Did you know that oysters were not always an expensive and high-end food meant only for fine dining and the tables of the rich and famous? From New York to Australia the oyster has evolved from everyday food to a pricey, exclusive extravagance. But along with its role as a food there is also research underway to determine if the oyster can be used to fight climate change by sequestering carbon.
It’s worth noting that oysters are what’s called a keystone species. This means that fish species that are important for both recreational and commercial fisheries are usually found in association with established and thriving oyster reefs.
On the climate front oysters can sequester carbon in two ways. Oyster reefs keep river sediment from washing out to sea and since that sediment contains carbon (from organic material in the sediment) that carbon is trapped behind the reef. This build up of sediment encourages the expansion of marshes which are also good for trapping carbon.
To test just how much carbon your average oyster (or oyster reef since calculating it down to an individual oyster might be tricky) can sequester University of Georgia students are helping the Georgia Department of Natural Resources ‘build’ oyster reefs and then will “ track how the shoreline changes and how much carbon it’s storing.”
This project and a similar one in Texas are both being funded by boat engine maker Yamaha and the results should be interesting to compare and contrast due to the differences between the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Oysters and humans have had a mutually beneficial relationship in the past though in some locations they were overharvested into extinction. Perhaps bringing them back can be the start of a new and improved symbiosis that goes beyond benefiting our cuisine.
From the Daily Difference December 24, 2023. For more articles like this or to sign up click here.
