Farm raises boutique oysters

Transcription

1 Farm raises boutique oysters Project shows business potential for oyster growers If Steve Crockett's oyster farm in Bayou La Batre is any indication, oyster farms could create jobs in the Gulf of Mexico by offering boutique oysters to the half-shell market. Oysters destined for the premium niche markets are growing by the thousands in Steve Crockett's back yard in Bayou La Batre on Grand Bay. His 7-acre Alabama oyster farm business also serves as a demonstration and research site. Working with scientists from Auburn Universi'Yt including Aquaculture and Fisheries Specialist Bill Walton, in a Sea Grant-funded project, Crockett is evaluating different types ofoff-bottom oyster-growing methods and determining the feasibility of oyster farms in the region. Similcu; research is taking place in Louisiana under the direction ofjohn Supan, a Louisiana Sea Grant and Louisiana State University AgCenter oyster specialist. Walton and Supan's shared goal is the introdu Ition of economically sus nable offbottom oyster.--fnlture in the GuTf of M~ico. POINT AUX PINS OYSTERS At Crockett's farm, scientists use juvenile oysters from Auburn University Shellfish Lab and transplant them to wire baskets that are suspended in the water column. Suspending them helps keep them safe from their major predator: the bottom-dwelling oyster drill. The different types of gear used at the farm also allow the oysters to be taken out of the water about once a week, long enough to allow the air and sun to kill barnacles, seaweed and juvenile wild oysters that slow oyster growth and make them less attractive for their high-end restaurant destinations. Crockett's oysters are making a name for themselves. The Point aux Pins oysters, named after the Point aux Pines peninsula near where they are grown, are part of an effort to study the feasibility of introducing "boutique" Gulf of Mexico oysters to the half-shell market. Boutique oysters typically are cleaner, have a more appealing shape, are saltier and are known for the taste of the specific waters where they are grown. Crockett's are no exception. "My goal was to produce a world-class oyster," he said. "So far, I have not been disappointed." Point aux Pins boutique oysters have been well ~~~~~~;.~~~~: received by buyers, according to Jim Gossen, president and CEO of Louisiana Foods Global Seafood Source. Neither has Jim Gossen, president and CEO of Louisiana Foods Global Seafood Source (a seafood distributor). He usually buys premium oysters from the northeastern United States or Canada. Working with Crockett and Walton, he has sold Point aux Pins oysters in Houston to high-end restaurants that offer oysters from up to 12 different locations. "I gave a little better price, and they got as good an oyster or better," Gossen said. "All who have tried them have re-bought them." Point 'lux Pines waters are pristine with no agricultural or industrial run-off and do not have issues with septic tanks, Crockett said. Because consumers like to know (Continued on next page)

2 Program lands charter-boat operators in classroom Capt. Ben Fairey of Orange Beach, Ala., heard about the Dolphin SMART program a while back. It is a program that teaches tour operators the best ways to view dolphins and the laws that protect the marine mammals. "It was very evident to me that we needed the same type of program for our charter fishing industry," he said. Acting on this suggestion from the captain of the Necessity, the Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and a group of its partners, including the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resources Division, Dauphin Island Sea L1b, Orange Beach Fishing Association and Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism, created a program to offer charter boat operators information about their industry and the environment. "Our course encourages sustainable fishing practices by following the program's code of ethics and statement of commitment, which are based on best practices, guidelines and legal requirements," said Joanne McDonough of the Nature Tourism Initiative, which is overseeing the Certified Fisher Invested in Sustainable Harvests (CFISH) program. The program includes classroom training about catch limits, artificial reefs, fisheries research, marine laws and more. "We can educate the captains and mates to be able to convey the important environmental and fish-related issues to our customers," Fairey said. "It makes us more professional." Sean Powers, University of South Alabama associate professor of marine sciences, shows charter captains and deckhands a $4,000 satellite tag that scientists attach to sharks to gather data about the predators' positions and other information, such as water salinity and the last depth of the fish. Powers, who also serves as the vice-chair of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Science and Statistical Committee, encouraged fishermen to report tagged fish and explained the basics of determining Fish populations. OYSTERS...(!rom!ront page.1-) where their food comes from, those pristine waters can be a powerful marketing tool, according to Gossen. INTEREST IN OYSTER FARMING In business nearly 40 years, Gossen has seen the numbers of oysters decline in the Gulf. Oyster aquaculture, an established industry in East Coast states, could become an industry in the Gulf to supplement wild-caught oysters. "I know several people who would start it today, if they could get permits," Gossen said. "That is something I would like to see happen all along the Gulf Coast." While permitting is an issue yet to be tackled, Walton also is working on a legal research project to determine how it might be possible to have designated oyster-farming areas where growers could lease space. LONGLINE SYSTEM WORKS BEST FOR POINT AUX PINS At Crockett's farm, scientists have tested three types of grow-out systems. In some, wire baskets hang from floats that are on the surface of the water. They can be flipped over, so the baskets are out of the water. Another system has the baskets resting on floats that are filled with water and submerged on the water bottom. They can be raised so the oysters are out of the water. The third method, and the one that is working best for Crockett, is the Australian longline system. Lines are strung between PVC pipes that have three hooks at different heights. The oyster baskets are fastened to the line. They can be moved to a higher hook to get them out of the water for cleaning, and they can be lowered to remain in the water during different tides. Crockett first volunteered to grow oysters off his pier as part of the volunteer Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program, which raises oysters for restoration. "We had the best site," he said. "I thought, 'We can grow oysters.", All in all, Crockett said t~1rmers can make about $20,000/acre per year after paying equipment and labor costs. It takes about 18 months from spawning to grow a full-size oyster. _

3 Ole Miss School of Law w ns environmental moot court competition Stephanie Showalter Otts, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program director, and David Case, associate professor of law at the University of Mississippi School of Law, coached the Ole Miss Environmental Law Moot Court Team to a national win. The 23rd Annual National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition was held at Pace Law School, White Plains, N.Y., in February. The Ole Miss law school emerged as the winner out of 73 competing law schools from across the nation. "The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program has been enhancing the environmental law curriculum at Ole Miss since its establishment 30 years ago," said Showalter Orts. "Coaching the team is always a rewarding experience, but winning has been amazing. It has really raised awareness, on and off campus, of our environmental expertise and encouraged students to learn more about our programs." The competition problem involved the Resou rce Conservation and Recovery Act, the principal federal law governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste. The Ole Miss team advanced to the finals after defeating UCLA and the University of California at Berkeley in the semi-finals. Ole Miss defeated Baylor University and three-time defending champion Lewis & Clark Law School in the championship round. Stephanie Showalter Otts (director ofthe Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program and assistant coach ofthe Ole Miss School of Law Moot Court Team),left, David Case (head coach). Richard Gershon (dean ofthe Mississippi School oflaw) and team members Neal Wise, Dreda Culpepper and Christina Ashoo display a painting of Storm King (a mountain in New York that was the subject ofone ofthe first major environmental law victories), which is the traveling traphy for the winning Environmental Moot Court team. The school will keep the painting until the next competition. Oystermen in the Gulf typically harvest oysters from reefs on the bottom and sell their catches to processing plants, where they are shucked and packaged for sale. Harvested oysters that end up in the half-shell market go to oyster bars, where owners are unlikely to pay twice as much for premium oysters because they go through so many, Gossen said. The Point aux Pins oysters are grown for high-end restaurants and other outlets that serve premium oysters on the half-shell. "There is no intent to compete with the fishery," Walton said. OYSTERS FOR RESTORATION The technology, equipment and skills used by an oyster farmer to raise oysters to go to market can just as easily be used to assist with restoration projects, according to Walton. "Instead of raising 'single' oysters (which might be vulnerable to predation if released onto the seafloor), oyster farmers can produce large numbers of juvenile oysters set in clumps on shell or rock. These clumps of oysters, with a head start from an oyster farm, could help wild populations recover," he said. A series of workshops are planned to address issues, such as appropriate culture systems, oyster seed stock, growing market-quality oysters and developing practices and regulations in collaboration with state agencies. For information, contact Walton at billwalton@auburn.edu or Supan at jsupan@lsu.edu. Jefferson joins Sea Grant Deborah Jefferson of Gulfport has joined the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium as a temporary executive support associate in the Ocean Springs office at the University ofsouthern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Lab. She will support the director and deputy director and also serve as office manager. "Deborah has a very solid and diverse background in business administration," said LaDon Swann, director of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. "These skills will be very important in efficiently managing many aspects of our administrative office." Deborah has served as the deputy director for a local YouthBuild Program, a fair housing coordinator and a technical and training specialist at USM's Institute for Disability Studies Department. She has a bachelor's degree in business administration from USM. Grigsby marks 10 years John Grigsby, MASGC's information technology specialist, recently celebrated his 10th anniversary with Sea Grant and The University of Southern Mississippi. John, a part of the communications team, is in charge of MASGC's website and topical web pages, office technology and Sea Grant publications.

4 seagii t FROM THE DIRECTOR LADON SWANN There's little difference between sustainable development and a sustainable environment Few think of the Department of Commerce (DOC) as a cabinetlevel department with environmental responsibilities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a DOC agency with many mandates to manage coastal and ocean resources in a sustainable way. Sea Grant is a relatively small NOAA program that serves as one of NOAA's primary conduits for competitively funded university-based research and stakeholder engagement at the community level, extending regionally and nationally. Last year during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, NOAA administration utilized Sea Grant's reputation of being an honest broker of information and its long-standing professional and personal relationships. Sea Grant and its connections helped to negotiate a path forward in addressing some of the myriad of challenges facing Gulf Coast communities affected by the spill. We have always taken a great deal of satisfaction in our program's accessibility, responsiveness and respect for partners. NOAA's affirmation of these engagement qualities is a tribute to MASGC's staff and the relationships they have built over time. Sea Grant implements needs-based programs in four focus areas: resilience, sustainable communities, fisheries and habitats. I use these terms a lot. I less frequently go into detail describing specific programs within these focus areas because it is not something I can do in a few hundred words. What I can do is highlight just a few examples of our work to sustain our environment for future generations using economic development as a primary driver. In short, every program implemented by staff has an economic component underpinned by environmental stewardship. Fisheries specialists work with every sector of fishing industries to reduce bycatch, improve fuel efficiency, provide a safer product for consumers and infuse innovation. Resilience specialists work to empower individuals and communities to better understand the consequences of natural hazards including sea-level rise and how homeowners and communities use planning to become more resilient. Impacts of resilience programs can be reduced to saving lives and money. MASGC staff who focus on sustainable communities work with various programs, such as our Clean Marina Program, Certified Fishers Interested in Sustainable Harvest and Certified Coastal Nature Guides. These certification programs serve the dual roles of allowing these industries to be more competitive and better environmental stewards. MASGC staff implement many programs to minimize the impacts of stormwater runoff into our coastal streams, rivers, bays and bayous. We are proud partner with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Alabama Clean Water Partnership and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program in these efforts. Our habitat specialists work to bring research innovation into the habitat restoration decision-making process. The MASGC team is responsible for creating one of the first living shorelines (an alternative to bulkheads) in Alabama and the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program that teaches citizens how to be better environmental stewards while creating 4 acres of oyster habitat every year. These few examples of MASGG supported programs lead me to believe there is not much difference between sustainable development and a sustainable environment. You cannot have one without the other. Group aims to encourage climate-adaptation efforts Facilitators learn about resilience self-assessment. NOAA C astal Storms Program and Mississippi- Tracie Sempler ofthe o. bout perceptions ofclimate change Alabama Sea Grant gives a pr~se~~a;~;e~ think photos are related to climate as audience members ~ote asn pte I and partners interviewed local decisionchange In a recent project, em ler. makers' about their thoughts on sea-level rise and climate change. Michael Shelton o{ the Weeks Ba N. second {rom right, discusses the!oas~;,o~a' Estuarine Research Reserve, workshop at the MississiPPi State U' ommuntty Resilience Index during a Center in Biloxi, Miss. Other membe~~rslty Coasta~ Research and Extension Mahan o{florida Sea Grant Ie'" D 'd {B the discussion group include Bill G 'd ' Ie., avi ryant o{c. S UI ry o{ Louisiana Voluntary 0 '. eorgla ea Grant Cile and Rhonda Cummins o{ T rgsantzatlons Active in Disaster (VOADI..,exas ea Grant Th fi" I communttles identity disaster vuln br" e se rassessment tool helps era Iities. More m{ormation: masgc.org/ri.

5 Extension trains leaders to market foods online Extension specialists and others who work with businesses in the seafood industry met at the Mississippi State Coastal Research and Extension Center to learn the basics about Mississippi MarketMaker. MarketMaker is an online tool that connects food producers, processors, retailers and more. It allows businesses or individuals to log in and find produce and seafood businesses in Mississippi or any of the 16 states that are members of MarketMaker. Alabama and Texas will be joining MarketMaker soon. "MarketMaker is an interactive mapping system that locates businesses and markets of agricultural and seafood products in Mississippi, as well as in other member states," said Ben Posadas, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant economist and Mississippi State University professor. "It provides an important link between producers and consumers." Participants at the workshop learned to help businesses create profiles, search for businesses and conduct market research on the MarketMaker site. The site is intended to open new markets for businesses to sell their products. In an additional workshop, seafood producers, researchers and regulatory personnel worked with the site. For more information or to find out which foods are available in Mississippi or other states, check out the site at marketmaker.uiuc.edu/. Ben Posadas, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant economist and Mississippi State University professor, right, works with JeffDavis ofthe Mississippi Department ofmarine Resources Seafood Technology Bureau to practice creating a seafood-industry business profile for the online marketing tool, Mississippi MarketMaker. Ruth Posadas, left, ofthe DMR's Seafood Technology Bureau and Rita Duvernay ofthe DMR's Shellfish Bureau also work with the website. Girl Scouts to grow oyster garden A Mobile County Girl Scout examines an oyster May 21 at the Auburn University Shellfish Lab during a workshop for volunteers who will grow oysters for restoration. A group ofgirl Scouts will be joining the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program this yeor. A total of 14 volunteers attended the workshop, which wos one oftwo workshops held in coastal Alabama. Volunteers create habitat on Deer Island Volunteers with the Mississippi Master Naturalist and Master Gardener programs recently took part in a two-day planting of dune grasses on Deer Island. Volunteers were assisted by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Coastal Preserves Program, Mississippi State University, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and Dune Doctors. Re-establishment of dune plants is an important step in ecosystems restoration. "Th opportunity tl volunteer for this project appealed to me beeau e of my interest in fishing ami coastal eeo. ystems," Jack Kelly, a Ma. ter Gardener from Ocean pring. In the ommunity Gn\ss Gardens restoration project, volunteers plant' d a t tal of 2,300 dune plant covering more than 10,600 square feet or just under a quarter of an acre of crucial h bitat on East Deer Island. They planted sea oat., panic gras, re morning glory, white morning glory, heach elder, ea purslane and sea golden rods. "I see the preservation and restoration of our natural resources as critical, our responsibility," said Harrison County Master Gardener Margaret McCrary of Gulfport. "Our coastal areas are a unique environment which provide habitat for rare and sometimes endangered wildlife and organism, hut also buffers us from weatht:r extremes. At the same time, healthy coastlines provide seafood for us to eat, many sporting oppornmities for our pleasure and natural beauty heyond our imagination." "We nppr date the as,'istance from the Gulfof Me ico Alliance Environmental Education Network who provided the funding for thi project," aid Chri. Boyd, Ma ter anlrali t COl rdinator with th Mis. i ippi-alabama Sen Grant n rtium and Mi i ippi tate niver ity." ommunity Gra Gard n proj c provid oppornmitie for communitie. to re tore natural hahitat while increasing their knowledge of local osystems." Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners plant dune grasses on Deer Island.

6 SM~t Mlsslsslppl Alabama MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA SEA GRANT CONSORTIUM The University of Southern Mississippi 703 East Beach Drive Ocean Springs, MS ~emasgc: masgc.org facebook.com/mississippialabamaseagrant gulfseagrant.org Sea Briefs is a report on the results of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. Editor: Melissa Schneider This newsletter is also on MASGC's Web site at: masgc.org/seabriefs MASGC supports applied, interdisciplinary marine science research, education and outreach efforts to foster the sustainable development and management of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts and nearshore ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico. M I SSISSIPPI-ALABAMA SEA GRANT CONSORTIUM 703 East Beach Drive Ocean Springs, MS Phone: melissa.schneider@usm.edu MASGP-II-OI2-01 Bruening retires after 20 years Kay Bruening, executive support assistant for Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, retired July 1 after 20 years of service. Kay started her career with Sea Grant as a part-time publications clerk working from a desk next to the refrigerator in the kitchen area of the Sea Grant office suite. In less than a month, the office manager position became available, and Kay applied for the job. She was the office leader under four different directors. "I've made a lot of friends during my 20 years at Sea Grant and have worked with a total of 35 employees (past and present) during that ti me," Kay said. "Because of the amount of time we spend with fellow employees (work 8 hours, with family 8 hours, sleep 8 hours - I read this somewhere a long time ago), I like to think I get along with everyone and try my best to bring a social factor to the office with our monthly lunches, Christmas parties and other get-togethers." Kay plans to spend the summer with her granddaughter, Kaylin, traveling around the Mississippi and Alabama coasts. "Then, I have lots of projects to work on at home that I've neglected over the years," she said. The Sea Grant staff will miss Kay, whose attention to detail, organizational skills and understanding of university policy made their jobs a lot easier. "I am going to miss Kay Bruening very much," said Director LaDon Swann. "She has been a friend to me since my first day on the job. She understands me so well that I sometimes believe she is a mind reader. Kay never walked away from a good challenge during a significant growth period for MASGC. For that I will always admire and respect her."