overall project
goals.
“I believe we’re beginning to see a change in something that will become important
ecologically and societally,” Grizzle says. “I see some glimmer of hope for the oysters coming
back in the estuary.”
For more information about this research, contact Jenn Greene at 603-862-1244.
Photographs available to download:
http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/boatride.pdf
Caption: University of New Hampshire research professor of zoology Ray Grizzle and research
technician Krystin Ward take Great Bay oyster shells dotted with 1 million oyster "spat" or
young larvae out to the mouth of the Bellamy River as part of an ongoing oyster reef
restoration project. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.
http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/laboysters.pdf
Caption: Lab superviser Jenn Greene holds a Great Bay oyster shell that is being used as the
substrate for tiny oyster "spat" to grow on for the UNH oyster shell recycling program and
oyster reef restoration efforts in the bay. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.
http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/reefrestoration.pdf
Caption: Research technician Krystin Ward gently tosses oyster shells holding tiny oyster
"spat" into the mouth of the Bellamy River as part of an ongoing oyster reef restoration
project. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.
http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/spat.pdf
Caption: Close-up of the oyster "spat" on shells being placed in the Bellamy River oyster reef.
They are about the size of a grain of sand, and approximately 1 million were placed in the reef
for ongoing reef restoration efforts by UNH. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.


Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices8-30-2007Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles,UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full CircleRebecca ZeiberUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationZeiber, Rebecca, "Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle" (2007).UNH Today. 956.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/9569/11/17, 12(46 PMUsing Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full CirclePage 1 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/aug/rz30oyster.cfm.html Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNHOyster Restoration Efforts Come Full CircleContact:  Rebecca Zeiber 603-749-1565NH Sea GrantAugust 30, 2007DOVER, N.H. – Ray Grizzle wades slowly in the shallow waters at the mouth of the BellamyRiver, inspecting the river bottom and finding some shells. “2006 was a good year, maybe thebest ever,” he says thoughtfully, in much the same manner a wine connoisseur would talkabout a fine vintage red. Instead, Grizzle is speaking about the 2006 “spat,” or young oysters,around the Great Bay Estuary, one that added numerous juvenile oysters to the depletedpopulation.Grizzle, University of New Hampshire research professor of zoology, and research technicianKrystin Ward have spent the morning loading up a boat with bins containing oyster shellsdotted with one million oyster spat, each no larger than a grain of sand. After a short trip outto the Bellamy at low tide, Grizzle stops the boat and they begin gently tossing the shells intothe water near tall PVC pipes marking the location of their continued oyster reef restorationefforts.“People ask, ‘why oysters? What’s the big deal?’” Grizzle says. “Well, some consider them tobe a keystone species: they filter the water column for their food, they provide habitat andfood for other species, including humans, and in northern estuaries, they are a uniquespecies, one that’s important ecologically.”The concept of oyster reef restoration isn’t new, but in Great Bay some changes have takenplace to make this particular one unique. In previous years, the oysters were raised for a fewmonths at UNH’s Jackson Estuarine Laboratory (JEL) prior to their release into the restorationlocations. This made the job more difficult and time consuming, as the baby oysters wererequired to grow in size, making the bins heavier. In addition, they would often attachthemselves to one another or to the sides of the bins. When the shells were separated toplace individuals in the restoration site, it was a call to action for the species that feed onoysters.“The sound made by the shells when we broke them apart was like ringing the dinner bell foroyster predators,” says Jenn Greene, lab supervisor. “You would see this army of mud snailsmoving across the mud flat, just swarming around the oysters. Some oysters will beconsumed, that’s just a fact of life out there.” Although the mud snails are not usuallyconsidered predators, they do feed on dead and dying oysters.Placing the juvenile oysters in the restoration site when they are mere specks on a shell couldprove to be a quicker and more cost-effective method of restoration if the set is successful. Inaddition, Grizzle explains that oyster spat of that size (less than one millimeter) won’t have9/11/17, 12(46 PMUsing Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full CirclePage 2 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/aug/rz30oyster.cfm.htmlthe scent associated with them that larger, broken oysters do and therefore may not attract asmany predators, thus allowing survival to reproductive age.“Since we started the restoration program in 1999, it has really evolved,” Grizzle says. “One ofthe major conclusions we have drawn is that we need more hard substrate for baby oysters togrow, and the best substrate is old oyster shells.”But the bigger story, at least for those working at Grizzle’s lab, is where those old oystershells have originated.“Oysters are harvested from the bay, eaten, and the shells are thrown into the landfill,” Grizzlesays. “That’s not the natural cycle. We wanted to complete the cycle that this species shouldbe going through naturally by putting shells back into the estuary.” So with the help ofGreene, the UNH Oyster Shell Recycling Program was developed in 2006.The Bellamy River restoration site that Grizzle and Ward are working on is the completion ofthat cycle, thanks to this recycling program. All the shells they are placing in the Bellamy arefrom Great Bay and have been donated by the public, including recreational oyster harvesters.A trailer located near JEL allows locals to drop off their used shells into separate large plasticbins for use in the recycling and restoration efforts.The idea behind a shell recycling program is similar in nature to those in southern states,including South Carolina, but on a much smaller scale. Grizzle approached Ken La Valley,extension agent for NH Sea Grant, for help in writing a grant to get the program startedlocally.“This project is an ideal example of community helping science,” La Valley says. “They had aneed for shell to enhance their restoration efforts, as well as the funding necessary to devotetheir time. We paired them up with Cooperative Extension and NH Sea Grant to get money,and we came up with a way to make it work.”Getting the program off the ground also required the development of a hazardous analysisand critical control point (HACCP) plan. La Valley explains that these plans are normally usedin the seafood, restaurant and processing industries as a preventative program that identifiespotential hazards in a manufacturing process of food handling situations. These hazards ofteninclude pathogens that put consumers at risk. In the case of the shell recycling program,developing a HACCP plan allowed researchers and managers to minimize the risk of bringingpathogens or exotic species into the bay.Along with UNH, the NH Fish and Game Department encourages the public to return oystershells once they’ve eaten the meat. Bruce Smith, marine biologist with the NH Fish and GameDepartment’s Marine Fisheries Division, says that they sell between 400-600 oyster harvestinglicenses per year, and each license holder is sent a letter recommending they return the shellsonce they’ve eaten the meat.The Department is in charge of keeping track of and setting the harvesting regulations, suchas the number of oysters harvested and tools used. Although recreational harvest is allowed incertain locations, other oyster beds are not open for such activity due to pollution loads fromnearby wastewater treatment facilities, Smith explains. A portion of the Bellamy River oysterreef restoration project is one of those locations, thus providing a sanctuary for a possiblerebound in the oyster population.9/11/17, 12(46 PMUsing Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full CirclePage 3 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/aug/rz30oyster.cfm.htmlAlthough the oyster reef restoration efforts have resulted in both successes and failures overthe years, the shell recycling program has added a positive component to the overall projectgoals.“I believe we’re beginning to see a change in something that will become importantecologically and societally,” Grizzle says. “I see some glimmer of hope for the oysters comingback in the estuary.”For more information about this research, contact Jenn Greene at 603-862-1244.Photographs available to download:http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/boatride.pdfCaption: University of New Hampshire research professor of zoology Ray Grizzle and researchtechnician Krystin Ward take Great Bay oyster shells dotted with 1 million oyster "spat" oryoung larvae out to the mouth of the Bellamy River as part of an ongoing oyster reefrestoration project. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/laboysters.pdfCaption: Lab superviser Jenn Greene holds a Great Bay oyster shell that is being used as thesubstrate for tiny oyster "spat" to grow on for the UNH oyster shell recycling program andoyster reef restoration efforts in the bay. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/reefrestoration.pdfCaption: Research technician Krystin Ward gently tosses oyster shells holding tiny oyster"spat" into the mouth of the Bellamy River as part of an ongoing oyster reef restorationproject. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.http://unh.edu/news/img/oyster/spat.pdfCaption: Close-up of the oyster "spat" on shells being placed in the Bellamy River oyster reef.They are about the size of a grain of sand, and approximately 1 million were placed in the reeffor ongoing reef restoration efforts by UNH. Credit: Rebecca Zeiber.

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Using Old Oyster Shells As Substrate For Juveniles, UNH Oyster Restoration Efforts Come Full Circle

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