What are oysters?
Oysters are natural components of the Lake Worth Lagoon and other Florida estuaries. An oyster is a soft-bodied invertebrate with a double-hinged shell. The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is the species found in the Lagoon.
Why are oysters important?
- Oysters provide an important habitat and food for numerous estuarine species including mollusks, worms, crustaceans, sponges, fish and birds.
- They form three-dimensional reef structures, attracting directly or indirectly more than 300 species of invertebrates and fishes. Many of these oyster-reef species in turn serve as forage for important fisheries species such as the common snook.
- An individual oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, removing phytoplankton, sediments, pollutants, and microorganisms from the water column. This process results in greater water clarity, allowing light to reach submerged aquatic vegetation like seagrass.
Where are oysters found in the Lake Worth Lagoon?
- There are multiple oyster reefs in several locations
of the Lagoon:
Why do oysters need restoration and enhancement?
Oyster larvae must attach to a hard substrate to grow. Environmental managers estimate there are over 185 acres of suitable area for oyster reef enhancement in the Lagoon. Proposed projects would involve adding rock and shell substrate for oyster attachment.
Quick Facts - Oysters
- Oysters normally occur at salinities between 10 and 30 parts per thousand (ppt) but they tolerate a salinity range of 2 to 40 ppt.
- They benefit from short pulses of freshwater inflow that kill predators that cannot tolerate the change in salinity, while excessive freshwater inflows may kill entire populations of oysters.
Lake Worth Lagoon Oyster Trends
- Scientists are monitoring changes in oyster distribution, health and abundance.
- Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management has conducted oyster monitoring since March 2008.
- Monitoring efforts conducted during the first year suggest that oysters at Snook Islands are meatier and healthier compared to the other sites at Ibis Isles and MacArthur State Park.
Where can I find more information?
Coastal Resources
