Generating
Enhanced Oyster Reefs in Georgia's Inshore Areas (G.E.O.R.G.I.A.) is
a community-based oyster restoration program coordinated by the University
of Georgia Marine Extension Service. Oyster populations along the Georgia
coastline have been depleted by rapid and sustained economic and population
growth, overharvesting, and disease. Oyster reefs serve many vital functions
in the estuarine ecosystem including erosion control, water filtration,
food production, and spawning and breeding habitat for many fish species.
G.E.O.R.G.I.A. aims to restore, preserve, and enhance our local oyster
reefs by educating the public about their importance and encouraging
community participation in shell recycling and reef restoration activities.
Funding for this project was provided through grants from the NOAA Restoration
Center Community-based Restoration Program, the National Fisheries Institute,
and Ocean Trust. The education programs described below are hosted at
the Shellfish Research Facility and through the Marine
Education Center & Aquarium. For a curriculum guide please click
here.
Oyster Populations
Oysters are considered to be a keystone species and good indicators
of the health of estuaries. Students take a closer look at why oyster
populations have declined during the last century using hands-on and
inquiry-based activities that compare the role of sedimentation, overharvesting,
water quality and disease on oyster populations. Students perform
water quality tests, collect data, create graphs and draw conclusions
as to why oyster populations have been impacted.
~1.5 hours; GPS aligned; minimum 15
students, maximum 25; 5 th grade and up
Dermo Detectives
Students determine the prevalence of Dermo, the common name for an
oyster disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Perkinsus marinus
in oysters collected locally. Students learn what Dermo is, how it
affects oysters, and test for Dermo using an assay procedure that
involves oyster dissections and microscope observations.
2 hours: GPS aligned; minimum 15 students,
maximum 25; 5 th grade and up
Oysters: the Fanatic Filterers
Oysters are able to filter 2.5
gallons of water per hour removing plankton, sediment and pollutants!
This hands-on program provides students an opportunity to collect
and identify various species of phytoplankton consumed by oysters
using plankton nets and microscopes, and to conduct a filtering demonstration
to determine the filtering rates of living oysters.
2 hours: GPS aligned; minimum 15 students,
maximum 25; 5 th grade and up
Oyster Reef Habitat Exploration
Oyster reefs provide essential habitat for a variety of creatures
including fish and crabs. Students explore the function of the oyster
reef as critical habitat, providing shelter for fish and invertebrates
and providing food for the community. This hands-on, in the field
approach provides students with a better understanding of what types
of organisms use an oyster reef as they collect organisms from an
existing reef to construct food webs and determine species diversity.
3 hours: GPS aligned; minimum 15 students,
maximum 25; 5 th grade and up
The Amazing Oysters and Water Quality
Did you know that an adult oyster can filter up to 60 gallons of water
per day? Through filtration, oyster reefs can improve water quality
by removing pollutants and controlling algal blooms. Using sampling
equipment, students collect and analyze various water quality parameters
(salinity, temperature, sedimentation, dissolved oxygen) at a nearby-restored
reef.
3 hours: GPS aligned; minimum 15 students,
maximum 25; 5 th grade and up
All About Whelks and Oysters
By using two of coastal Georgia's most famous shellfish (oysters and
whelks) comparisons are made between the classes Bivalvia and Gastropoda.
Differences in general anatomy and life history are explored through
dissections of each species reproductive and digestive systems.
3 hours: GPS aligned; minimum 15 students,
maximum 25; 5 th grade and up
Guided Oyster Disease Study
Disease has caused major oyster population decline in the United States
over the last 20 years. Students are introduced to a disease that
affects oyster populations in Georgia, called MSX
(Haplosporidium nelsoni). This class begins with a guided tour of
a working histology laboratory to learn how slides are prepared. Students
will use these prepared slides in a hands on microscopic exercise
to determine the prevalence and intensity of MSX in local oysters
populations. .
3 hours: GPS aligned; minimum 15 students,
maximum 25; 5 th grade and up
Oyster Restoration in Georgia
This
class introduces the history of the Georgia oyster industry followed
by a discussion on why our populations are declining. Students will
visit a restored oyster reef and get an overview of oyster restoration
processes currently being conducted in the area. Each stage of the
process involved will be discussed from the collection and bagging
of shell, to the planting and monitoring of reefs. Students will have
the opportunity to participate in the restoration program by visiting
the shell-recycling center to assist in the bagging of shell.
3 hours: GPS aligned; minimum 15 students,
maximum 25; 7 th grade and up
