Oyster sanctuary network in North Carolina's Pamlico Sound reaches 500-acre goal
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries began building oyster sanctuaries in state waters in 1996. In 2003, the division started working with partners to further the effort to build up oyster habitat, and the 500-acre target was later established for what is now known as the Sen. Jean Preston Oyster Sanctuary Network, named for the late state legislator who lived in Emerald Isle. Since the sanctuary program began 30 years ago, the division has worked with various partners including the North Carolina Coastal Federation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Nature Conservancy, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership to realize the 17 active oyster sanctuaries now in Pamlico Sound.
Enhancement Programs Supervisor Bennett Paradis of the division told Coastal Review in an email that reaching the 500-acre goal was a "monumental effort." Paradis wrote, "The scale of this project is truly an impressive accomplishment and a testament to the dedicated team of collaborators who have played a role in developing these oyster sanctuaries." Coastal Federation Senior Adviser Todd Miller said that reaching 500 acres is a "major accomplishment, especially considering the decades of planning, construction and cooperation behind it." Miller is the founder and former executive director of the Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review.
This is the fourth year the state has set aside October to "shellebrate" the mighty mollusk through a partnership of the North Carolina Coastal Federation with North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Oyster Trail. Events under this year's theme, "Shellebrating Stewardship," are scheduled throughout the month at locations from Raleigh to the coast.
Source: Oyster sanctuary effort attains big milestone; work continues | Coastal Review (coastalreview.org).
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