Oyster shell, and apparently live oysters too, provided an important source of raw material for construction. Oysters served as more than a source of food in the early development of our community. The natural beds have been destroyed, and for several years the supply must be very limited.” (Savannah Morning News, Manatee Journal April 25, 1900) Swifts’ assertion of overworking oyster beds was also recognized specific to the waters of Manatee County in short blurb in the Manatee Journal from 1900 stating: “Oyster culture should receive large attention by the property owners on the waters of Manatee County. Add to these causes the facts that the oystermen are so shortsighted that they pay little attention, as a rule, to the laws regarding culling and taking undersized oysters, and it can readily be seen that there is a small chance for the productiveness of the beds to increase.” (Swift 1891) The demand is too great for the supply, and the beds are worked until they no longer yield profitable results, and usually until they are so depleted that years are required for them to recuperate. In an 1891 a United States Fish Commission Bulletin called “The Oyster-Grounds of the West Florida Coast: Their Extent, Condition, and Peculiarities", Franklin Swift wrote: “The cause of the deterioration of the beds other than from natural sources is almost invariably due to overworking. The high and presumably unsustainable levels of oyster harvesting occurring locally in the late 1800s was not going unnoticed. One of the four rivers he visited in the region was the Manatee, then called River of Oysters, “on account of the many of these which block its entrance.” The Oyster River is shown on the 1837 John Lee Williams Map of Florida, but later maps all appear to refer to the Manatee River in the Oyster River's place.ġ915 Postcard from Herb Loomis Manatee County Postcard Collection, Manatee County Historical Records Library In the fall of 1793, Folch explored and charted Tampa Bay in search of a good location for a garrison. So why was it called the Oyster River? This reference is from a very old letter written by Vicente Folch y Juan to Captain General Luis de Las Casa of Cuba. You might know it by its current name, the Manatee River. Well, where is the Oyster River then? You won’t see it on any current maps, but its right in the middle of the Suncoast. ORE operates in the Florida Suncoast, generally in the areas of Sarasota and Tampa Bays and the watersheds that flow into these important estuaries. The more detailed and contextualized answer is below. I’ve had quite a few people ask why this name was selected and that’s the short answer. Based on the findings of this study, the recommendation is to initiate a second phase study that places RCA on test plots in the Chesapeake Bay to validate the laboratory tests in-situ.The name of this organization, Oyster River Ecology (ORE), was selected specifically to spark conversations about the understanding of natural resources, the relationship we all have with the world we live in, and the concept of shifting baselines. Initial pH was slightly higher for the RCA than the oyster shell control, but pH stabilized to around 7.6 to 7.8 for all treatments after seven days. There was no statistical difference between shell and RCA on the growth, survivorship, average length, or recruitment of young oysters. The results of this project showed that using RCA as a base material for oyster reefs did not adversely affect oyster spat growth and survival, or the surrounding environment. The primary objective of this study was to determine the suitability of recycled concrete as conditioning material for on-bottom oyster aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay. For recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) to be used within the aquatic setting of the Chesapeake Bay, its chemical behavior under saturated conditions must be understood to avoid potential adverse impacts to the bay's aquatic ecosystem. One such potential use is to condition portions of the Chesapeake Bay bottom to support spat-on-shell aquaculture projects. It would be in the best interest of SHA, in support of its sustainability initiatives, that these materials be recycled and repurposed for alternative uses. As roads and bridges are resurfaced, old concrete is removed and is usually discarded. The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) intends to increase the use of recycled materials and to use products in an environmentally responsible manner.
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