>> TIME FOR A VOCAB MOMENT.
SHORELINE EROSION.
THE LOSS OF LAND AT THE
SHORELINE.
OYSTER REEF RESTORATION, THE
PROCESS OF REBUILDING OYSTER
REEFS.
WATER SALINITY, A MEASURE OF HOW
SALTY THE WATER IS.
>> THEY SAID TO START WITH THE
NATURE CONSERVANCY, BUT WE'RE
GOING TO GO TALK ABOUT OYSTERS
ON COFFEE ISLAND.
>> OYSTERS? COFFEE?
YOU'RE A RESTAURANT CRITIC NOW?
>> IF IT'S ONE OF THOSE PLACES
WITH A DRESS CODE, YOU CAN COUNT
ME OUT.
>> OKAY, ALEX.
THEY MAKE TIES THAT CLIP NOW.
>> REALLY?
>> ANYWAY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I
READ?
AN OYSTER REEF OVER THERE IS
HELPING MAKE ANOTHER ISLAND.
>> HOW COULD OYSTERS BE HELPING
TO SAVE AN ENTIRE ISLAND?
>> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GO
FIND OUT.
MAYBE IF OYSTERS CAN HELP AN
ISLAND, THEN MILK CAN BE RELATED
TO SHAVING CREAM, RIGHT?
RIGHT?
>> OYSTERS ARE FILTER FEEDERS.
THEY CONSUME PHYTOPLANKTON, A
KIND OF ALGAE.
FILTER FEEDERS PLAY AN IMPORTANT
ROLE IN CLARIFYING WATER.
EACH OYSTER FILTERS UP TO 5
LITERS OF WATER PER HOUR.
OYSTERS ARE SUPER IMPORTANT;
SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY'RE
CONSIDERED ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS.
THEY'RE AMAZING ARCHITECTS THE
COASTAL WATERS.
IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING WATER
QUALITY, THEY BUILD 3D REEFS
THAT PROVIDE HABITATS FOR OTHER
GULF ORGANISMS.
AND THEY BREAK DOWN WAVE ENERGY
TO PROTECT THE SHORE.
THAT IS WHY THE NATURE
CONSERVANCY IS CONDUCTING A
LONG-TERM OYSTER REEF
RESTORATION PROJECT THAT'S
HELPING SAVE COFFEE ISLAND FROM
BEING SWALLOWED INTO THE GULF.
IF AN OYSTER CAN AFFECT AN
ENTIRE ISLAND, THIS MAY HELP ME
SOLVE MY IMPOSSIBLE QUEST.
LET'S FIND OUT!
>> WE'RE HERE ON AN OYSTER REEF
IN THE ESTUARY.
AND REMEMBER, ESTUARIES ARE
WHERE FRESHWATER AND SALTWATER
MIX.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO RESTORATION IS
KNOWING WATER QUALITY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
LIKE TO DO IS TAKE A LOOK AT
WHAT THE SALINITY AND THE
TEMPERATURES ARE TO ENSURE IT'S
THE RIGHT SPOT TO HAVE AN OYSTER
REEF.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND CHECK IT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN ON THE
WATER IN FIVE, AND THROW IT ON.
I WILL THROW THIS LITTLE SENSOR
OUT IN THE WATER AND JUST DROP
IT HERE.
AND WE'RE CHECKING FOR SALINITY.
IT'S ABOUT 22.3 PPT.
SEA WATER IS 35 PORTS PER
THOUSAND.
BUT NOW AT 22 PARTS PER
THOUSAND, THAT IS PROBABLY SOME
FRESHWATER COMING FROM RUNOFF
FROM THE RAINS WE JUST HAD UP
STREAM.
BECAUSE ALL OF OUR RIVERS IN
ALABAMA FLOW TO THE GULF OF
MEXICO AND END UP DOWN HERE ON
OUR COAST.
NOW, HOW DO THESE FACTORS AFFECT
THE GROWTH OF OYSTERS?
>> OYSTERS TEND TO LIKE HIGHER
SALINITY WATER.
BUT THEY WILL GROW IN LOWER
SALINITY.
BUT THEY LIKE TO KIND OF
ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN THE
SALTIER WATER BEST.
TOSS THE QUAD OVER HERE TO SEE
HOW WE DO A SAMPLE.
GIVE THAT A LITTLE TOSS.
PERFECT!
NOW, IF YOU CAN GRAB THAT TRAY,
LET'S SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE.
THE REALLY NEAT THING ABOUT
OYSTERS REEFS IS THAT IT'S NOT
JUST ABOUT THE OYSTER.
IT'S ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.
IT'S A HUGE COMMUNITY OF
ORGANISMS.
BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW THE OYSTERS
HAVE SETTLED ON THE SHELVES THAT
WE BROUGHT OUT HERE.
HERE IS AN OYSTER.
THERE'S A BABY ONE HERE.
SEE HOW THE POINTS ARE ALL NICE
AND NEW?
AND THEN IF YOU GET DOWN IN
HERE, YOU SEE YOU ALSO GET
MUSSELS.
AND MUSSELS ARE FILTERERS JUST
LIKE OYSTERS.
SO FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, EVEN IF
WE DON'T HAVE A TON OF OYSTERS
COVERING IT, IF WE HAVE MUSSELS
ALONG WITH IT, WE'RE STILL DOING
THE JOB.
AND THIS IS LIKE A CONDOMINIUM
FOR CRABS AND ARTHROPODS.
SO LET'S LOOK AROUND IN HERE.
CAN HELP US?
OPEN THIS UP AND SEE WHAT KIND
OF OTHER CRITTERS WE HAVE?
SEE ALL OF THESE LITTLE LIGHT
CRABS.
>> IT'S LIKE A LITTLE
CONDOMINIUM.
THEY LOVE IT.
SOME OF THEM ARE JUVENILE STONE
CRABS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE
LITTLE MUD CRABS.
THERE'S ALWAYS JUST A TON OF
THINGS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE
OYSTERS, IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE
COMMUNITIES OF THE OYSTERS.
>> WHAT OTHER TECHNIQUES DO YOU
GUYS USE?
>> WE ACTUALLY HAVE PUT CONCRETE
DOMES CALLED REEF FAULT OUT
HERE, AND WE PUT REBAR CAGES
THAT HAVE SHELL ON THE SIDE,
BECAUSE OYSTERS LIKE OYSTERS
BEST TO GROW ON.
THEY WILL SETTLE ON OTHER
THINGS, BUT THEY LIKE OYSTERS
BEST.
SO WE TRIED THREE DIFFERENT
TECHNIQUES IN THIS AREA TO SEE
WHAT WORKS BEST WHERE.
WHAT WORKS BEST TO HELP BREAK
THE WAVES;
WHAT WORKS BEST TO HELP FOR
OYSTERS;
AND WHAT WORKS BEST TO BRING
BACK THE FISHERIES.
>> YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SO
SUCCESSFUL IN HELPING THIS
ISLAND.
WHAT ARE YOUR LONG-TERM GOALS?
>> WE HAVE MORE TO DO HERE, BUT
THERE ARE ISLANDS AND SHORE
LINES JUST LIKE THIS ALL OVER
COASTAL ALABAMA THAT NEED HELP.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO PUT THE SAME
RESTORATION IN A PLAY THERE.
AND IT'S EXCITING ON THE REEFS.
BUT REMEMBER, PART OF THE
RESTORATION ALSO INVOLVES THE
SHORELINE AND THE MARSH.
WE SHOULD GO CHECK THAT OUT.
>> LET'S GO!
>> WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS ARE WE
LOOKING TO CATCH HERE?
>> WE ARE GOING TO CATCH SHRIMP,
JUVENILE FISH, LIKE BAY
ANCHOVIES AND CRABS THAT ARE
PROBABLY SWIMMING IN THE WATER.
WE MIGHT CATCH JELLYFISH --
ANYTHING THAT LIVES IN THE
MARSH.
WHEN WE GET CLOSE TO THE SHORE,
WE'RE GOING TO SLOWLY LIFT UP
THE NET.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO THAT
POINT, YOU CAN FLATTEN IT OUT,
PULL IT UP SLOWLY.
AND HERE WE GO.
AND SHRIMP!
>> OH, MY GOSH.
I SEE SO MANY SHRIMP!
THE CATFISH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE
BASES OF THE FOOD CHAIN HERE, A
LOT OF THESE JELLIES, KNOWN AS
CONE JELLIES, THEY ARE TINAFORS,
AND THEY IN THE NEST AND THEY
DON'T STING.
THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF SHRIMP IN
HERE THAT ARE ACTUALLY THE SAME
SHRIMP THAT WHEN THEY GROW UP,
THEY WILL END UP ON OUR TABLE.
JUVENILE -- THIS IS A BLUE CRAB.
DID YOUR EVER HAVE CRAB CAKES?
>> YEAH.
>> THAT IS THAT CRAB.
THEY DON'T GROW UP TO BE A BIG
ONE.
>> HE IS PINCHING ON YOU
ALREADY.
>> WELL, THEY ARE FEISTY.
BLUE CRABS HAVE ATTITUDES.
THAT'S FOR SURE.
BUT YEAH.
SO THE MARSH HELPS SUPPORT A
DIFFERENT KIND OF COMMUNITY THAN
WHAT WE SAW IN THE REEF, AND
THEY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER, AND
THEY WORK TOGETHER TO HELP
PROVIDE THAT NURSERY HABITAT FOR
ALL OF OUR FISH AND OUR
SHELLFISH HERE ON THE GULF
COAST.
AND OF COURSE THEN THAT FEEDS
THE NATION.
>> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TIME AND TEACHING ME SO
MUCH ABOUT OYSTERS.
>> WELL, COME BACK ANY TIME YOU
WANT TO SEE HOW THIS RESTORATION
PROGRESSES.
AND NOW LET'S GET THESE GUYS
BACK IN THE WATER.
>> LET'S GO.