1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises

3. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality

VOGs are recycled oyster shells from local restaurants strung together on a rope or wire and suspended from a dock or seawall to create surfaces for juvenile oysters (also known as spat or oyster larvae) to attach and develop. We hear a lot about sea grasses in Tampa Bay, but there’s another player in the [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_10323" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10323" style="width: 291px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/oyster-reef_GSI.jpg"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" class="wp-image-10323 " title="Gulf Shellfish Institute" src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/oyster-reef_GSI-300x225.jpg" alt="An oyster reef in Tampa Bay showing clear waters with some oysters submerged under the water and some sticking out above the water with green vegetation in the background as the shoreline with blue skies and white clouds above." width="291" height="218" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-10323" class="wp-caption-text">An oyster reef in Tampa Bay.</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>VOGs are recycled oyster shells from local restaurants strung together on a rope or wire and suspended from a dock or seawall to create surfaces for juvenile oysters (also known as spat or oyster larvae) to attach and develop.</strong></p>
<p>We hear a lot about <a href="https://tbrpc.org/seagrasses-storymap/" rel="noopener">sea grasses</a> in Tampa Bay, but there’s another player in the game, oysters! In fact, <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/invertebrates/oysters-eastern/" rel="noopener">Eastern oysters</a> (<em>Crassostrea virginica</em>) play a critical role in the presence or absence of sea grasses. The opposite is true too. Oysters are known for being amazing filters, helping to clean and clear up our waters. The clearer water oysters produce allows more sunlight to penetrate the water, therefore providing more sunlight for the seagrasses that need it. Seagrasses on the other hand do a remarkable job capturing carbon, helping to lessen the effects of more acidic waters we are seeing with increases in carbon dioxide. It’s a win-win!</p>
<h3>More on why oysters are awesome:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Oysters provide critical habitat for juvenile fish, birds, crabs, shrimp, sponges, worms and more!</li>
<li>They are an essential food source for a variety of birds, invertebrates and fish</li>
<li>Not essential, but oysters are a food source for us too (if you like them, which is not me)</li>
<li>Oyster shell can be repurposed into roads, cement and other substrate products</li>
<li>Oyster reefs can slow down wave action, helping to prevent shoreline erosion</li>
<li>One oyster can filter 3 to 12 gallons of water per day!</li>
</ul>
<h5>Tampa Bay and the Gulf can be cleaner and healthier as we support more oysters to grow.</h5>
<figure id="attachment_10325" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10325" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/mining-oyster-ship.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-10325 size-full lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="A black and white photo showing an oyster shell dredging operation with large heavy dredging equipment behind a boat or platform supporting a large mound of oyster shell." width="300" height="158" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/mining-oyster-ship.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-10325" class="wp-caption-text">A dredge loads oyster shell in Tampa Bay. Reprinted with permission from the Florida Anthropological Society’s publication “Submarine Shell Deposits of Tampa Bay.”</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Looking back and looking forward:</h3>
<p>Tampa Bay has seen a dramatic decline in oysters, an often overlooked story. The importance and abundance of oysters to native people is evident through <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midden#:~:text=Kids%20Definition-,midden,where%20prehistoric%20humans%20once%20lived" rel="noopener">middens</a> (mounds of used shell) along the shorelines of Tampa Bay (ever been to the mound at Philippe Park?). And believe it or not, areas such as Papys Bayou, the Little Manatee River and portion of Old Tampa Bay supported a thriving oyster industry through the mid-1900s. The area once supported 2,000 acres of oyster reefs, with the latest survey showing only 171 acres remaining, an 85% decline. As the Tampa Bay Watershed is home to millions of residents, and growing, our impacts to water quality (and therefore oysters) are likely to increase.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Why oysters populations are declining:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Altered freshwater flows from tidal tributaries due to altered land uses upstream</li>
<li>Reduction in habitat from dredge and fill construction activities and mining of oyster shells</li>
<li>Loss of viable surfaces to establish oyster reefs due to build up of sediments</li>
</ul>
<h3>Who is working on this?</h3>
<figure id="attachment_10327" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10327" style="width: 316px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOGs_GSI.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-10327 " title="Gulf Shellfish Institute" src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOGs_GSI-300x300.jpg" alt="Young woman wearing sunglasses and a maroon t-shirt holding up two vertical oyster gardens, one in each hand while smiling" width="316" height="316" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-10327" class="wp-caption-text">A community scientist holding up two vertical oyster gardens.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.gulfshellfish.org/" rel="noopener">Gulf Shellfish Institute (GSI)</a> has partnered with <a href="https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellas/" rel="noopener">UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County</a> and others to help build and install vertical oyster gardens throughout the Tampa Bay watershed.</p>
<p>VOGs are essentially mini oyster reefs that can have significant local benefits for our local waters and wildlife. Whether you have a dock or not, you can contribute to the growing VOG community.</p>
<h2>How you can help our oyster populations to increase:</h2>
<h3>Don’t have a dock? You can become an Estuary Educator:</h3>
<p><strong>Estuary Educators</strong> commit to hanging a VOG proudly from their front porch, patio, or anywhere they like. They then educate their family, friends, and fellow community members on the importance of oysters and VOGs as a restoration tool being used in Tampa Bay and the Gulf. This is a great option if you don’t have water access to deploy your own VOG, but still want to spread awareness about oyster restoration efforts in Tampa Bay!</p>
<h3>Have a dock? You can become an Oyster Ambassador or Shellfish Scientist:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_10329" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10329" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOGs-hanging-on-dock_GSI.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-10329 size-medium lazyload" title="Gulf Shellfish Institute" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Several vertical oyster gardens hung from docks with the majority of the oysters showing above the water line." width="300" height="248" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOGs-hanging-on-dock_GSI-300x248.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-10329" class="wp-caption-text">Vertical oyster gardens strung along a dock.</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Oyster Ambassadors</strong> commit to installing at least one VOG from their own personal dock or seawall for a minimum of 12 months. During that time, GSI scientists will check in with Oyster Ambassadors at 6- and 12-months post-installation to collect wet weights of the VOGs and water quality measurements. This information will be used to help scientists determine which water quality measurements, such as temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, are most important for VOG success.</p>
<p><strong>Shellfish Scientists</strong> commit to all of the responsibilities of our Oyster Ambassadors, but become the scientists themselves! In addition to allowing GSI scientists record VOG wet weights and water quality measurements at 6- and 12-months post-deployment, Shellfish Scientists will take photos of their VOGs quarterly and upload them to iNaturalist. Shellfish Scientists will be given an ID sheet with all the organisms that may be present on their VOGs to assist them with identifying the species present.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOG_SocialMedia-02-1024x1024_tampa-bay-watch.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="All Rights Reserved alignnone wp-image-10337 lazyload" title="Tampa Bay Watch" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Graphic showing initial installation of two vertical oyster gardens hanging from dock. Text reads, &quot;Veritcal oyster gardens (VOGs) are made of recycled oyster shell from local restaurants, and are suspended from docks to create a hard substrate to which juvenile oysters can attach and develop." width="300" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOG_SocialMedia-02-1024x1024_tampa-bay-watch-300x300.png"></a><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOG_SocialMedia-03-1024x1024_Tampa-Bay-Watch.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="All Rights Reserved alignnone wp-image-10331 lazyload" title="Tampa Bay Watch" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Graphic showing growth of two vertical oyster gardens hanging from dock after on year post installation with a crab and other fish species swimming nearby. Text reads, &quot;Oysters are a food source for birds and fish. Many small fish, crabs, shrimp and other critters live among the oysters and provide food for large fish and wildlife.&quot;" width="300" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOG_SocialMedia-03-1024x1024_Tampa-Bay-Watch-300x300.png"></a><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOG_SocialMedia-04-1024x1024_tampa-bay-watch.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="All Rights Reserved alignnone wp-image-10335 lazyload" title="Tampa Bay Watch" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Graphic showing growth of two vertical oyster gardens hanging from dock after 3-5 years post installation with snook and other fish species swimming nearby. Text reads, &quot;Oysters are natural filters, cleaning up to 2-5 gallons of water per hour. more oysters means a cleaner bay!&quot;" width="300" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/VOG_SocialMedia-04-1024x1024_tampa-bay-watch-300x300.png"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/IMG_4184-2-1024x1024_tampa-bay-watch.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="All Rights Reserved alignnone wp-image-10339 lazyload" title="Tampa Bay Watch" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Vertical oyster garden strung on rope with approximately 20 oyster shells hanging vertically on top of one another. Image taken on dock with water in the background and dock in the foreground." width="300" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/IMG_4184-2-1024x1024_tampa-bay-watch-300x300.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/vog-strand-old-new-md-1-e1705870426284-1024x1024_Tampa-Bay-Watch-1.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="All Rights Reserved alignnone wp-image-10343 lazyload" title="Tampa Bay Watch" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Two vertical oyster gardens hanging from dock after approximately one year showing growth of oysters. VOG on the right shows significant growth of oysters, making it appear much wider than the original VOG in the previous image. Oysters are shown mostly above the water. " width="300" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/vog-strand-old-new-md-1-e1705870426284-1024x1024_Tampa-Bay-Watch-1-300x300.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-01-21-at-4.48.43-PM-e1705873813302_tampa-bay-watch.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="All Rights Reserved alignnone wp-image-10341 lazyload" title="Tampa Bay Watch" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="A large vertical oyster garden showing significant growth and attachment of new oysters to the original VOG from two images before. This picture shows a gentleman pulling the VOG out of the water onto his dock. " width="300" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-01-21-at-4.48.43-PM-e1705873813302_tampa-bay-watch-300x300.png"></a></p>
<p>If you sign up to be an Oyster Ambassador or Shellfish Scientist, GSI&#8217;s Scientific Outreach Coordinator, Olivia Blondheim, will be following up with you after enrollment in the program to coordinate a time to check in with you about your VOG. All data and results from this program will be provided on the Gulf Shellfish Institute&#8217;s website: <a href="http://www.gulfshellfish.org">www.gulfshellfish.org</a>.</p>
<div class="mceTemp">
<p>Once you know which role you want to pursue, you’ll need to <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NVT1wg2kpT_x7G6PbeTbGAJafJ-iPMY&amp;femb=1&amp;ll=27.78538297370535%2C-82.67061385000001&amp;z=10" rel="noopener">find a location</a> to pick up and register your VOG(s). In Pinellas County, our current VOG distribution sites are at <a href="https://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/ed-center.htm" rel="noopener">Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center </a> in St. Petersburg and <a href="https://www.brookercreekpreserve.org/" rel="noopener">Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center</a> in Tarpon Springs. The VOG box at Weedon is located outside and accessible any time the Preserve is open to the public (7am to approximately 15 minutes before sunset (check posted time)). The VOGs at Brooker are located inside the Exhibit Hall in their Resource Room and can be accessed during open ours from Thursday-Saturday from 9am-4pm and Sunday from 11am-4pm. Each site with a VOG box has a QR code you can scan to <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWYceSVpiDvMYrX0inhrr8u-DZrbEiJUhDWbaKtKn6yAe9vA/viewform" rel="noopener">register your VOG(s).</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_10347" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10347" style="width: 428px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/vog-box-at-brooker-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-10347 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Display table inside Resource Room at Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education center featuring VOG coloring pages, an educational poster and a mini demonstration dock made out of wood with vertical oyster gardens hanging down with additional ones below for community scientists to pick up, register, and take home. " width="428" height="321" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/vog-box-at-brooker-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-10347" class="wp-caption-text">VOG box at Brooker Creek Preserve located inside the Resource Room of the Exhibit Hall of the Education Center.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_10345" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10345" style="width: 240px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/vog-box-at-weedon-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-10345 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Wood box on long legs and wire mesh top showing pre-made vertical oyster gardens for community scientists to pick up at Weedon Island Preserve. " width="240" height="320" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/files/2024/08/vog-box-at-weedon-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-10345" class="wp-caption-text">VOG box at Weedon Island Preserve, outside the Cultural and Natural History Center.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Each VOG box is stocked with VOGs that have been weighed and given a unique ID number. This tells us how much your VOG weighed initially so that when oysters and other animals start to settle and grow on your VOG, we can measure that growth over time.</p>
<h4>Recap:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Decide your role (Estuary Educator, Oyster Ambassador, Shellfish Scientists)</li>
<li>Find nearest location to pick up your VOG(s)</li>
<li>Register your selected VOG(s)</li>
<li>Complete requirements for your selected role!</li>
</ul>
<p>Please consider joining this effort to help grow our oyster community and support our local estuarine wildlife and water quality locally and throughout Tampa Bay. By installing a VOG, you are part of a larger mission of restoring oyster populations and the many benefits they provide for Tampa Bay and beyond.</p>
<p>Learn more at: <a href="https://www.gulfshellfish.org/vog-citizen-science-program">https://www.gulfshellfish.org/vog-citizen-science-program</a></p>
<p>You can also check out VOG opportunities through Tampa Bay Watch: <a href="https://tampabaywatch.org/our-programs/restoration/oyster-reefs/vertical-oyster-gardens/">https://tampabaywatch.org/our-programs/restoration/oyster-reefs/vertical-oyster-gardens/</a> (Note: These VOGs are not associated with the GSI efforts at this time)</p>
<p><strong>Questions?</strong> Contact Lara Milligan at 727-453-6905 or <a href="mailto:lara317@ufl.edu">lara317@ufl.edu</a></p>
<h4>Sources:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://tampabaywatch.org/our-programs/restoration/oyster-reefs/vertical-oyster-gardens/">https://tampabaywatch.org/our-programs/restoration/oyster-reefs/vertical-oyster-gardens/ </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gulfshellfish.org/vog-citizen-science-program">https://www.gulfshellfish.org/vog-citizen-science-program</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sarasotabay.org/get-involved/vertical-oyster-gardens/">https://sarasotabay.org/get-involved/vertical-oyster-gardens/</a></li>
<li><a href="https://calusawaterkeeper.org/oysters/">https://calusawaterkeeper.org/oysters/</a></li>
</ul>
</div>


An oyster reef in Tampa Bay.
VOGs are recycled oyster shells from local restaurants strung together on a rope or wire and suspended from a dock or seawall to create surfaces for juvenile oysters (also known as spat or oyster larvae) to attach and develop.
We hear a lot about sea grasses in Tampa Bay, but there’s another player in the game, oysters! In fact, Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) play a critical role in the presence or absence of sea grasses. The opposite is true too. Oysters are known for being amazing filters, helping to clean and clear up our waters. The clearer water oysters produce allows more sunlight to penetrate the water, therefore providing more sunlight for the seagrasses that need it. Seagrasses on the other hand do a remarkable job capturing carbon, helping to lessen the effects of more acidic waters we are seeing with increases in carbon dioxide. It’s a win-win!
More on why oysters are awesome:
Oysters provide critical habitat for juvenile fish, birds, crabs, shrimp, sponges, worms and more!
They are an essential food source for a variety of birds, invertebrates and fish
Not essential, but oysters are a food source for us too (if you like them, which is not me)
Oyster shell can be repurposed into roads, cement and other substrate products
Oyster reefs can slow down wave action, helping to prevent shoreline erosion
One oyster can filter 3 to 12 gallons of water per day!
Tampa Bay and the Gulf can be cleaner and healthier as we support more oysters to grow.
A dredge loads oyster shell in Tampa Bay. Reprinted with permission from the Florida Anthropological Society’s publication “Submarine Shell Deposits of Tampa Bay.”
Looking back and looking forward:
Tampa Bay has seen a dramatic decline in oysters, an often overlooked story. The importance and abundance of oysters to native people is evident through middens (mounds of used shell) along the shorelines of Tampa Bay (ever been to the mound at Philippe Park?). And believe it or not, areas such as Papys Bayou, the Little Manatee River and portion of Old Tampa Bay supported a thriving oyster industry through the mid-1900s. The area once supported 2,000 acres of oyster reefs, with the latest survey showing only 171 acres remaining, an 85% decline. As the Tampa Bay Watershed is home to millions of residents, and growing, our impacts to water quality (and therefore oysters) are likely to increase.


Why oysters populations are declining:
Altered freshwater flows from tidal tributaries due to altered land uses upstream
Reduction in habitat from dredge and fill construction activities and mining of oyster shells
Loss of viable surfaces to establish oyster reefs due to build up of sediments
Who is working on this?
A community scientist holding up two vertical oyster gardens.
The Gulf Shellfish Institute (GSI) has partnered with UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County and others to help build and install vertical oyster gardens throughout the Tampa Bay watershed.
VOGs are essentially mini oyster reefs that can have significant local benefits for our local waters and wildlife. Whether you have a dock or not, you can contribute to the growing VOG community.
How you can help our oyster populations to increase:
Don’t have a dock? You can become an Estuary Educator:
Estuary Educators commit to hanging a VOG proudly from their front porch, patio, or anywhere they like. They then educate their family, friends, and fellow community members on the importance of oysters and VOGs as a restoration tool being used in Tampa Bay and the Gulf. This is a great option if you don’t have water access to deploy your own VOG, but still want to spread awareness about oyster restoration efforts in Tampa Bay!
Have a dock? You can become an Oyster Ambassador or Shellfish Scientist:
Vertical oyster gardens strung along a dock.
Oyster Ambassadors commit to installing at least one VOG from their own personal dock or seawall for a minimum of 12 months. During that time, GSI scientists will check in with Oyster Ambassadors at 6- and 12-months post-installation to collect wet weights of the VOGs and water quality measurements. This information will be used to help scientists determine which water quality measurements, such as temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, are most important for VOG success.
Shellfish Scientists commit to all of the responsibilities of our Oyster Ambassadors, but become the scientists themselves! In addition to allowing GSI scientists record VOG wet weights and water quality measurements at 6- and 12-months post-deployment, Shellfish Scientists will take photos of their VOGs quarterly and upload them to iNaturalist. Shellfish Scientists will be given an ID sheet with all the organisms that may be present on their VOGs to assist them with identifying the species present.
 


If you sign up to be an Oyster Ambassador or Shellfish Scientist, GSI’s Scientific Outreach Coordinator, Olivia Blondheim, will be following up with you after enrollment in the program to coordinate a time to check in with you about your VOG. All data and results from this program will be provided on the Gulf Shellfish Institute’s website: www.gulfshellfish.org.
Once you know which role you want to pursue, you’ll need to find a location to pick up and register your VOG(s). In Pinellas County, our current VOG distribution sites are at Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center  in St. Petersburg and Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs. The VOG box at Weedon is located outside and accessible any time the Preserve is open to the public (7am to approximately 15 minutes before sunset (check posted time)). The VOGs at Brooker are located inside the Exhibit Hall in their Resource Room and can be accessed during open ours from Thursday-Saturday from 9am-4pm and Sunday from 11am-4pm. Each site with a VOG box has a QR code you can scan to register your VOG(s).
VOG box at Brooker Creek Preserve located inside the Resource Room of the Exhibit Hall of the Education Center.
VOG box at Weedon Island Preserve, outside the Cultural and Natural History Center.
Each VOG box is stocked with VOGs that have been weighed and given a unique ID number. This tells us how much your VOG weighed initially so that when oysters and other animals start to settle and grow on your VOG, we can measure that growth over time.
Recap:
Decide your role (Estuary Educator, Oyster Ambassador, Shellfish Scientists)
Find nearest location to pick up your VOG(s)
Register your selected VOG(s)
Complete requirements for your selected role!
Please consider joining this effort to help grow our oyster community and support our local estuarine wildlife and water quality locally and throughout Tampa Bay. By installing a VOG, you are part of a larger mission of restoring oyster populations and the many benefits they provide for Tampa Bay and beyond.
Learn more at: https://www.gulfshellfish.org/vog-citizen-science-program
You can also check out VOG opportunities through Tampa Bay Watch: https://tampabaywatch.org/our-programs/restoration/oyster-reefs/vertical-oyster-gardens/ (Note: These VOGs are not associated with the GSI efforts at this time)
Questions? Contact Lara Milligan at 727-453-6905 or lara317@ufl.edu
Sources:
https://tampabaywatch.org/our-programs/restoration/oyster-reefs/vertical-oyster-gardens/ 
https://www.gulfshellfish.org/vog-citizen-science-program
https://sarasotabay.org/get-involved/vertical-oyster-gardens/
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/oysters/

VOGs are recycled oyster shells from local restaurants strung together on a rope or wire and suspended from a dock or seawall to create surfaces for juvenile oysters (also known as spat or oyster larvae) to attach and develop. We hear a lot about sea grasses in Tampa Bay, but there’s another player in the […]

Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs) – Why They Are Important

Living shorelines use natural solutions – installed plants and habitat structures – to strengthen beaches against erosion. Three living shorelines projects out of the Cedar Key-based UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) were installed after Hurricane Hermine brought a then-record storm surge to the coastal town in 2016. When that record was topped by Hurricane [&#8230;]

<table style="height: 71px" width="1040">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="623">
<ul>
<li>Living shorelines use natural solutions – installed plants and habitat structures – to strengthen beaches against erosion.</li>
<li>Three living shorelines projects out of the Cedar Key-based UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) were installed after Hurricane Hermine brought a then-record storm surge to the coastal town in 2016.</li>
<li>When that record was topped by Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, the three sites were maturing and largely untested. Measurement tools deployed by the NCBS scientists added data to prove the installations were strengthening the shoreline in multiple ways.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>In the days after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, a brief camera sweep of the Cedar Key landscape gave a glimpse of hope for two viewers of The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore, watching from their inland evacuation spots.</p>
<p>A stretch of beach, blanketed by green plants, came into view behind the meteorologist.</p>
<h6>&#8220;It&#8217;s still there!&#8221;</h6>
<p><a href="https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/people/faculty/mark-clark/">Mark Clark</a>, a University of Florida associate professor in the <a href="https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/">soil, water, and ecosystem sciences</a> department, said he and colleague <a href="https://www.flseagrant.org/fsg-directory/dr-savanna-barry/">Savanna Barry</a>, a <a href="https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/">UF/IFAS Extension</a> regional specialized <a href="https://www.flseagrant.org/">Florida Sea Grant</a> agent, began texting back and forth after the sighting of one of their project sites.</p>
<p>Barry and Clark lead several outreach efforts from the <a href="https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu/">UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station</a> (NCBS) in downtown Cedar Key, the same fortress that sheltered Cantore’s team during Idalia. One of their larger collaborations is a trio of “living shorelines” projects, a natural coastal resilience strategy first implemented in the small coastal community in 2017.</p>
<p>“This was the first big test for these living shorelines,” Clark said, explaining that 2016’s Hurricane Hermine was a driving force behind jumpstarting the projects. “We had no guarantees the plants would make it, let alone come out somewhat unscathed.”</p>
<h6><strong>As the 2023 hurricane season comes to a close, the living shorelines of Cedar Key should be considered one of the year’s success stories. </strong></h6>
<p>In the span of a few hours on Aug. 30, Hurricane Idalia brought a record storm surge to the tiny coastal town, and the water level peaked at 6.89 feet above the typical highest tide level, according to the <a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/peakwaterlevels/index.html?year=2023&amp;event=Hurricane%20Idalia">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>.</p>
<p>But the shorelines largely thrived, with Clark and Barry collecting data that proved, among other highlights, that the installations reduced the wave energy coming ashore.</p>
<p>Even where the inundation of floodwaters damaged the natural barriers, new growth has already begun – echoing the resilience of the Cedar Key community these shorelines protect.</p>
<h6><strong>So, what is a living shoreline?</strong></h6>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="How Living Shorelines Reduce Hurricane Impact - UF/IFAS Research" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-tp6AyryidY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>The name itself captures the intent of these natural coastal resilience installations: Marsh plants that are adaptable to the tidal highs and lows, sturdy mangroves, upland grasses typically seen on sand dunes across Florida, and even offshore structures that attract oyster colonization.</p>
<p>“The goal of these living shorelines is to stabilize and prevent further erosion,” said Barry, who was behind the <a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/ncbs/2019/03/19/living-shoreline-master-plan-for-cedar-key/">Living Shoreline Master Plan for Cedar Key</a> unveiled in 2019. “We do this by restoring some of the natural barriers that we know are adapted to life along the coast. The more natural barriers we can restore, the less reliance we should have on ‘hardened’ shorelines, like seawalls, that also protect infrastructure but at the expense of natural habitats.”</p>
<p>Clark is also quick to note the “self-healing” qualities of a living shoreline: “A seawall can’t repair itself.”</p>
<p>Evidence for this recovery ability can be found in the Airport Road project, where an approximately 20-meter section of the mid-marsh saltmeadow cordgrass and panic grass species had turned brown and had some dieback in the weeks after Idalia. By November, new sprouts had emerged, restarting the process to bolster the shoreline by the next hurricane season.</p>
<h6><strong>Different methods are deployed across the Cedar Key projects.</strong></h6>
<p>The first of the projects, <a href="https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/dealing-with-coastal-erosion/joe-rains-living-shoreline-project/">Joe Rains Beach</a>, was installed in 2017 and devised to solve two problems. An adjacent area was dredged to restore a canal to its 1940s location, and the dredged material was used to restore the eroded coastline to its original elevation, making it suitable for the planting of low and high saltmarsh grasses. Since the initial planting, mangroves have also become established in the area. In addition, experimental oyster reef structures were installed offshore and are now so well-colonized they would be nearly impossible to remove.</p>
<p>The next project, <a href="https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/dealing-with-coastal-erosion/upcoming-erosion-control-projects/daughtry-bayou/airport-rd/">Airport Road</a>, was completed in November 2020 and covers the largest space. Its nearly 300-yard shoreline features a few planted and naturally occurring species, including cordgrasses, sea oats, bitter panic grass, Christmas berries, mangroves and goldenrods. The offshore area is buffered by hundreds of <a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/ncbs/2020/08/18/if-you-build-it-oysters-will-come/">large, concrete reef ball structures</a>, arranged in 16 reefs of two offset rows of 24, with gaps left between reefs for fish and other creatures to escape with the tide. Clark noted at a recent visit that many of the individual structures have now attracted multiple generations of oysters, creating an increasingly dense wave break.</p>
<p>The newest and smallest project, <a href="https://ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/dealing-with-coastal-erosion/upcoming-erosion-control-projects/daughtry-bayou/g-street/">G Street</a>, was completed in 2021 and spans just over 100 yards. It involved the addition of a few truckloads of sand to extend the coastline and restore the elevation to make it suitable for planting of saltmarsh species. The outer edges of the project area are bolstered by small oyster reef prisms. This is the project that was visible in The Weather Channel’s coverage.</p>
<hr />
<h6><strong>Explore further</strong></h6>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Wv1WNS-t5NPZbKy9dRbVcxjqckNEQrS">Living shorelines in 360 playlist</a>: Get a walkthrough before and after installing the Airport Road and G Street projects.</li>
</ul>
<h6><strong>Google Street View</strong></h6>
<ul>
<li>Airport Road shortly after planting, in <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@29.1358664,-83.0452653,3a,82.6y,158.46h,82.49t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAF1QipPqhfPnMHTRCJr8eydskQ2CW6Yz5QYNejUb0JSS!2e10!5s20201129T000000!7i7680!8i3840?entry=ttu">late 2020</a>.</li>
<li>See the receding shoreline of the G Street project area, from <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@29.1354684,-83.0364026,3a,75y,255.43h,76.97t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sHq5gBFIQFtYxuPDigaPZlQ!2e0!5s20080101T000000!7i3328!8i1664?entry=ttu">2008</a> to <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@29.1354893,-83.0363891,3a,75y,263.66h,83.66t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sMeKn42L3MBCyoPGGdnNiFQ!2e0!5s20110501T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu">2011</a>, and then compare to post-installation images from <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@29.1354814,-83.0363895,3a,75y,263.66h,83.66t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s25-W7yCVt2VkV82IY0kjtQ!2e0!5s20220501T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu">2022</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h6><strong>Or take the self-guided tour virtually or in person with the PocketSights app,</strong></h6>
<p><a href="https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Cedar-Key-Living-Shorelines-of-Cedar-Key-5893">pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Cedar-Key-Living-Shorelines-of-Cedar-Key-5893</a>.</p>
<hr />
<p>“We involved the community and adjacent property owners ahead of each of these projects,” Clark explained. “Each project was tailored to the site and environmental conditions and now offer a unique scientific look at the success of the various plants and structures.”</p>
<h6><strong>Wave gauges put data behind the theories.</strong></h6>
<p>Since installation, the living shorelines have experienced very few challenges, never mind the threat of a direct hit originally predicted for Idalia.</p>
<p>In the days before impact, as the cone narrowed, the NCBS team set out to complete various preparations. Among these tasks, Clark, Barry and Elix Hernandez (a Florida Sea Grant postdoctoral researcher) deployed small pressure sensors housed in PVC pipe, hoping they would capture the wave conditions impacting Cedar Key’s shores.</p>
<figure id="attachment_41137" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41137" style="width: 740px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-41137 size-full lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="740" height="411" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/files/2023/11/Living-vs-hardened-shoreline-Idalia.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-41137" class="wp-caption-text">Direct comparison of the wave energy reduction of one living shoreline (left) and an adjacent seawall (right). (Credit: Mark Clark, UF/IFAS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>“We were able to deploy 23 wave gauges around Cedar Key, including on our living shorelines sites,” Clark said, crediting Mississippi State University Extension for the <a href="https://coastal.msstate.edu/waves">release</a> of plans for a <a href="https://nerrssciencecollaborative.org/resource/low-cost-pressure-gauges-measuring-water-waves">do-it-yourself, low-cost wave gauge in a 2020 publication</a>. “From the moment they were deployed, each pair of wave gauges – one offshore and one nearshore – captured data 10 times per second, which was then used to determine water depth, wave height and wave energy during the storm.”</p>
<p>Clark said the outcomes along the living shorelines were decisive.</p>
<p>“All shorelines were exposed to maximum wave heights around 3.5 feet, with 8.9-foot storm surge and water depths of 5 to 10 feet,” Clark said. “The gauges showed reductions in wave energy and wave height across the sites, which tells us the living shorelines did their job in reducing the impact to the onshore infrastructure behind them.”</p>
<p>The impressive numbers include a 6 to 18% reduction in wave height and an 11 to 21% reduction in wave energy.</p>
<p>“The reduction in wave energy is an important measurement in this major storm,” Barry said. “If you think about what causes destruction in hurricanes, it’s not just the floodwaters, it’s the force behind those waves, crashing into the buildings. These living shorelines not only held the sands in place, they likely created some crucial wave breaks that minimized the damage that could have been seen.”</p>
<h6><strong>Adjacent shorelines highlight the successes of the living shoreline sites.</strong></h6>
<p>Clark points to neighboring beaches for comparison: All but one dock was severely damaged, sand was lost in the unvegetated part of G Street Beach, and hardened shorelines showed sediment erosion and potential undermining.</p>
<p>“All low marsh vegetation seemed to be unaffected, and the one part of Airport Road’s high marsh and dune area that had turned brown immediately after the storm was greening up several weeks later,” Clark said.</p>
<p>Boosted by the projects’ performance in Hurricane Idalia, Clark and Barry continue to spread the word about living shorelines as a coastal strategy, not only in Cedar Key, but also for other regions at risk for hurricane impacts.</p>
<p>“Cedar Key’s living shorelines are living demonstration sites,” Barry said. “Now that we’ve really seen the resilience of an established site in hurricane conditions, and have the data behind it, it’s just one more option that coastal communities should consider.”</p>
<p>Florida Sea Grant offers a Living Shorelines Training Course for Marine Contractors; to <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flseagrant.org%2Fworkforce-training%2Fliving-shorelines-training-for-marine-contractors%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckromaguera%40ufl.edu%7C22466b835ca94d4d06bd08dbf10aa49b%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638368800266920643%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=lvoXF6%2FoTp0M06rcRql1OeIyz%2FdbP6890G1OixrYTKc%3D&amp;reserved=0">learn more</a>, contact the living shorelines program assistant, <a href="mailto:mbaily@ufl.edu?subject=Training%20Inquiry">Mandy Baily</a>.</p>


Living shorelines use natural solutions – installed plants and habitat structures – to strengthen beaches against erosion.
Three living shorelines projects out of the Cedar Key-based UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) were installed after Hurricane Hermine brought a then-record storm surge to the coastal town in 2016.
When that record was topped by Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, the three sites were maturing and largely untested. Measurement tools deployed by the NCBS scientists added data to prove the installations were strengthening the shoreline in multiple ways.
In the days after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, a brief camera sweep of the Cedar Key landscape gave a glimpse of hope for two viewers of The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore, watching from their inland evacuation spots.
A stretch of beach, blanketed by green plants, came into view behind the meteorologist.
“It’s still there!”
Mark Clark, a University of Florida associate professor in the soil, water, and ecosystem sciences department, said he and colleague Savanna Barry, a UF/IFAS Extension regional specialized Florida Sea Grant agent, began texting back and forth after the sighting of one of their project sites.
Barry and Clark lead several outreach efforts from the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) in downtown Cedar Key, the same fortress that sheltered Cantore’s team during Idalia. One of their larger collaborations is a trio of “living shorelines” projects, a natural coastal resilience strategy first implemented in the small coastal community in 2017.
“This was the first big test for these living shorelines,” Clark said, explaining that 2016’s Hurricane Hermine was a driving force behind jumpstarting the projects. “We had no guarantees the plants would make it, let alone come out somewhat unscathed.”
As the 2023 hurricane season comes to a close, the living shorelines of Cedar Key should be considered one of the year’s success stories. 
In the span of a few hours on Aug. 30, Hurricane Idalia brought a record storm surge to the tiny coastal town, and the water level peaked at 6.89 feet above the typical highest tide level, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
But the shorelines largely thrived, with Clark and Barry collecting data that proved, among other highlights, that the installations reduced the wave energy coming ashore.
Even where the inundation of floodwaters damaged the natural barriers, new growth has already begun – echoing the resilience of the Cedar Key community these shorelines protect.
So, what is a living shoreline?

The name itself captures the intent of these natural coastal resilience installations: Marsh plants that are adaptable to the tidal highs and lows, sturdy mangroves, upland grasses typically seen on sand dunes across Florida, and even offshore structures that attract oyster colonization.
“The goal of these living shorelines is to stabilize and prevent further erosion,” said Barry, who was behind the Living Shoreline Master Plan for Cedar Key unveiled in 2019. “We do this by restoring some of the natural barriers that we know are adapted to life along the coast. The more natural barriers we can restore, the less reliance we should have on ‘hardened’ shorelines, like seawalls, that also protect infrastructure but at the expense of natural habitats.”
Clark is also quick to note the “self-healing” qualities of a living shoreline: “A seawall can’t repair itself.”
Evidence for this recovery ability can be found in the Airport Road project, where an approximately 20-meter section of the mid-marsh saltmeadow cordgrass and panic grass species had turned brown and had some dieback in the weeks after Idalia. By November, new sprouts had emerged, restarting the process to bolster the shoreline by the next hurricane season.
Different methods are deployed across the Cedar Key projects.
The first of the projects, Joe Rains Beach, was installed in 2017 and devised to solve two problems. An adjacent area was dredged to restore a canal to its 1940s location, and the dredged material was used to restore the eroded coastline to its original elevation, making it suitable for the planting of low and high saltmarsh grasses. Since the initial planting, mangroves have also become established in the area. In addition, experimental oyster reef structures were installed offshore and are now so well-colonized they would be nearly impossible to remove.
The next project, Airport Road, was completed in November 2020 and covers the largest space. Its nearly 300-yard shoreline features a few planted and naturally occurring species, including cordgrasses, sea oats, bitter panic grass, Christmas berries, mangroves and goldenrods. The offshore area is buffered by hundreds of large, concrete reef ball structures, arranged in 16 reefs of two offset rows of 24, with gaps left between reefs for fish and other creatures to escape with the tide. Clark noted at a recent visit that many of the individual structures have now attracted multiple generations of oysters, creating an increasingly dense wave break.
The newest and smallest project, G Street, was completed in 2021 and spans just over 100 yards. It involved the addition of a few truckloads of sand to extend the coastline and restore the elevation to make it suitable for planting of saltmarsh species. The outer edges of the project area are bolstered by small oyster reef prisms. This is the project that was visible in The Weather Channel’s coverage.
Explore further
Living shorelines in 360 playlist: Get a walkthrough before and after installing the Airport Road and G Street projects.
Google Street View
Airport Road shortly after planting, in late 2020.
See the receding shoreline of the G Street project area, from 2008 to 2011, and then compare to post-installation images from 2022.
Or take the self-guided tour virtually or in person with the PocketSights app,
pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Cedar-Key-Living-Shorelines-of-Cedar-Key-5893.
“We involved the community and adjacent property owners ahead of each of these projects,” Clark explained. “Each project was tailored to the site and environmental conditions and now offer a unique scientific look at the success of the various plants and structures.”
Wave gauges put data behind the theories.
Since installation, the living shorelines have experienced very few challenges, never mind the threat of a direct hit originally predicted for Idalia.
In the days before impact, as the cone narrowed, the NCBS team set out to complete various preparations. Among these tasks, Clark, Barry and Elix Hernandez (a Florida Sea Grant postdoctoral researcher) deployed small pressure sensors housed in PVC pipe, hoping they would capture the wave conditions impacting Cedar Key’s shores.
Direct comparison of the wave energy reduction of one living shoreline (left) and an adjacent seawall (right). (Credit: Mark Clark, UF/IFAS)
“We were able to deploy 23 wave gauges around Cedar Key, including on our living shorelines sites,” Clark said, crediting Mississippi State University Extension for the release of plans for a do-it-yourself, low-cost wave gauge in a 2020 publication. “From the moment they were deployed, each pair of wave gauges – one offshore and one nearshore – captured data 10 times per second, which was then used to determine water depth, wave height and wave energy during the storm.”
Clark said the outcomes along the living shorelines were decisive.
“All shorelines were exposed to maximum wave heights around 3.5 feet, with 8.9-foot storm surge and water depths of 5 to 10 feet,” Clark said. “The gauges showed reductions in wave energy and wave height across the sites, which tells us the living shorelines did their job in reducing the impact to the onshore infrastructure behind them.”
The impressive numbers include a 6 to 18% reduction in wave height and an 11 to 21% reduction in wave energy.
“The reduction in wave energy is an important measurement in this major storm,” Barry said. “If you think about what causes destruction in hurricanes, it’s not just the floodwaters, it’s the force behind those waves, crashing into the buildings. These living shorelines not only held the sands in place, they likely created some crucial wave breaks that minimized the damage that could have been seen.”
Adjacent shorelines highlight the successes of the living shoreline sites.
Clark points to neighboring beaches for comparison: All but one dock was severely damaged, sand was lost in the unvegetated part of G Street Beach, and hardened shorelines showed sediment erosion and potential undermining.
“All low marsh vegetation seemed to be unaffected, and the one part of Airport Road’s high marsh and dune area that had turned brown immediately after the storm was greening up several weeks later,” Clark said.
Boosted by the projects’ performance in Hurricane Idalia, Clark and Barry continue to spread the word about living shorelines as a coastal strategy, not only in Cedar Key, but also for other regions at risk for hurricane impacts.
“Cedar Key’s living shorelines are living demonstration sites,” Barry said. “Now that we’ve really seen the resilience of an established site in hurricane conditions, and have the data behind it, it’s just one more option that coastal communities should consider.”
Florida Sea Grant offers a Living Shorelines Training Course for Marine Contractors; to learn more, contact the living shorelines program assistant, Mandy Baily.

Living shorelines use natural solutions – installed plants and habitat structures – to strengthen beaches against erosion. Three living shorelines projects out of the Cedar Key-based UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) were installed after Hurricane Hermine brought a then-record storm surge to the coastal town in 2016. When that record was topped by Hurricane […]

A 2023 hurricane season success story: Cedar Key’s living shorelines bolster resilient community

You cannot have a healthy estuary without healthy habitats.  Estuaries include habitats such as mud flats, sand bottoms, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  Here in the Pensacola Bay system Florida Sea Grant has been focusing on the health and restoration of salt marshes, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  We have also [&#8230;]

<p>You cannot have a healthy estuary without healthy habitats.  Estuaries include habitats such as mud flats, sand bottoms, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  Here in the Pensacola Bay system Florida Sea Grant has been focusing on the health and restoration of salt marshes, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  We have also been watching the northern dispersal of mangroves into this part of the Gulf of Mexico.</p>
<figure id="attachment_33583" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33583" style="width: 960px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2022/03/Big-Sabine-rotated.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-33583 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="960" height="720" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2022/03/Big-Sabine-rotated.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-33583" class="wp-caption-text">Creeks meandering through salt marshes provide easier passage for man and wildlife.<br />Photo: Rick O&#8217;Connor</figcaption></figure>
<p>Salt marshes are grass habitats that exist in protective coves and inlets within the estuary.  They are made of emergent grasses that live in the intertidal zones of these beaches.  They are dominated by three species that create a specific profile from the water inland.  Smooth cordgrass is the grass most common along the water’s edge.  Preferring higher salinities (at or above 20 ppt) they are more common in the lower estuary.  They are the most water tolerant of the grasses and found from the mean high tide line seaward, often found in water at both high and low tide.  Being emergent grass, their root system is below water level anchoring and capturing sediments, but the green leafy portion is above the water line absorbing the sunlight.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>A little further inland is black needlerush.  Standing about 3-4 feet tall, it is a brown/black/gray colored needle that is in the water at high tide but often not at low.  Needlerush is the most abundant grass in our salt marshes extending for acres in some locations.  It traps sediment running from the land and forms a detritus rich mud substrate.  Walking in this mud will release hydrogen sulfide (a rotten egg smell) and turning clothes dark brown and filling your shoes.  The smell is due to bacteria in the sediments breaking down leaf material, animal carcasses, and animal waste releasing the hydrogen sulfide.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Inland from the needlerush is a small grassy plant called marsh hay.  This plant is in the same genus as smooth cordgrass but prefers to be out of the water most of the time.  It can tolerate being wet during extreme high tides and tropical storms, but not on a daily basis.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Salt marshes support several groups of wildlife species including the more upland raccoon, the intertidal fiddler crabs and periwinkles, and the more aquatic killifish, blue crab, and mullet.  The basis for the food web in this habitat is the detritus (decayed plant and animal material found on, and in, the mud).</p>
<figure id="attachment_150" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-150" style="width: 199px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2017/08/oysterman.seagrant.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-150 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="199" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2017/08/oysterman.seagrant.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-150" class="wp-caption-text">Oyster reefs do mor e than than just bring us food and money.<br />Photo: Florida Sea Grant</figcaption></figure>
<p>Oyster reefs are made predominantly of the sessile bivalve we call the oyster.  As adults, oysters cement themselves to hard substrate like cement rocks and walls, pilings, boat bottoms, but most often to each other.  A small group of oysters cemented together is called an oyster clump, and these can be found throughout the estuary along the bottom.  In some locations oyster clumps cement together forming large reefs which can cover hundreds of square yards of bay bottom.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Oysters are filter feeders removing tons of plankton from the water column each day.  Their feeding process includes an “intake snorkel” called a siphon.  There is a second siphon for expelling waste.  This water “vacuum system” can cycle almost 50 gallons of bay water/oyster/hour.  This filtering process removes much of the sediment in the water column improving water clarity, as well as removing a lot of plankton from the water reducing the potential of algal blooms.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In addition to improving the overall water quality of the water, oyster reefs provide great habitat for a variety of estuarine vertebrates and invertebrates.  Mud crabs, shrimp, sea anemones, and tubeworms are just a few of the invertebrates you can find here.  Sheepshead, toadfish, and blennies are three common fish found here.  It has been documented that the oyster reef may be the biologically most productive habitat in the estuary.</p>
<figure id="attachment_34065" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-34065" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2022/05/Seagrass-BS-May-2022.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34065 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="640" height="480" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2022/05/Seagrass-BS-May-2022.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-34065" class="wp-caption-text">Seagrass bed acreage has declined over the last half century.<br />Photo: Rick O&#8217;Connor</figcaption></figure>
<p>Seagrasses differ from marsh grasses in that they are submergent, not emergent – meaning the entire plant is submerged at all times.  They differ from seaweeds in that they are vascular plants, not non-vascular as seaweeds are.  Seagrass meadows are amazing places to snorkel in.  Like salt marshes, the diversity of grasses is low, but the abundance and acreage covered is high.  These meadows have been reported to support 80-90% of the commercially important fin and shellfish as nurseries in their younger days.  Like salt marshes, there is a zonation where the different species of seagrasses are found.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In lower portions of the estuary, where the salinity is higher, you find shoal and turtle grass.  Both grasses have flat blades, but one is wider than the other.  Turtle grass is wider, about the width of St. Augustine grass, and because of this it grows in deeper water away from shore where it is not as exposed to the waves.  Shoal grass is very thin, almost like human hair.  Because of this they are more tolerant of waves and will grow in shallower water.  Widgeon grass resembles shoal grass but instead of being a single blade, it is branched.  This seagrass can tolerate lower salinities and is more common in the upper portions of the estuary and in our bayous.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>All three of these habitats have suffered over the past half century.  Stormwater runoff due to coastal development has introduced sediments, that can literally cover oyster reefs and seagrass beds, as well as nutrients, which can trigger algal blooms and reducing water clarity and killing seagrasses.  As we mentioned, oyster reefs are good at removing plankton from the water battling this water clarity issue, but these reefs have suffered from too much sediment and overharvesting by humans as a food source.  Salt marshes have been removed for waterfront developments allowing more runoff to enter the bay and contributing the decline of all three habitats.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Florida Sea Grant’s response to this has been education efforts on restoration.  Living shorelines can restore both salt marsh and oyster habitat along the shorelines.  Many of these projects have been on public lands but private waterfront property owners can build a living shoreline as well.  Along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and other partners, Sea Grant has been training local marine contractors how to plant a living shoreline and offer that as part of their business.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Most restoration attempts of seagrass meadows have not been successful.  Florida Sea Grant oversees a citizen science seagrass monitoring project entitled <em>Eyes on Seagrass </em>to determine if the seagrass is restoring themselves.  Working with Dr. Jane Caffrey at the University of West Florida, volunteers collect data on the grass and water samples to monitor water quality at their sites.  Anecdotal reports suggest that are seagrasses are doing pretty well in most locations.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you are interested in learning more about living shorelines or want to become part of the Eyes on Seagrass project, contact your county extension office.</p>


You cannot have a healthy estuary without healthy habitats.  Estuaries include habitats such as mud flats, sand bottoms, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  Here in the Pensacola Bay system Florida Sea Grant has been focusing on the health and restoration of salt marshes, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  We have also been watching the northern dispersal of mangroves into this part of the Gulf of Mexico.
Creeks meandering through salt marshes provide easier passage for man and wildlife.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Salt marshes are grass habitats that exist in protective coves and inlets within the estuary.  They are made of emergent grasses that live in the intertidal zones of these beaches.  They are dominated by three species that create a specific profile from the water inland.  Smooth cordgrass is the grass most common along the water’s edge.  Preferring higher salinities (at or above 20 ppt) they are more common in the lower estuary.  They are the most water tolerant of the grasses and found from the mean high tide line seaward, often found in water at both high and low tide.  Being emergent grass, their root system is below water level anchoring and capturing sediments, but the green leafy portion is above the water line absorbing the sunlight.
 
A little further inland is black needlerush.  Standing about 3-4 feet tall, it is a brown/black/gray colored needle that is in the water at high tide but often not at low.  Needlerush is the most abundant grass in our salt marshes extending for acres in some locations.  It traps sediment running from the land and forms a detritus rich mud substrate.  Walking in this mud will release hydrogen sulfide (a rotten egg smell) and turning clothes dark brown and filling your shoes.  The smell is due to bacteria in the sediments breaking down leaf material, animal carcasses, and animal waste releasing the hydrogen sulfide.
 
Inland from the needlerush is a small grassy plant called marsh hay.  This plant is in the same genus as smooth cordgrass but prefers to be out of the water most of the time.  It can tolerate being wet during extreme high tides and tropical storms, but not on a daily basis.
 
Salt marshes support several groups of wildlife species including the more upland raccoon, the intertidal fiddler crabs and periwinkles, and the more aquatic killifish, blue crab, and mullet.  The basis for the food web in this habitat is the detritus (decayed plant and animal material found on, and in, the mud).
Oyster reefs do mor e than than just bring us food and money.
Photo: Florida Sea Grant
Oyster reefs are made predominantly of the sessile bivalve we call the oyster.  As adults, oysters cement themselves to hard substrate like cement rocks and walls, pilings, boat bottoms, but most often to each other.  A small group of oysters cemented together is called an oyster clump, and these can be found throughout the estuary along the bottom.  In some locations oyster clumps cement together forming large reefs which can cover hundreds of square yards of bay bottom.
 
Oysters are filter feeders removing tons of plankton from the water column each day.  Their feeding process includes an “intake snorkel” called a siphon.  There is a second siphon for expelling waste.  This water “vacuum system” can cycle almost 50 gallons of bay water/oyster/hour.  This filtering process removes much of the sediment in the water column improving water clarity, as well as removing a lot of plankton from the water reducing the potential of algal blooms.
 
In addition to improving the overall water quality of the water, oyster reefs provide great habitat for a variety of estuarine vertebrates and invertebrates.  Mud crabs, shrimp, sea anemones, and tubeworms are just a few of the invertebrates you can find here.  Sheepshead, toadfish, and blennies are three common fish found here.  It has been documented that the oyster reef may be the biologically most productive habitat in the estuary.
Seagrass bed acreage has declined over the last half century.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Seagrasses differ from marsh grasses in that they are submergent, not emergent – meaning the entire plant is submerged at all times.  They differ from seaweeds in that they are vascular plants, not non-vascular as seaweeds are.  Seagrass meadows are amazing places to snorkel in.  Like salt marshes, the diversity of grasses is low, but the abundance and acreage covered is high.  These meadows have been reported to support 80-90% of the commercially important fin and shellfish as nurseries in their younger days.  Like salt marshes, there is a zonation where the different species of seagrasses are found.
 
In lower portions of the estuary, where the salinity is higher, you find shoal and turtle grass.  Both grasses have flat blades, but one is wider than the other.  Turtle grass is wider, about the width of St. Augustine grass, and because of this it grows in deeper water away from shore where it is not as exposed to the waves.  Shoal grass is very thin, almost like human hair.  Because of this they are more tolerant of waves and will grow in shallower water.  Widgeon grass resembles shoal grass but instead of being a single blade, it is branched.  This seagrass can tolerate lower salinities and is more common in the upper portions of the estuary and in our bayous.
 
All three of these habitats have suffered over the past half century.  Stormwater runoff due to coastal development has introduced sediments, that can literally cover oyster reefs and seagrass beds, as well as nutrients, which can trigger algal blooms and reducing water clarity and killing seagrasses.  As we mentioned, oyster reefs are good at removing plankton from the water battling this water clarity issue, but these reefs have suffered from too much sediment and overharvesting by humans as a food source.  Salt marshes have been removed for waterfront developments allowing more runoff to enter the bay and contributing the decline of all three habitats.
 
Florida Sea Grant’s response to this has been education efforts on restoration.  Living shorelines can restore both salt marsh and oyster habitat along the shorelines.  Many of these projects have been on public lands but private waterfront property owners can build a living shoreline as well.  Along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and other partners, Sea Grant has been training local marine contractors how to plant a living shoreline and offer that as part of their business.
 
Most restoration attempts of seagrass meadows have not been successful.  Florida Sea Grant oversees a citizen science seagrass monitoring project entitled Eyes on Seagrass to determine if the seagrass is restoring themselves.  Working with Dr. Jane Caffrey at the University of West Florida, volunteers collect data on the grass and water samples to monitor water quality at their sites.  Anecdotal reports suggest that are seagrasses are doing pretty well in most locations.
 
If you are interested in learning more about living shorelines or want to become part of the Eyes on Seagrass project, contact your county extension office.

You cannot have a healthy estuary without healthy habitats.  Estuaries include habitats such as mud flats, sand bottoms, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  Here in the Pensacola Bay system Florida Sea Grant has been focusing on the health and restoration of salt marshes, oyster reefs, and seagrass meadows.  We have also […]

National Estuaries Week – Habitats

Oysters

Ostras

Reefs

Arrecifes

Oyster reefs

Arrecifes de ostras 

Browse AskIFAS Terms

Features

Características 

Aquatic Ecosystems

2059-thumbnail

Oceans

<p><span>Interaction of living organisms with the physical or chemical environment in a body of saltwater.</span></p>

Marine Ecosystems

Entorno marino

1294-thumbnail

University of Florida/IFAS Photo 17515 by Marisol Amador, taken 12 Sep 2014

<p>A shallow elevation composed of consolidated material that may constitute a hazard to surface navigation. (AGROVOC)</p>

Oyster reefs

Publications

How Oyster Reefs Can Affect Finfish Recruitment

Oyster Habitat Restoration and Shoreline Protection

Oyster-Predator Dynamics and Climate Change

What is oyster shell recycling?

Related IFAS Blog Posts

Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs) – Why They Are Important

A 2023 hurricane season success story: Cedar Key’s living shorelines bolster resilient community

National Estuaries Week – Habitats

Broader Topics

Oysters

Reefs

Find publications by topic area

INFORMATION

LAND GRANT MISSION

FOR AUTHORS