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Ongoing coverage of South Carolina's recovery from the flooding of 2015.What had been Lindsay Langdale's Columbia home October 3, 2015 was a flooded ruin the next day.This coverage is made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In October of 2015, South Carolina received rainfall in unprecedented amounts over just a few days time. By the time the rain began to slacken, the National Weather Service reported that the event had dumped more than two feet of water on the state. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the subsequent flooding was the worst in 75 years.

Biologists Turn to Oysters to Help Fight Erosion

U.S. Fish and Wildlife employees Jason Ayers and Roman Crumpton place two layers of bagged oyster shells on wooden pallets to create new reefs.
Alexandra Olgin/SC Public Radio

  A chain of volunteers is passing 15 pound mesh bags of recycled oyster shells down to the edge of Abbapoola creek, where they are stacked on wooden pallets adjacent to healthy living oyster reefs behind Aileen Walpole’s house.

“I think it is a lot nicer to have something that is natural creating the barrier rather than putting rip rap down,” she said.

The oyster reef barrier Walpole is referring to has helped slow the erosion of the pluff mud banks behind her house on John’s Island.

“I’m beginning to see some of the grass beginning to grow back…and sediment filling in behind where the oysters are,” she said. “It’s very exciting!”

Oyster shells have to sit out for at least six months to make sure bacteria are killed before being reintroduced into the water.
Credit Alexandra Olgin/SC Public Radio
Oyster shells have to sit out for at least six months to make sure bacteria are killed before being reintroduced into the water.

  Walpole has lived in this house for nearly 50 years. She says in that time the creek has changed. In addition to years of slowly disappearing mud banks, unusually high tides associated with last October’s flood and following rainfall have only made the erosion worse.

Pointing to the edge of the water, Walpole said, “It is much closer and you can see it has almost eroded in layers as it goes down.”

The oyster reefs restoration behind Walpole’s house is part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program. Biologist Jason Ayers has been building these smaller reefs to help individual homeowners deal with erosion since 2012. He said the agency saw a need and felt they could help.

"Besides just protecting homeowner's bank we are creating habitat and contributing to bigger overall purpose. We are creating great places to fish, great nursery grounds for shrimp."

“Besides just protecting homeowner’s bank we are creating habitat and contributing to bigger overall purpose,” He said. “We are creating great places to fish, great nursery grounds for shrimp.”  

Experts estimate these small but mighty creatures filter up to 50 gallons of water a day.

“The oysters themselves are taking out sediment as well as allowing the sediment to fall out behind the reef,” he said.

The reefs are reproducing, slowing erosion and helping the ecosystem. Ayers and his colleagues deem that success.  The Fish and Wildlife Service is involved in at least six more projects like this one. But the program has grown slowly, and he’s trying to keep it that way – at least for now.

“It’s kind of a word of mouth thing,” he said.  “It’s very successful so far...we are afraid of being overwhelmed.”

The Darling Oyster Bar on King Street fills up six bins of empty oyster shells a week for recycling with the Department of Natural Resources.
Credit Alexandra Olgin/SC Public Radio
The Darling Oyster Bar on King Street fills up six bins of empty oyster shells a week for recycling with the Department of Natural Resources.

  But there is a limit to how much the department can take on, partially due to its supply of the essential material – the shells.  Something Chef Joe DiMaio has a lot of.

“These are two days’ worth,” The Darling Oyster Bar chef said pointing to blue recycling bins outside his kitchen, “This looks like it’s around 250 pounds of bottoms and tops.”

Those recycling bins get picked up once a week by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. DNR, like the fish and wildlife service uses the shells for habitat restoration. DiMaio has been participating in the recycling program for a few months.

“This is pretty much composting, but for oysters,” he said.

It takes between one and three years for oysters to grow to their full size.
Credit Alexandra Olgin/SC Public Radio
It takes between one and three years for oysters to grow to their full size.

  He estimates the restaurant goes through close to 1,000 oysters a night which means about half a ton of shells a week. According to DNR, more than 30 other restaurants in the Charleston area recycle their shells with the agency. The department estimates those make up about a third of the recycled shells it get each year.

lifecycle.mp3
US FWS biologist Jason Ayers explains how quickly oysters reproduce.

Back behind the Walpole’s house Ayers examines the white pipe sticking out of the ground behind the oyster reefs. He uses that to measure how much mud has accreted on the bank.   

“Looking at this oyster reef we created, we probably have at least a good foot of sediment behind it,” he said, “Where we are standing there is no reef, it just washed away.”

Resources

The Life Cycle of an Oyster (SC DNR)