STUART, Fla., May 20, 2010 – The Coasters’ Oyster Roast raked in more than $15,000 and 500-plus pounds of oyster shells for Florida Oceanographic Society and the timing couldn’t be more critical.
With the devastating news of a tragic oil spill, unfortunate Lake Okeechobee freshwater releases and the declining health of the Indian River Lagoon, now is the time to educate our community about our treasured coastal ecosystems and what can be done to save them. Florida Oceanographic provides those educational resources at its Coastal Center in Stuart.
The Coasters’ Oyster Roast took place May 15 at the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center. More than 300 attendees enjoyed live music and a special performance by singer/songwriter Rachel McGoye, plus raffle prizes, a silent auction and more. The oyster roast menu included more than 1,500 pounds of oysters, shrimp, burgers, salad, cookout favorites, as well as an open bar with beer and wine.
The Coasters, formerly known as the Young Friends of Florida Oceanographic Society, are a dynamic group of young adults, age 21-50, engaged in promoting environmental stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems.
“The Oyster Roast was a great success, generating participation from guests to recycle oyster shells for our oyster restoration projects while they enjoyed fabulous food and entertainment,” said Mark Perry, Florida Oceanographic executive director. “Thank you to all our supporting guests, the sponsors and our deeply committed staff who made this a super event.”
The oyster roast was made possible thanks to New England Fish Market, New Growth Media and Steven Martine Photography.
In addition to raising funds to support Florida Oceanographic’s mission, more than 500 pounds of shucked oysters from the event were collected to restore oyster reefs in the St. Lucie River/Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon. It usually takes two weeks for Florida Oceanographic to collect that amount of oyster shells from local restaurants.
Florida Oceanographic is diligently working to restore the oyster population devastated by freshwater discharges into the river and lagoon. In the last 60 years, the river has lost more than 75 percent of its oyster reef habitat.
The healthy functioning of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon is intimately tied to the health of their oyster reefs. When healthy, oysters will filter and clean the water; provide food and habitat for more than 300 estuarine species; stabilize and protect shorelines.
Florida Oceanographic is building several artificial reefs in the river and lagoon to provide much needed substrate for oysters to grow. The reefs are made from recycled oyster shell acquired from local restaurants and events like the Coasters’ Oyster Roast. Through the efforts of Florida Oceanographic and dedicated volunteers, more than 800,000 oysters have been restored to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
Visit FloridaOceanographic.org or call (772) 225-0505 to learn more about the Coasters, membership and volunteer opportunities at Florida Oceanographic Society.
About Florida Oceanographic Society
Florida Oceanographic Society’s mission is to inspire environmental stewardship of Florida’s costal ecosystems through education and research. Our teaching and programming is designed to change the generational views of how we care for and preserve our unique environments. To learn more, visit FloridaOceanographic.org or call (772) 225-0505.
Photo caption
The Coasters Oyster Roast committee poses for a photo in front of the game fish lagoon at Florida Oceanographic’s Coastal Center: Tara Biek, Kelly and Justin Beard, Alli Cartwright, Danny Strauss, Stephanie Gray and Crystal France. (Photo credit, Steven Martine)
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