Oysters - They're Not Just to Eat!

Photo courtesy of GTM Research Reserve staff

It occurred to me that I haven't mentioned the name of this awesome place! Okay, here's the long of it ... Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, or for short since that's a mouthful ... GTM ResearchReserve.

I've talked about turtles and some of the wonderful activities happening here, but there are a lot of important oyster restoration projects going on as well. Many of you may be thinking, “Well, they’re great to eat, but what’s the big deal about some oyster project?”

Besides eating them, of course, have you ever wondered what might be some of the benefits of oysters? For one thing, they're good for the environment. Oysters are water purifiers. They naturally filter water and provide shelter and food for a variety of organisms in the estuary. Even after life, oyster reefs formed by a whole lot of shells continue to support hundreds of organisms.

Along with improving water quality, they can provide shoreline stability to combat erosion (oyster restoration projects), remove nitrogen and provide habitat for crabs and a lot of fish -like the ones you see at the estuary. And a food source for us humans! They are also full of essential amino acids and other nutritious vitamins and minerals.

So the next time you’re slurping down an oyster or enjoying a sunset as you look out at an oyster reef over the Intracoastal Waterway, think about all the hard work these oysters do for estuaries and you!

Stay tuned for more about the oyster restoration projects!