Seafood Article and Two Videos

New RCTB member Ted Busfield  wrote:

"I came across this article recently and thought you might find interesting. Clams are in the top 10 most popular makeup of more than 90% of the fish eaten, according to NOAA."

http://www.aboutseafood.com/press/press-releases/nfi-top-ten-list-familiar-school-fish

New RCTB member MaryJo Martone created the following short video that I would like to share 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pI2TRht5Sk

The following video came to my e-mail box and  the underwater photography is so fantastic I think you will enjoy it as much as I did

> http://www.youtube.com/embed/mcbHKAWIk3I

Many Volunteers Helped IBSP Upweller Team

As Labor Day marks the end of the summer vacation season we at the IBSP upweller would like to thank the many visitors and vacationers who stopped by to learn about our program and to volunteer with our clean up activities.  We are especially grateful for the efforts of Amanda and Anthony Barbosa our special “junior volunteers” who came to the upweller at least ten times this summer and spend a combined 40 hours of volunteer labor.

Congressman Runyon visits Upweller

On Tuesday August 28th third district Congressman Jon Runyon paid a visit to our upweller at Cattus Island in Toms River.  Congressman Runyon and a group led by Stan Hales from the Barnegat Bay Partnership were about to board the Ocean County Parks touring boat on a fact finding cruise of Barnegat Bay.  RCTB president Rick Bushnell and upweller team captain Clint Lehman gave a detailed explanation of our mission and the workings of the upweller and the spat-on-shell tank.  Also present was Richard Shaw  from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service who gave a brief lecture on his research involving the composition of soil samples taken from the bay. 

Mid-Season Report

Now that the 2012 growing season is well underway I would like to report on the conditions in the northern area of Barnegat Bay.  The three north upwellers received this years supply of seed oysters on June 8 with IBSP and MYC receiving appox. 30K (vol. 250ml) and CI receiving 60K. (vol. 500ml).  They have been growing at a very rapid rate with volumes of 100,100 at CI and 35400 at IBSP.  But on July 21st we discovered a tragic loss of all oysters at the MYC upweller.  Runoff from a newly paved street caused by a severe rainstorm and the loss of power for one or more days appears to be the cause.  Fortunately the majority of our clams were able to survive and we are still attempting to evaluate the mortality rate.

On June 25th IBYC and MYC received 105,000 (2000ml) clams each and they have more than doubled in volume in the last seven weeks.  

On June 6th Gef brought 3.1 million oyster larvae to Cattus Island to begin this years Spat-on-Shell project. We placed 90 mesh bags containing surf clam shells in our tank.  Four weeks later on July 11 we removed five bags and counted the spat on each shell.  We were disappointed to discover a low set rate of 1.75%.  We emptied the tank and brought the shells with their spat to the oyster reef.  Gef was able to obtain quite a few trays and on August 1st we filled 12 trays with oysters and placed them in the now empty tank.  On August 8th we checked the growth rate in the tank and were pleased to discover an average growth rate of 27% in one week.

One of the better spat settings

Oyster Babies Come to Upwellers

The 2012 growing season officially began this week.  On Tuesday June 5 Gef delivered 200,000 seed oysters to the following upwellers.  Cattus Island received 50,000 and MYC and IBSP received 25,000 each.  On LBI the following upweller sites got 25,000 each, Surf City, Barnegat Light, Brant Beach and Beach Haven.

This photo shows the average size of a seed oyster to be between 2-3 mm.

1. On Wednesday June 6, Gef came to Cattus Island with 3 million eyed larvae oysters to start this year’s Spat-on-Shell remote setting project.  A good number of RCTB members and  “clam college” students were in attendance along with a group of students from Ocean County College who happened on a nature field trip with the park naturalist Chris Claus.    Bill Shadel from the American Littoral Society was given the task of distributing the larvae into the tank.  The larvae will set on the surf clam shells in one to three days and become spat.  The oysters will than remain there for their entire life span.  In four weeks we will take the shell bags with their spat to the reef at Good Luck Point.

Two References on the History of Oysters

I was recently made aware of two very interesting references dealing with the history of the oyster in America.  Lisa Frosberg pointed out to me that the current issue of the Smithsonian magazine has an article titled “The Decades-Long Come-back of Mark Twain’s Favorite Food” by Andrew Beahrs

It deals mainly with the West Coast native oyster called the Olympia.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/The-Decades-Long-Comeback-of-Mark-Twains-Favorite-Food.html

The second reference is a book entitled “The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell” by Mark Kurlansky.  Here is a review of the book

From Publishers Weekly Here's a chatty, free-wheeling history of New York City told from the humble perspective of the once copious, eagerly consumed, now decimated eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginicas). Research addict Kurlansky (Cod, etc.) starts from the earliest evidence of Lenape oyster middens, or beds, discovered by explorer Henry Hudson and others as evidence that natives enjoyed the shellfish as a delicacy, much as the Europeans did. When the Dutch arrived, the estuary of the lower Hudson, with its rich confluence of rivers, contained 350 square miles of oyster beds—"fully half of the world's oysters." The huge oyster stores contributed mightily to the mercantile wealth and natural renown of New Amsterdam, then inherited by the British, who were crazy about oysters; pickled oysters became an important trade with British West Indies slave plantations. While cheap, oysters appealed equally to the rich and poor, prompting famous establishments such as black-owned Downing's oyster cellar and Delmonico's (the enterprising author handily supplies historic recipes). The exhaustion of the city's oyster beds and pollution by sewage effectively eclipsed the consumption of local oysters by the 1920s, yet the lowly oyster still promotes the health of the waterways by its natural filtering system as well as indicating the purity of the water. Kurlansky's history digresses all over the place, and sparkles. 

2012 Growing Season Begins

On Friday May 4th the 2012 RCTB growing season began in the north end of Barnegat Bay.  Jeff Silady and the crew of volunteers from the Mantoloking Yacht Club joined by Bill Shadel from the American Littoral Society reopened the upweller and filled all 10 silos with one year old oysters.  The oysters had overwintered in mesh bags in two Taylor Floats.  The floats were then power washed and one was returned to the bay with  older oysters and the other was taken to Sedge where it will spend the rest of the season.  After MYC was up and running Jeff drove south to the Island Beach State Park upweller where he was met by Manny and some of his crew and the process was repeated.  Again all 10 silos were filled with young oysters where they will grow until the 2012 seed arrive in early July.

LARGE CROWD ATTENDS RBTB OPEN HOUSE

The 2012 Open House drew a standing room only crowd at the meeting room of the Ocean County Cooperative Extension Building last night.  Over new 50 people were in attendance to learn more about ReClam The Bay.  The event was led by Gef Flimlin who presented an overview of the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program and how RCTB is a vital part of that program.  Gustavo Calvo marine scientist with the DEP Bureau of Fisheries spoke about how the bureau has contributed to the overall restoration program and to the construction of the oyster reef at the mouth of the Toms River.  Helen Henderson from the American Littoral Society explained the goals of her group and of their partnership with RBTB especially in the construction of upwellers and work on the oyster reef. Cara Musico spoke about her expertise in water quality measurement and how a few members received a grant and have been active in this area last season.  Wes Dalzell ran a power point presentation that highlighted all our activities from last year and set up a tank with live calms and connected it to a large TV screen so the audience could watch as they extended their siphons and feet in search of food.  We are hoping that many people who attended the event will return next week to take the course and become active members of RCTB.

The Secret Life of Plankton

• Plankton are tiny floating organisms (living things) that are found in both the sea and ponds and lakes.

• The word ‘plankton’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘wandering’.

• Plankton is a general term that includes every marine organism too small and weak to swim for itself.

• The smallest algae are called plankton, but large floating algae (seaweeds) are not called plankton.

• Plankton can be divided into phytoplankton, which are tiny plants, and zooplankton, which are tiny animals, but the division is blurred.

• Most phytoplankton is very tiny indeed and so called nannoplankton and microplankton. Zooplankton is generally bigger and called macroplankton.

• Green algae that give many ponds a bright green floating carpet are kinds of plankton.

• Phytoplankton get their energy by photosynthesis just like other plants.

• Countless puffs of oxygen given out by plankton early in Earth’s history gave the air its vital oxygen.

• Plankton is the basic food of all shellfish.

  Gef would like to share this fascinating video

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFQ_fO2D7f0&feature=player_embedded#!

RCTB to Receive EPA Award

ReClam the Bay was awarded the 2012 US EPA Environmental Quality Award. Each April, EPA honors individuals and organizations who have contributed significantly to improving the environment during the prior year in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

RCTB is honored to receive this, EPA’s highest award for a Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or Community Group. To be selected, nominees must have:

· Significantly contributed to improving environmental quality in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands during the prior year.

· Demonstrated a high achievement level in the award category.

· Created unique or location-specific benefits, produced results that are sustainable or reproducible, or increased public involvement in environmental action.

Rick Bushnell President and one of the founders of RCTB said “The letter was addressed to me but it is the result of some truly amazing volunteers. In accepting the award we must point out that RCTB would not exist if it were not for the efforts of the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Project and the special effort of Gef Flimlin and Cara Muscio the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Marine agents.” He went on to thank the many other organizations with whom RCTB partners to educate and INVOLVE residents and visitors to NJ. Special thanks to the Barnegat Bay Partnership who nominated RCTB.

For more Information about the award go to EPA.

Herb Segars, Underwater Photographer

Herb Segars has been diving and photographing marine life in New Jersey waters for the past thirty years. On Saturday he presented the summation of his life's work in a fascinating and educational presentation entitled “Beneath the Garden State” to a crowded room at the LBI Foundation of Arts and Science in Loveladies and also at the New Jersey Maritime Museum in Beach Haven. The photographs depict rarely seen images, up close and personal, of the varied and beautiful marine life found near coastal shipwrecks and reefs. He has just finished a beautiful book of his photograph called “Beneath the Garden State: Exploring Aquatic New Jersey” that will be available in bookstores next month.

The film “Ocean Frontiers: The Dawn of a New Era in Ocean Stewardship” will make its premier screening in New Jersey on Thursday April 5^th at Wilson Hall Auditorium, Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute at 6:30 PM. The film is a documentay and outreach campaign to inspire and mobilize audiences to better care for the ocean for the good of all. It outlines a new way of cooperation to sustain the sea and our coastal and ocean economies. A panel discussion of distinquished advocates will follow the screening.

Congressman Runyan Visits MATES

On Thursday, February 23th at the request of RCTB member Charlie Brandt, Congressman Jon Runyan toured MATES High School in Manahawkin. After the tour he addressed the students and took questions from those in attendance . For more on this story chick on the links below.

Asbury Park Press article

http://www.app.com/article/20120223/NJNEWS/302230070/Students-question-congressman-variety-issues

Patch article

http://manchester-nj.patch.com/articles/runyan-tours-m-a-t-e-s-school

Shellfish in the Classroom Expands to Five Schools

Students from five different schools will be involved in our “Shellfish in the Classroom” program this school year. Three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school will take part in the program. The schools are Lanoka Harbor Elementary School, grade 3 with teacher RCTB member Ms. Darlene Price, Ambassador Christian Academy in Toms River, grade 6 with teacher Ms. Diane Andryshak, Mid-streams Elementary School in Brick grade 5 with teacher Ms. Tina Lucchetti, Pinelands Regional Junior High School in Little Egg Harbor with RCTB members Ms. Charlene Lentini and Ms Melinda Most and West Windsor - Plainsboro High School North with Ms Kristina Nicosia. The schools will given two small tanks and 20 – 30 live eight month old oysters. They will be responsible for the care and feeding of the animals and they will return the oysters to us at the end of the school year. We will then put them in our upweller for the rest of the summer to continue their grow out before they head to the reef.

RCTB Meets at Jenkinsen's Aquarium

The regular monthly meeting of RCTB was held in the education room at the Jenkinsen's Aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey on Tuesday February 21^st. Staff member Ms. Jenifer Zebrowski gave a brief history of the aquarium and detailed its mission of education and outreach for environmental stewardship. Jenifer and fellow staff member Ms. Meaghan Riccie than led small group tours of the aquarium high lighting the behind the scenes working and explaining the daily routine involved in the maintenance of a healthy habitat for all the animals living there. Their love of the animals and enthusiasm for their work was quite evident as they proudly showed us all the exhibits.

Southern Regional Students Construct Display Boxes.

At our meeting on January 16 Clint Lehman brought a wooden shell display box that he had designed and built. It was decided that we would like to have several more of these boxes built and Chis West had a great idea as to where this could be done. He brought the box to the Southern Regional Mainsail Manufacturing for Profit Class. The students constructed six display boxes which will be used for educational presentations at local schools, festivals and organizational talks. On Saturday January 28, Rick presented a check for the cost of the materials to members of the class. The students involved in the project (under the direction of teachers Don Graham and Joe Tomczuk) are seventh grade student Genaro Sanders; eight grade students Caroline Arcari, Taylor Cichocki and Brandon Bronman; and ninth grade students Dan Lombardi and Eli Mirth.