Name of Project: Oyster Reef Restoration in the Indian River Lagoon
Name: Dr. Linda Walters
Nationality: USA
Geographic Location: Indian River Lagoon (Mosquito Lagoon)
Brevard Zoo’s Role:In 2006 and 2007, Brevard Zoo awarded small grants to help purchase needed equipment for the construction of oyster mats as well as fuel for the boats. In total we have provided $2700.
What prompted you to want to study/work with animals in the wild?
I have always been fascinated by the diversity of plants and animals in the marine environment. Likewise, I have always been concerned about how humans are altering these habitats, mostly in very bad ways. In addition to oyster reef science, my students, colleagues, and I study coral reefs, seagrass beds, invasive species in estuaries and in ship ballast water, and mangrove habitats.
Why this particular species?
Oysters and oyster reefs have significantly declined in recent years in the Indian River Lagoon and the Resource Managers for Canaveral National Seashore asked if we would try to understand this decline as well develop methods to restore oyster reefs to historical (1943) footprints.
When did you first know you were interested in animals?
My research is on both marine animals and plants, and I have been interested in them for as long as I can remember. I began to understand the complexity of marine systems as an undergraduate taking a coral reef biology field course on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas during my sophomore year.
Who had the most influence on you in terms of wanting to study/work with animals?
All my college professors who were passionate about both their teaching and their research.
What is it like to work in the field?
We have involved over 6000 people from central Florida in our restoration project to date. So, every day we go out on our pontoon boat, and we have the fun of meeting lots of new and interesting people. We work long hours in hot, muddy conditions, but that’s OK because we know we are making a positive difference.
What is the hardest part of doing fieldwork?
The hardest part is that when you finish with a group of volunteers, you have to immediately get ready for the next group the next day no matter how tired you might be.
What is the best part of doing fieldwork?
The best part of fieldwork is monitoring and looking at your successes (or revising methods to improve the success rate). We monitor recruitment of new oysters on our restored oyster reefs every 6 months. So far, everything is very good and lots of new oysters have attached to our substrates.
Did books influence your interest in animals? What are some of your favorite books both fiction and nonfiction?
I love to read books about nature. I pour through field guides whenever I can. My son has every marine-themed book that has been published, with young favorites being the Suzanne Tate series. I just had my UCF Marine Biology class read Trevor Corson’s “The Secret Life of Lobsters” and that was well received by all.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a field researcher?
Volunteer and get experience however you can. Go to college and take the hard courses. Also at college, get involved in research and you will be amazed at where that can take you!
What do you ultimately want your project to accomplish?
Our goal is to restore all of the reefs in Mosquito Lagoon that have been damaged by human activities especially wakes from recreational boating. To date, we have restored 10 reefs and expect to have an additional 10 completed within the next 12 months. There are probably 40 more reefs that need our help in Canaveral National Seashore and the Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve north of the Park.