There are many people fighting for oyster recovery. With rising sea temperatures from climate change, it may only be a matter of time before another outbreak occurs as the parasite thrives in warmer waters. By reducing the amount of nitrogen-rich pollutants put into the water as run-off, the Dermo will have less chance to infect the oyster population. The parasite infects the young oyster and slows shell growth, eventually infecting the bloodstream and killing the animal when it blocks blood vessels. Dermo disease or perkinsosis ( Perkinsus marinus) is a parasitic protozoan that caused a massive decline in wild oyster management and fisheries. Humans are not solely responsible for the oysters’ decline. Overfishing by the early fisheries partly lead to environmental disaster. Removing the oyster causes the whole system to break apart. The shells of the oysters provide the foundation for coral reefs that are home to thousands of fish species. As a filter feeder, the oyster is constantly screening and pumping water through its shell, removing toxins as it feeds. Just as the keystone holds up a stone arch, an oyster holds up their ecosystem. In nature, animals that rely upon other animals to exist are known as keystone species. The oyster may be one of the most important species in New Jersey. Today she is used by the Bayshore Center in Bivalve to educate visitors on the history of the state’s oyster fisheries. After recovery and restoration, she was designated as New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship in 1998. By 1959, the Meerwald was outfitted for surf clamming until it was retired in 1989. In 1942 it served as a fireboat for the U.S. Commissioned by the Meerwald family and built by Stowman and Sons Shipyard in Dorchester, NJ, this gaff-rigged dredge served as an oyster harvester from 1928 until the 1940s. Meerwald was the prize ship of the oyster catching industry on the New Jersey coast. By the 19th century, large wharves were built around the Delaware Bay to accommodate that crop of oysters and ships continually coming in to port.Īt 115 feet long, the Augustus J. Later, Europeans and Scandinavians arrived and used the river for shipbuilding and agriculture as well as the oysters for food. Middens, or dumps, filled with oyster shells discovered by archaeologists, belonged to the Lenni Lenape who used them for food, utensils and trade. The bounty of the river, however, was well known before the 19th century by the Native American tribes who settled in the area. The Delaware Bay and Maurice River area pushed out over 1000 bushels a day of the prized sea creatures. In the mid 1800s, Commercial Township, which included the cities of Bivalve, Shellpile, and Port Norris, was one of the largest oyster harvesting industries in the world. In time, the oyster may once again act as an important part of the fishing economy and serve as a keystone species in the ecosystem. While disease and overfishing once devastated oyster populations, science and management has helped replenish the species and it is slowly returning to Eastern waters. Thousands of bushels were pulled out of the state’s waterways each year, providing jobs for thousands of families. This bivalve quickly became New Jersey’s number one catch for fisherman along its southern coast. One such bounty that shaped the shoreline and its growth is the oyster. These brave men challenge the sea’s might to harvest its vast bounty. The history of a coastline is built on the back of its fisherman and their catch. Other images courtesy of the Bayshore Center at Bivalve, NJ
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