By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shellfish are bivalve mollusks that provide critical habitat for many finfish and other marine organisms. They also help anchor numerous food webs, as larvae and adults alike. In this lesson, students will learn about the ecosystem benefits of shellfish and the role that shellfish aquaculture plays in reducing harvest pressure on wild stocks. The lesson will focus primarily on the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica<\/em>), which is the most commonly grown shellfish species in North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grade Level<\/strong>: 11-12<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duration<\/strong>: 1 class period<\/p>\n\n\n\n EEn.2.7.3<\/p>\n\n\n\n EEn.2.8.2<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bio.2.2.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bio.2.2.2<\/p>\n\n\n\n benthos<\/strong>: flora and fauna found on the bottom, or in the bottom sediments, of a sea, lake or other water body; these organisms are usually scavengers or feed on dead organic material<\/p>\n\n\n\n carbon sequestration<\/strong>: process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in a reservoir<\/p>\n\n\n\n ecosystem services<\/strong>: benefits, such as pollination and decomposition, that humans gain from properly functioning ecosystems<\/p>\n\n\n\n estuary<\/strong>: partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more freshwater rivers or streams flowing into it, and a connection to the open sea<\/p>\n\n\n\n growout<\/strong>: final stage of aquaculture production in which a species is raised for harvest<\/p>\n\n\n\n hatchery<\/strong>: facility for the propagation of the early life stages of aquaculture species, including seed production<\/p>\n\n\n\n monoculture<\/strong>: cultivation of a single crop, or the maintenance of a single kind of animal, to the exclusion of others<\/p>\n\n\n\n nursery<\/strong>: stage of species cultivation between the hatchery and the growout phase; this operation is designed to rapidly grow small seed at low cost to a size suitable for transfer to growout trays, bags or nets<\/p>\n\n\n\n seed oyster<\/strong>: a juvenile oyster, or a mature one ready to spawn, especially as used to stock a commercial oyster bed<\/p>\n\n\n\n sustainable<\/strong>: describes activities in which environmental degradation is minimized, especially by avoiding the long-term depletion of natural resources<\/p>\n\n\n\n Native to North Carolina, Eastern oysters are critical to the ecological balance of the state\u2019s waters. Healthy oyster populations improve water quality through nutrient filtering, and they provide nursery and protective habitats to finfish and other marine organisms. Furthermore, oyster reefs act as effective storm buffers, dissipating storm wave energy and stabilizing estuarine shorelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along the coast and in streams, oysters filled North Carolina\u2019s waters long before Europeans arrived in the 16th century. These filter feeders sustained coastal economies, acted as natural cleanup crews and served as symbols for the coastal way of life for generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the United States rebuilt after the Civil War, many families on the East Coast turned to oyster harvesting for both food and money. By the 1880s, the oyster beds of Maryland and Virginia were almost completely decimated due to destructive harvest practices that relied on iron dredging. Fishers then looked farther south to the oysters of North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Intense competition to harvest the state\u2019s oysters led to an increase in armed pirates patrolling the waters. In 1891, North Carolina declared an \u201cOyster War\u201d on these pirates and prohibited fishers from selling their harvest outside North Carolina, forcing pirates and northern fishers out of the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the anti-piracy laws, continued harvest pressure, habitat loss, pollution and diseases have caused oyster harvest within the state to decline to about 15 to 20% of historic harvest levels. Some regions are slowly rebounding, though, with the help of oyster reef restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, oyster farmers are cultivating oysters for harvest through aquaculture. Shellfish aquaculture is particularly well-suited to North Carolina\u2019s large areas of accessible nearshore shallow waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students will watch several videos on oyster biology and aquaculture and answer questions found at the end of this lesson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teachers can choose which videos to assign based on topical interest. Students should share what they\u2019ve learned from the videos in small groups or in a class discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\nScience Standards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Vocabulary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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