EAST WIND AT 10-15. TOMORROW, STILL A GOOD LOOKING DAY.
>> SOUNDS GOOD.
THANK YOU.
ALL YOU SEAFOOD LOVERS MAY
FIND OYSTERS A DELICACY.
BUT DID YOU KNOW THEY ALSO
PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN
PROTECTING OUR COASTLINES FROM
HURRICANE STORM SURGE AS WELL
AS CLEANING POLLUTION FROM OUR
WATER WAYS.
>> A KEYSTONE SPECIES URGENTLY
BEING RESTORED AS CLIMATE
CHANGE AND POLLUTION THREATEN
OUR PLANET AND OUR WAY OF
LIFE.
IN TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASURE, WATCH AS A COMMUNITY
LED BY ONE MAN COMES TOGETHER
TO BRING BACK THE LOST OYSTERS
OF BISCAYNE BAY.
>> IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HELP.
>> A GROUP OF SOUTH FLORIDA
RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES GATHER
AT KENNEDY PARK IN COCONUT
GROVE FOR A CITIZEN SCIENCE
PROJECT.
>> WE’VE BEEN COLLECTING THESE
SINCE ABOUT JANUARY.
>> 30,000 OYSTER SHELLS
COLLECTED FROM AREA
RESTAURANTS THAT MAY PLAY A
KEY ROLE IN SAVING BISCAYNE
BAY.
>> WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THAT
BISCAYNE BAY IS DYING, IT
SEEMS LIKE TOO BIG OF A
PROBLEM AND IT’S SOMEONE
ELSE’S JOB TO TAKE CARE OF AND
IT’S JUST TOO BIG.
SO HOW CAN WE KIND OF ASK
OURSELVES WHAT CAN WE DO?
>> THIS MIAMI NATIVE IS NOT
WAITING FOR THE CAVALRY.
SHAKEN BY LAST YEAR’S FISH
KILL IN THE BAY HE GREW UP ON,
HE WAS DRIVEN TO FIND A
SOLUTION.
AND HE FOUND ONE UNDERNEATH
THE DOCK IN OLD CUTLER BAY.
>> WE SAW THE SHELLS AND WE
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE.
MY DAD SAID IF YOU REALLY WANT
TO CLEAN THE BAY, MAYBE THESE
OYSTER SHELLS ARE THE KEY.
>> OYSTERS, NATURE’S FILTERS.
HISTORICALLY THRIVING HERE IN
THE 1800’S.
>> IN AN 1895 REPORT, THEY
LITERALLY DESCRIBE THE OYSTERS
AS LUXURIOUS GROWTH.
>> TODAY, DRAMATICALLY FEWER
IN NUMBER BUT STILL PRESENT IN
POCKETS OF THE WATER SHED
DOING THE JOB NATURE DESIGNED
THEM TO DO.
>> THESE ARE LIVING OYSTERS,
THEY’RE ACTIVELY FILTERING THE
WATER.
>> LITERALLY EATING THE
POLLUTION FROM THE WATER THEY
GROW IN.
A SINGLE OYSTER CAN FILTER UP
TO 50 GALLONS OF WATER A DAY.
AND THE FEMALES CAN PRODUCE
OVER 100 MILLION BABIES A
YEAR.
>> IF WE GET 25 MILLION ADULT
OYSTERS IN THE WATER, WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT A $4 BILLION
WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLAN.
1.5 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER A
DAY CAN BE FILTERED.
>> THAT’S HOW HIS WATER SHED
ACTION LAB HAS BORN.
A PLAN TO RESTORE THE LOST
OYSTER POPULATION IN BISCAYNE
BAY AS A MEANS TO SAVE IT.
>> THERE’S AN OYSTER BED RIGHT
THERE UNDERNEATH THAT’S ALL
COVERED IN OYSTERS.
THAT
THAT’S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A
LIVING SHORELINE.
SEE THEM ON THE BOTTOM THERE?
>> YEAH.
>> THEY’RE HERE.
IT’S NOT A QUESTION IF THEY’RE
HERE THEY CAN SURVIVE.
>> THERE THEY ARE SCATTERED IN
CLUSTERS ALONG DOCK PILINGS,
MAN GROVE ROOTS AND LIMESTONE
ROCK RIGHT HERE IN THE CORAL
GABLES WATERWAY WHERE HE’S
LAUNCHING HIS EXPERIMENT.
>> THEY’RE EVERYWHERE.
IT’S A QUESTION OF HOW CAN WE
SUPPORT THE OYSTER POPULATION
BY GIVING THEM ENOUGH
POPULATION SO THE PREDATORS
DON’T WIPE THEM OUT.
>> THE KEY IS TO CREATE MORE
SURFACE AREA FOR THE LARVA TO
LATCH ON TO.
BY STRINGING TOGETHER RECYCLED
SHELLS, THESE LINES ARE THEN
TIED UNDERNEATH DOCKS RIGHT
NEXT TO LIVING COLONIES, BIO
MIMICKING MAN GROVE ROOTS THAT
GIVE THE BABY OYSTERS AN IDEAL
HABITAT.
>> WE’RE TRYING TO CREATE A
NURSERY UNDER PEOPLE’S DOCKS
TO ALLOW OYSTERS TO GROW.
>> ACTING AS BABY FACTORIES,
PROVIDING A STREAM OF OYSTER
LARVA.
>> EVERY DOCK COULD ACTUALLY
BE ACTIVELY FILTERING WATER
THAT’S RUNNING THROUGH THE
WATERWAYS GOING INTO BISCAYNE
BAY.
>> HE’S NOT A SCIENTIST, BUT
ANNA IS.
>> YES, IT IS GONNA WORK.
>> AND IS PART OF THE ACADEMIC
TEAM ADVISING HIM.
>> WE’RE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT
IF YOU PUT SHELL IN THE WATER,
THEY WILL COME.
>> AND SO A COMMUNITY COMES
TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
HE’LL NEED A THOUSAND LINES TO
START.
SO FAR, HE HAS 40.
>> SO THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON
DECK EFFORT.
EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER SHOULD
GET INVOLVED.
>> THE MORE OYSTERS WE GET,
THE MORE SEA GRASS WE’LL GET
AND VICE VERSA.
AND THE MORE CLEAN WATER WE
WILL GET.
>> PROVING THAT EVERYONE CAN
AND MUST PLAY A ROLE IN SAVING
THE BAY.
>> TO BE ABLE TO BRING
TOGETHER A COMMUNITY TO BUILD
A HEALTHY AND SAFE BISCAYNE
BAY FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR GRAND
KIDS, IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING.
>> THAT’S WHAT IT’S ABOUT,
BRINGING TOGETHER COMMUNITY.
OYSTERS ALONE WON’T SAVE
BISCAYNE BAY, BUT THEY CAN
GREATLY IMPROVE OUR WATER
QUALITY AND GIVE THE BAY MORE
TIME TO BREATHE AS WE URGENTLY
WORK TO IMPROVE OUR FAILING
INFRASTRUCTURE AND BEGIN TO
BRING BACK OUR SEA GRASSES IF
YOU OR YOUR SCHOOL OR YOUR
COMMUNITY GROUP WANT TO HELP
WITH THIS MISSION, WE HAVE ALL
THOSE LINKS ON Local10.com.