We have “spat”!- millions of “baby” oysters have settled onto the reefs and growing!
The temperatures change each year and cause a spawning for the area Bay’s oysters. The breakwaters were placed just in time for this spawning. Within one week of deployment, barnacles were settling on the rebar and oysters shell. Today, I notice millions of oyster spat (>1/4″) were attached to the recycled oyster shell and fossilized oyster shell!
Education Tidbit!
The Eastern Oyster “juvenile” in the water column after fertilization is called trochophore larvae then goes into the water colunm which then it is called a veliger once the veliger places a “foot” on the settlement substrate it is called a pediveliger. Once the pediveliger has settled it is called oyster spat. What you see on docks and other areas after a spawn is called spat. Two weeks later, it’s called an oyster!
I keep getting calls about how to continue to help out at Deadman’s Island. If you are snorkeling near the reef and see fish- please note the date, number tag on the structure found, number and type of fish (if known) and email to me at hreed@ecoconsultingservices.com. This is important data in which I can add to the current monitoring data. I can never have enough. Please contact me if you are interested in scheduling fish count days.
Great job everyone for helping to create this reef structure to help protect Deadman’s Island! The reef is doing it’s anticipated job of blocking the destructive underwater current. This current has caused significant erosion to the north end of Deadman’s Island destroying 100 year sand oak trees and causing them to topple into the water. ~Heather Reed