opportunity: oysters - North Carolina Sea Grant - NC State University

OPPORTUNIT Y: OYSTERS

SCIENCE SERVING NORTH CAROLINA

2017 OPPORTUNITY SERIES VOL. 1

“H

e was a bold man that first ate an oyster.”

Jonathan Swift

THE HUMBLE OYSTER

In coastal waters, North Carolina’s native oysters have long played an important ecological and economic role. These filter feeders sustained coastal economies, acted as natural clean-up crews, and served as symbols for the coastal way of life for generations — until their numbers plummeted. Now, people, agencies and organizations have banded together to restore the humble oyster back to its rightful place along the reef. PHOTO: A Carteret County oyster farmer. Courtesy N.C. Museum of History.

119,298 bushels +243% increase from 1994

BATTLE FOR THE BOUNTY Demand for North Carolina oysters increased after the Civil War with development of northern markets, railroads and canneries. Commercial landings in the state reached their highestrecorded level in 1902 at 806,363 bushels, then they began to fall. Wild harvests steadily declined due to over-harvesting, natural disasters, shellfish diseases and degraded water quality. Policies designed to protect the depleted stock further limited the harvest.

Virginia

ROOM FOR GROWTH

Recent restoration efforts and mariculture entrepreneurs have helped bolster commercial landings but the impact has fallen far short of the gains seen in Virginia. Reaching almost $30 million in 2014, Virginia’s commercial oyster and aquaculture industry has benefited from investments in research, improved management and environmental cleanup. GRAPH: Commercial oyster harvest value for North Carolina and Virginia from 1994 to 2014. Source: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service.

Va l u e ( $ )

2015 Harvest

North Carolina

Ye a r N O R T H C ARO LI N A SEA GRANT OPPOR TU NIT Y: OY S T E RS

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INV ES TMENT S F rom 2000 t o 2 0 1 6 , N or t h Ca rol i na Se a Gr a n t su p p or t e d :

86

Projects for oyster research and commercial development of the aquaculture industry. MAP: Sea-Grant funded projects by watershed.

PARTNERS: NC State University | UNC-Chapel Hill | UNC-Charlotte | UNC-Greensboro | UNC-Wilmington Out-of-State Academic Institutions | Companies and Commercial Fishermen

For a t o t a l i n v e s t m e n t o f :

S

$ 4 MILLION

ince 2000, North Carolina Sea Grant has sponsored over 60 funding opportunities related to coastal science, engineering, and education. Based on these funding opportunities, Sea Grant awarded 86 grants, totaling $4,013,855 specific to oyster research and commercial development of the aquaculture industry.

This funding has supported multi-faceted research to support restoration efforts, a better understanding of oyster habitat structure and function, increased knowledge of disease and parasite issues as well as human health concerns, and the growing oysteraquaculture industry within the state. North Carolina Sea Grant has a strong history of collaboration with national agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, and state agencies, such as the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, in the identification of priority research

N O R T H C ARO LI N A SEA GRANT OPPOR TU NIT Y: OY S T E RS

needs related to oysters. Funding for oyster research has been distributed to university-based researchers, as well as businesses and individuals. Results from multiple Sea Grant-funded projects have directly and indirectly influenced state regulatory processes.

$1=$4.05 Return on Investment

Every dollar invested in oyster habitat enhancement provides North Carolina with $4.05 in benefits according to a 2016 RTI International report.

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R E S EA RCH T O APPLIC AT ION North Ca ro l i n a S e a Gr a n t fo s t e r s re s e a rch , co m m e rci a l d e v e l o pm e nt a nd e c on om i c g rowt h i n No r t h C a ro l i n a ’s o y s t e r i n d u s t r y.

RESTORATION

Oyster-reef restoration is a key need in terms of habitat and fisheries management, as well as sustainability. A combination of university and industry-based research has resulted in best management practices for establishing oyster sanctuaries and advancing environmentally sound shoreline-stabilization techniques, including living shorelines. Information is now being generated to quantify and communicate the value of restored estuarine habitats. This research also spurred a business partnership between a UNC-CH researcher and a commercial fisherman.

AQUACULTURE & INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

The growing oyster industry has the potential to produce a substantial source of income and economic stability for North Carolina’s seafood industry and coastal communities. North Carolina Sea Grant-funded researchers and extension specialists work closely with fishermen and farmers to improve the industry’s capacity, activity and development. University of North Carolina Wilmington researchers developed the N.C. Shellfish Siting Tool to help growers identify promising bottom-lease locations for aquaculture. Meanwhile, Sea Grant extension and outreach is expanding to provide young people and decision makers with data, including job opportunities and strategic investments that could help grow the industry. IMPACT: More than

North Carolina

IMPACT: North Carolina Sea Grantfunded research was leveraged into $5 million of NOAA Recovery Act funding, which restored 55.5 acres of oyster reefs and provided 195 jobs.

Sea Grant

Oyster Focus Areas

SEAFOOD SAFETY

Raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, may contain harmful pathogens like Vibrio, a type of bacteria that can cause severe, life-threatening illness in people with compromised immune systems. Traditional tests for identifying Vibrio, which occurs naturally in marine waters, take a long time. North Carolina Sea Grant-funded researchers have developed techniques to reduce testing time, allowing for more rapid verification of pathogens that can affect human health. They also are examining how risks may vary between wild-caught, farmed and under-dock oysters. Sea Grant extension specialists work to educate producers and consumers about seafood safety practices. IMPACT: Researchers are working

to develop a disease-resistant oyster for use in the North Carolina aquaculture industry.


$600,000 in national funding has been awarded to North Carolina Sea Grant since 2010 to help expand the state’s shellfish aquaculture industry.

OYSTER ECOLOGY

Significant economic benefits are derived from the ecosystem services provided by oyster reefs. North Carolina Sea Grant-funded researchers found that a significant proportion of the total value of these services comes from nitrogen removal, which helps improve water quality. They also observed varying values depending on the location of the oyster reef. Preliminary results were leveraged into $850,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation.

IMPACT: Resource managers at The Nature Conservancy, NOAA Restoration Center, Chesapeake Bay Program and several state agencies use findings to identify cost-effective restoration projects. PAG E 3

M OV I NG F O R WARD

N

orth Carolina has been described as a potential Napa Valley of Oysters — an ecologically and economically valuable opportunity for supporting its coastal communities and heritage.

works closely with DMF, and is posed to be a key resource in these efforts.

Increasing consumer demand for safe and sustainable seafood and the recognition of benefits from reef restoration could greatly expand the oyster industry in North Carolina. Commercial harvest of wild oysters already is worth almost $4 million annually, without taking into account the value of the emerging aquaculture market.

Sea Grant extension specialists, along with long-standing industry, academic and nonprofit collaborators, continue to advance oyster research and its application in North Carolina. Current projects cover all aspects of the industry, including improving restoration efforts, better understanding public health risks, developing new aquaculture gear and quantifying ecosystem services. Sea Grant also excels at sharing unbiased research through integrated outreach, education and communication programs.

Shellfish aquaculture, in particular, provides promising opportunities for both traditional fishermen and budding entrepreneurs. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries acknowledges that growing this industry requires expertise, innovation and leadership from diverse partners. North Carolina Sea Grant already

As demonstrated by the growth in Virginia’s oyster industry, more investment will further advance these efforts. North Carolina Sea Grant possesses the momentum and capacity to leverage additional funding into growth that will benefit our state’s unique coastal communities, economies and ecosystems.

CONTACT Susan White, Executive Director [email protected] | 919-515-2455 North Carolina Sea Grant provides research, education and outreach opportunities relating to current issues affecting the North Carolina coast and its communities. Since 1970, North Carolina Sea Grant has prided itself on being a valuable resource for scientists, educators, local officials, government agencies, coastal businesses and the public to find unbiased, scientifically sound information about the state’s coastal ecosystems. Learn more at ncseagrant.org.


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