Reserve Wednesday: Below The Waterline – Apalachicola Bay Oysters

Oysters are resilient animals that can weather the ups and downs of a fluctuating tidal estuarine ecosystem, but when stressors stack up, even the mighty oyster can suffer. Historically vibrant and thriving oyster reefs that supported numerous commercial fisheries species swiftly collapsed down to critically low populations in a very short time around 2011-2012. Andy Kane from UF’s Department of Environmental and Global Health has been studying common stressors on oysters in Apalachicola Bay and how multiple stressors came together to create a “perfect storm,” a storm that affected the health of oysters, oyster habitat and The Bay. Join Andy Kane at the Apalachicola NERR on April 20th at 2:00pm for a guided tour of the exhibit “Below The Waterline.” The installation showcases large-frame photographs and other media to visualize what influences life on an oyster reef – below the waterline.

The guided tour and exhibit are free of charge and open to the public, including folks who work the water!