Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2021

35 www.MountPl easantPodcas t . com | www. ReadMPM. com | www. I LoveMountPl easant . com salty water makes their oysters briny, but he said they also deliver a “sweet, buttery finish.” Oysters get their nutrients out of the water, so the tides are what is feeding the oyster. Therefore, farming oysters expedites the growing process, remarked Bierce. “Oysters never have to stop feeding with aquaculture. They’re always in the most optimal growing zone.” As filter feeders, oysters serve an important ecosystem role, naturally cleaning the water. One adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons a day. Furthermore, oyster beds provide habitat where juvenile fish and crustaceans like to hide and feed, which in turn creates foraging areas for birds, raccoons and other animals, making them a vital link in the coastal food web, noted Bierce. Oysters also help stabilize the shoreline. Bierce is particularly interested in oyster reefs’ ability to protect coastline. “We’re really trying to get into the restoration aspect of the industry,” he said. MEETING RISING DEMAND Bierce called oyster farming a “win-win” for the environment and the economy, as aquaculture helps remove pressure off of our state’s wild oyster resources in meeting rising market demand for single local oysters. “There is more and more demand. If we can’t produce them here in South Carolina, then we have to get them from out of state.” He added that we are “perfectly capable of growing our own oysters,” which provides the ancillary benefits of creating jobs and “promoting our local region.” Bierce maintains that one reason why South Carolina hadn’t previously needed a robust aquaculture industry is due to our healthy wild oyster population. While other states have “decimated wild stocks,” South Carolina has been “pretty lucky” by comparison. But we must recognize this and not get complacent, he cautioned. “To continue the tradition of harvesting wild oysters, we have to mitigate demand in order to sustain it.” feature SPECIALIZING IN FAMILY VACATIONS ON THE OCEAN EDISTO SALES & RENTALS REALT Y 1405 Palmetto Blvd., Edisto Beach, SC • 800-868-5398 EdistoRealty.com Classic beach homes on scenic and pristine Edisto Beach near historic Charleston, SC. Enjoy relaxation, fishing, shelling, biking, shopping, golf & beautiful sunsets! WHERE FAMILIES COME TO PLAY CHARLESTON’S MOST AFFORDABLE BEACH Mild Temperatures Make Edisto the Perfect Year Round Vacation! We Cover the Water Front DR. GREG BOTTONE 924 Tall Pine Rd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 (843) 884-4486 Smiles@Bottonedmd.com Always, always, always courteous, professional, efficient & friendly. It should be used to set the standard for dentistry in America. - Andy B