- Oyster Reefs Are Thriving: More than 1,000 oyster domes have been deployed, providing a strong foundation for oyster growth and attracting fish, crabs, and dolphins.
- Water Quality and Wildlife Rebound: Researchers report visibly clearer water and the return of vital seagrass, which supports a wide range of marine life.
Upstream Conservation Matters: Forest conservation efforts in the Apalachee Bay watershed are helping protect the water sources that feed into these coastal ecosystems.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In the quiet coastal waters of Wakulla County, something remarkable is happening beneath the surface. Just a year after the Wakulla Environmental Institute launched a reef restoration project by deploying oyster domes, the local marine environment is thriving.
“We’ve seen a clear transformation,” says Alexis Howard with the Wakulla Environmental Institute. “You can see the difference in the water clarity… now when we go out and visit, you see dolphins, fish, crabs, and of course the domes loaded with oysters.”
Last year, the team began placing large, dome-shaped structures into the water to create a habitat where oysters could latch on and grow. These reefs not only help boost oyster populations, but also filter the water and create a stable home for surrounding marine life. Over the past year, more than a thousand of these domes have been deployed.
The result? A noticeable increase in water quality, seagrass regrowth, and biodiversity. “Everything loves seagrass,” Howard adds. “So that’ll bring even more fish and other wildlife in.”
But the health of Wakulla’s bays doesn’t start at the shoreline. The water flowing into the estuaries begins much further upstream, which is why forest conservation in the Apalachee Bay watershed plays a critical role.
“For all of the possible land uses in the area, forests are the best you can have for water quality,” says Tyler MacMillan with Tall Timbers. “Keeping more land in forest protects the water that feeds our springs and eventually flows out here to the coast.”
The partnership between reef restoration and watershed protection is beginning to pay off. Monthly water sampling now shows a significant improvement compared to when the project first began.
With cleaner water, growing oyster populations, and revitalized marine habitats, Wakulla County is witnessing a quiet but powerful ecological comeback—one dome at a time.
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