Meeting Abstract
Habitat restoration attempts to bring back critical ecosystem services lost from overharvesting and habitat degradation. Local anecdotal information can be combined with maps/photographs to document an estuary’s ecological history. In the northern Indian River Lagoon (IRL) on the east coast of central Florida, intertidal oyster Crassostrea virginica distributions dating back to 1943 have been published. In the central IRL, local accounts and commercial harvest records suggest historically dense oyster populations, however, oyster reefs were not visible in historic photography. To solve this discrepancy, we collected oral histories from long-term residents to record knowledge and papers/photographs they were willing to share. This became imperative in Brevard County (central IRL) after a 0.5 cent sales tax passed in 2017 to fund large-scale oyster restoration. First, a History Harvest event brought locals together to share their stories with undergraduate students. This was combined with participation in annual Mosquito Beater reunions and Brevard County historical museum gatherings to which all County residents were invited. Findings include: 1) locals love to talk about the IRL back when times were “good” in terms of water quality; 2) surprisingly large numbers of individuals knew exactly where adult oysters were abundant through the early 1980s and recounted when outside professional harvesters wiped out local populations, 3) historically clear waters allowed subtidal oysters to grow 1-1.5 m below the water’s surface, 4) oysters were free food for rural families with limited incomes, and 5) these individuals lament they cannot afford to purchase oysters from out-of-state sellers. Moving forward, we plan to collect more oral history data to improve our maps and use this data to help guide restoration in Brevard County.
