Southern Tides October 2020 by Southern Tides Magazine

Southern Tides all about the water

October 2020

The Oyster Issue

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Issue No. 62/ October 2020

Publisher/Editor Amy Thurman amy@southerntidesmagazine.com Editorial Assistant Jennifer Farmer info@southerntidesmagazine.com

7 Editor's Note 9 Taste of the Tides Oysters in Brown Gravy

The Bitter End Columnist Captain J. Gary "Gator" Hill theoriginalcaptaingator@gmail.com

Grilled Oysters with Toppings 11 About Georgia Oysters

Around the Reef Columnist Michelle Riley michelle.riley@noaa.gov

12 Living Shorelines 15 Shell Recycling Locations

Consulting Naturalist John "Crawfish" Crawford crawfish@uga.edu

17 Oyster Mariculture Update 19 Roasted! 20 Recipe for an Oyster Roast 22 The Bitter End

All content herein is copyright protected and may not be reproduced in whole or part without express written permission. Southern Tides is a free magazine, published monthly, and can be found at multiple locations from St. Marys, Ga., to Beaufort, S.C.

(912) 484-3611 info@southerntidesmagazine.com www.SouthernTidesMagazine.com Visit us on social media: www.issuu.com/SouthernTidesMagazine.com Facebook.com/southern-tides-magazine Instagram @southerntides_mag Southern Tides Magazine is printed by Walton Press, Monroe, Ga.

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Letters to the Editor:

A single farmed oyster from Ladys Island Oyster. Photo by Amy Thurman

October 2020

Southern Tides Magazine

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Editor’s Note The Oyster Issue

A perfect oyster ready to eat! This is one of Frank Roberts' "Single Lady" oysters with a clean crisp flavor. It was delicious! Photo by Amy Thurman

sterile and don’t spawn, so can be harvested year round, making oysters on the half shell possible in the summertime. We’ve all heard debates about where the best oysters come from. Some swear by Apalachicola oysters, while those of us with discerning taste are certain that Georgia oysters are the best ever. The debates can become quite heated! It’s true that oysters from different locations have different flavors and some do taste better than others. But shocking as it may seem, there are those who don’t like oysters at all. Can you imagine? I suspect that there’s more to it than simply not liking oysters. I mean really, how could you not? I suspect these folks fall into one of these categories: • Didn’t like the texture of raw oysters. To which I would tell you, try them roasted, fried, or in a pie. • Got a bad oyster and haven’t moved past it. To which I would tell you, if the bad oyster was roasted, eat a raw one, if the bad oyster was raw eat a roasted one. When you have another good oyster, memories of the bad one will fade. • Have never actually eaten oysters. To which I would tell you, shut up and try them in all their various delicious ways of eating them! Or don’t. The less you eat the more there is for me! Hope y’all enjoy the issue and are making plans for the first oyster roasts of the season. Please send Southern Tides an invite! And remember to do your part for a healthy coast and recycle your oyster shells!

t’s that time of year again. Hunters are heading into the woods in search of whitetails, you have to check the Dogs’ schedule before planning anything that doesn't involve football on a Saturday, some of the best fishing of the year is going on now, and it isn’t unusual to have both sweatshirts and shorts in the same laundry cycle. Fall. When we make the transition from hosting lowcountry boils to hosting oyster roasts. Oysters. They’re such a big part of our coastal culture – we could have doubled the number of pages in this issue and not run out of material. We have an article on how the oyster mariculture industry has changed in recent years (page 17). Did you know you can safely eat oysters year round now? We have an article on living shorelines, a new method of restoring eroded banks and shorelines (page 12). And we’ve got thoughts on oyster roasts, new recipes, shell recycling locations, and more! So let’s talk oysters. I remember hearing about pearls in oysters when I was a kid and I think a number of cartoons touched on that, but I never hear anything about them anymore. So I went looking. Pearl oysters are mostly found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, between Japan and Australia, which is why we don’t hear much about them around here, I suppose. The pearl is created when an irritant is introduced to the mantle, inside the oyster’s shell, and over time calcium carbonate builds up around the object. Any mollusk can produce a pearl, though typically only those produced in pearl oysters are pretty or valuable. At least, that’s what the articles I found suggested – if you find more information, by all means please share it with me! Another thing we hear frequently is that oysters are an aphrodisiac. There’s that one guy at every oyster roast leering and cracking jokes about it! Well, turns out there’s a wee bit of truth to it. Oysters are high in zinc, which can have a positive impact on the libido. Some claim the textures of the oyster and the act of eating them have sensual elements, but I’ll leave that to you and oyster roast guy to explore on your own. And still another thing that comes to mind when talk turns to oysters is the “months with an R” rule. Bad bacteria can grow in oysters when the water gets warm, which is typically May through August. That’s also when oysters spawn, which is hard work, and worn out oysters just aren’t as tasty. But a “new” species of oyster, triploids, has been introduced that are October 2020

Southern Tides Magazine

See you out there!

Amy Thurman

Editor in Chief amy@southerntidesmagazine.com

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Taste of the Tides

Grilled Oysters with Toppings You don't have to buy bushels and host a roast to enjoy the flavor of fresh oysters. Buy a dozen or two from your local seafood market and throw them on the grill for a quick, easy and amazing meal. Cook them by themselves or with toppings, dip them, or eat them straight from the shell, whatever takes your fancy!

Oysters in Brown Gravy This recipe was taken from Stirrin' the Pots on Daufuskie, a cookbook compiled by Billie Burn. It's filled with a collection of original and favorite recipes of those who live or once lived on the island, including this one by "Gramma White" who was the Burn family's next door neighbor. It's written here exactly as it is in Mrs. Burn's cookbook. It was explained to us that the recipes are printed exactly as they were given to her by the island residents.

INGREDIENTS

Oysters in the shell - it's easier with singles but if you have clusters break off the largest and open them, preserving the largest portion of the shell for cooking. Potential toppings to try: Garlic augratin - garlic butter, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese Spicy queso - diced jalapenos and queso cheese Vidalia - diced vidalia onions, diced bacon, and a slice of white american cheese Buffalo - a dollop of buffalo wing sauce

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 slices bacon 4 to 5 Tbs. flour 1 pint oysters salt and pepper to taste ¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves (optional) 1 medium sized onion, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Prep and light grill. Best if cooked over charcoal, but a gas grill will work too • Prep oysters by laying the shells out on a baking pan and adding the toppings of your choice • When the grill is hot, use tongs to gently place the oysters directly on the grill rack, being careful not to spill the toppings • Close the lid (venting properly to keep the fire going) and allow the oysters to smoke a bit • Keep a close eye, it just takes a few minutes for the shells to heat through and the oysters to cook • Return to baking sheet, again being careful not to spill. (You can cover the bottom of the pan with half an inch of uncooked rice to rest the shells on so they sit level in the pan and don't spill.) • Enjoy alone or eat with crackers and your choice of dipping sauces!

DIRECTIONS

Cut up bacon and fry in heavy iron skillet. Add flour and brown as much as desired; if you are using onion, add these with the flour and brown together. Add water, salt, pepper and cook until it is almost as thin a gravy as desired - but still a mite too thick as the oyster liquid will thin gravy some. Add the oysters to gravy and cook only until the edges of oysters begin to curl up. Correct seasoning if necessary and serve with hot cooked rice.

Looking for other oyster ideas? Look up recipes for these: • Oyster Stew • Fried oyster hoagies • Fried buffalo oysters • Oysters Rockefeller • Oyster stuffing • Oyster Bacon Pot Pie (Southern Living recipe) • Oyster Pie (see last year's oyster issue) • Oyster casserole Or just eat 'em raw with a dollop of cocktail sauce or splash of mignonette! October 2020

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October 2020

Southern Tides Magazine

Oyster shells Repurposed:

Living Shorelines

By Amy Thurman

Above: A section of creek bank with a newly installed living shoreline. Photo by Joshua Cryar Below: A before image of the same section. Image provided by Zulu Marine Services, Inc.

e’ve all seen oyster shells used for a variety of purposes from replacing gravel in driveways to artwork. But what if the shells from your next oyster roast could be repurposed for an even more beneficial use? Living shorelines, constructed as a natural slope, with materials such as bagged oyster shells, and planted with native plants, can reduce erosion of our creek and river banks and shorelines. This, in turn, also helps preserve our salt marshes and wetlands. Saltmarshes are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet, and Georgia’s make up about a third of those on the Atlantic coast. The need to preserve them isn’t new to any of us, but this method has only been around for just over a decade and has barely begun to be implemented. Although there are a scattering of living shorelines up and down the Atlantic coast, there are only eight, to date, in coastal Georgia. The most recent was established within the Cumberland Island National Seashore over this summer, by Zulu Marine Services (see ad, back cover), with a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife service. The process involves grading the eroded space to create a workable platform, installing a “toe” below the mean low waterline that serves as stabilization, then placing solid materials, such as bagged oyster shells, along the embankment from the low water line to above the tideline. Finally a layer of mud is placed and native species plants are planted, the roots of which provide additional stabilization as the plants mature. Within a matter of months, the fauna grows in and oyster beds begin establishing, in time creating a natural shoreline that resists

erosion by absorbing wave action, rather than washing away. In addition, these living shorelines mimic nature in allowing upland animals access to the water, provide additional natural habitat for marine life, the oyster beds allow for more water filtration, and they don’t create barriers that could choke wetlands and marshes, like bulkheads can. Also of note, the cost to construct a living shoreline is comparable or even less than constructing a bulkhead of the same 12

Southern Tides Magazine

October 2020

length. Numerous cost comparisons have been done at state and federal levels and all have reached the same conclusion. So why are there not more living shorelines? There are two challenges. The first is sourcing oyster shells. The Cumberland project this summer used about 13,000 bags of shells. Sources are needed to create stockpiles of shells (which must be sanitized, then bagged, prior to use). Ideas have been tossed around, including providing ways for coastal restaurants to easily recycle their shells, but so far a useable plan hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been conceived. Alternative materials can be used, including crumbled cement, and special gridding made of eco-friendly materials, but this increases the cost of the shorelines which can put them closer to the cost of bulkheads or even make them slightly higher, depending on the square footage of the project. The other challenge is getting the information about living shorelines out to coastal property owners so they have the option to choose this method over bulkheads and revetments when dealing with erosion. For more information about constructing a living shoreline to reduce erosion on your property: GADNR, Jordan Dodson jordan.dodson@dnr.ga.gov (912) 264-7218 Zulu Marine, Rusty Batey rusty.batey@zuludiscovery.com (912) 657-1360 Top Left: Crew placing bagged oysters to create the sloped bank. Top Right: Laying coconut mat , which will help hold plantings in place. Photos provided by Zulu Marine Services, Inc. Above: Spartina planted in the tidal range and other native species planted above the waterline will add stabilzation as their roots grow. Photo by Joshua Cryar

Below Left: A eroded shoreline on Sapelo Island. Below Right: The same bank after a living shoreline was installed. Photos provided by GADNR

October 2020

Southern Tides Magazine

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Oyster Shell Recycling With oyster season underway, many coastal residents are enjoying these tasty treats in a variety of delicious ways. You might bring home a dozen and enjoy them raw on the half shell as an appetizer, or invite family and friends over for that lowcountry tradition we all enjoy, the oyster roast. Regardless of how you enjoy them, please consider recycling the shells by dropping them off at one of the locations listed below. The shells are used on shorelines to create or enhance oyster reefs in our coastal estuaries. Oysters serve as habitat for marine life, they restore and protect shorelines from erosion, and are a critical part of our coastal ecosystem. When dropping off oyster shells, please be sure not to include trash such as napkins or cracker wrappers, and do not leave behind bags or other carrying devices. Please also do not attempt to recycle the shells yourself by placing them in the water or on the bank â&#x2C6;&#x2019; oyster shells must first be quarantined and cured before being used to construct reefs and oyster banks.

Bagging oysters by hand can be challenging!

Beaufort County, S.C. Locations Beaufort Bin - Beaufort County Public Works Bluffton Bin - Trask Landing Hilton Head Bin - Coastal Discovery Museum Port Royal Bin - Sands Beach Boat Landing Lemon Island Bin - Edgar Glenn Boat Landing Hunting Island Bin - Russ Point St. Helena/Lady's Island Bin - St. Helena Recycling Center For hours and more information in S.C. call (843) 953-9397 or visit http://saltwaterfishing. sc.gov/oyster.html

A bagging machine and volunteers at a recent bagging event.

Georgia Locations Brunswick Shell Recycling Center - DNR Campus Darien Shell Recycling Center - Champney River Boat Ramp Jekyll Island Shell Recycling Center - Jekyll Recycling Center Tybee Island Shell Recycling Center - Polk Street For hours and more information in Ga. call (912) 598-2387 or visit gacoast.uga.edu/education/adulteducation/oyster-restoration/ Bagged oysters such as these are used to create new or enhance existing oyster reefs.

Photos provided by GADNR October 2020

Southern Tides Magazine

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Oyster Mariculture Industry Updates

This image: rows of floating cages at one of Frank Roberts' oyster leasers. Inset: A cage flipped over to kill off biofouling. Photos by Amy Thurman

By Jennifer Farmer

that stuff like barnacles, algae and sponges that grow on your boat if you leave it sitting in the water too long. The cages have pontoons attached to the top making it possible to flip the cages over and let them air dry. During the summer, Lady’s Island Oyster staff flip the cages over once every week to let them air dry overnight. Air drying kills the bacteria that attaches itself to the cages and oysters. This makes for a clean oyster and a reliable business model. Farmers in South Carolina can now harvest all year round thanks to a bill written by Frank, in 2017, which allows the harvest of triploid oysters in the summer. Triploid oysters are sterile, therefore they don’t have to spend energy on reproducing and stay flavorful and juicy throughout the summer. This bill also allows farmers to keep working to continue supporting their families, whereas normally they are out of work for months at a time. Not only does oyster farming produce flavorful, single oysters, but it also helps the environment. Oyster farming helps build reefs and attracts many forms of marine life, giving fishermen great fishing spots. Oyster mariculture is saving the wild oyster population by meeting the market demand for premium single oysters without having to take anything from the wild. Oyster mariculture is taking the pressure off wild reefs allowing them time to regrow from overharvesting. Georgia used to be the leading producer of oysters in the late 1800s to early 1900s until the oyster market crashed due to overharvesting and water pollution. In recent years efforts have been made to develop oyster farming in Georgia but we continue to lag behind other states. A bill was passed to allow oyster farming in Georgia, but the restrictions are so tight it’s nearly impossible to jump-start a successful oyster farming business and it’s unclear as to when or how this might change for the better. Frank stated that oyster farming is the fabric of the lowcountry, and I couldn’t agree more. I also look forward to trying some of those single oysters soon!

rowing up in Georgia, I’m no stranger to the delicacies of lowcountry boils and oyster roasts. The spicy, sweet taste of corn and the firm, salty taste of oysters dominate my memories when I think back to my childhood. And now it’s that time of year, when people are lining up at their local seafood markets or going out on their own to obtain wild oysters. In South Carolina, however, and many other states, things are done differently. Lady’s Island Oyster, founded in 2007, is a thriving oyster farm helping to change the oyster farming industry. I had a chance to talk with the owner, Frank Roberts, and the farm manager, Julie Davis. Frank and Julie are incredibly passionate about what they do, and they had a lot to say about the industry. We talked about the importance of oyster farms, changes in the industry, and the long, rich history of oyster farming in America. Most oysters from Georgia grow in clusters. This is because oyster larvae, when they are just days old, adhere to other oyster shells in order to grow, building on each other for a stable surface. In recent years, the farming of single oysters, which Julie helped pioneer, has been groundbreaking in the South. With the help of floating Oyster Gro cages, singles now dominate the market. Prior to floating cages, oyster farmers used bottom cages, which sit on the river bottom where heavy sediment is present. The oysters don’t grow as well because they have to work harder to feed, which means it takes longer to mature and many don’t make it due to the heavy sediment. Floating cages sit closer to the surface where more nutrients are readily available. This means the oysters don’t have to work as hard to filter food resulting in faster growth and a cleaner oyster. Floating cages also allow for air drying to control biofouling – all October 2020

Southern Tides Magazine

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Coming together around a table full of steaming hot oysters is a lowcountry tradition. We talked to a few people in the community for their take on this feast!

Photo provided by Savannah Riverkeeper

ROASTED!

Photos right and far right provided by Fish Tales

Don't cook them too long or they'll shrivel up. ~ Butch Broom, Fish Tales, Richmond Hill Just need some good ol' Georgia oysters, seasoned with saltwater, and a sheet of metal. ~ JR Grovner, Black Land Matters, Sapelo Island We host our annual oyster roasts to help educate members about the food coming out of our basin and to bring citizens together over our culturally significant food. Bringing everyone together, shoulder to shoulder over an oyster table helps people understand our river. ~ Tonya Bonitatibus, Savannah Riverkeeper Steam them. I've sometimes heard of people using saltwater, but it's whatever you want. ~ Bubba Strickland, Hogans' Marina, Wilmington Island Piece of metal on cement blocks over a fire and cover them with a wet burlap bag. ~ Eddie Boykin, Wilmington Island Fire under steel with wet burlap. ~ Frank Roberts, Ladys Island Oyster

October 2020

Southern Tides Magazine

Recipe for an Oyster Roast CIRCA 1870

G OODBREA D HOUSE

Whether you prefer to roast your oysters the old fasioned way or cook them in a steamer, whether you prefer cocktail sauce, hot sauce or "naked," the one thing we all seem to agree on is how much fun these lowcountry events are! So gather your ingredients and host your own!

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Photo provided by Ladys Island Oyster

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •

Several bushels of fresh oysters (from your favorite location) A hot fire A sheet of metal and a burlap bag (or a steamer) A big table and a couple clean trash cans A stack of clean shop towels and/or shucking gloves A couple dozen oyster knives A box or two of saltines Homemade cocktail sauce or hot sauce Cold beer A good mix of people you know and people you don’t

Authorized

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October 2020

RoastingDirections

• Place metal over a low fire or hot coals with a little clearance. • Shovel oysters onto the metal and top with a soaking wet burlap bag. (If using a steamer, follow directions for use.) Check oysters after a bit and watch for them to just start to peek open, then use the shovel again to carry them to the table. • Repeat as long as you have oysters.

Eating Directions

• Gather ‘round the table with an old friend at one shoulder and a potential new friend at the other and get busy. Using a towel or a glove, grab a cluster from the pile and turn it until you find a starting point. Start with the easiest – the shells you can separate with your hands and rescue those oysters from getting too cold. Use the knife to separate the oyster from the shell and eat it as you prefer, whether that’s naked or on a cracker with the sauce of your choosing. • Next, move around the cluster to the rest of the oysters. Place your knife in the divot next to the hinge and with a gentle push and twist, pop the shell open, remove the oyster and enjoy. • While all this is going on, sip your beer, listen to stories and tell your own, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. • Periodically toss your shells in the bin for later recycling and make way for others to join the table too. • Be sure to thank your cooks and don’t let their drinks run dry. • When the oysters are gone, gather ‘round the fire and continue with the beer sipping and storytelling. • Repeat this recipe often throughout the winter for great eats and great memories!

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The BitterEnd The World is Your Oyster! By Captain J. Gary "Gator" Hill

he world is your oyster. Although many of you have likely heard this phrase, even fewer may know its origins, or even the connotation behind it. This line was spoken by Falstaff (I always thought that was just a beer!), in The Merry Wives of Windsor, written by The Bard, William Shakespeare. I hope you’ll allow me to wax poetic on this delectable morsel, given oysters are the focus on this issue. As always, this will be a rambling mess that leads nowhere, so here goes. First, I’ve always wondered who was the first person to open an oyster, look at the inhabitant and say, “Mmm! That looks yummy!” For many, just the sight of a raw oyster is a no-go, let alone the consistency, or the way it feels sliding down your throat when eaten raw on the half shell. I am not one of those, thankfully. I love oysters most anyway you set them in front of me, from raw with a splash of hot sauce, to fried. Here in coastal Georgia and South Carolina fall means many things, most especially football and oyster roasts. An oyster roast in the lowcountry is synonymous with family and friends, and sometimes even fundraisers. However, it seems early First Nations peoples were doing oyster fests, long before Europeans ever showed up. Oyster middens found on many of the barrier islands stand as a testimony to the role this tasty bivalve has played, going back centuries, from nutritional sustenance, to the shells being used in construction and for roadbeds. From Fort Frederica to Daufuskie and beyond, I have encountered tabby construction in everything from homes to walled barriers. Thomas Spalding, the builder of Chocolate Plantation on Sapelo Island was a staunch advocate of tabby construction. Spalding wrote that equal measures of three key ingredients was all that was needed to create this durable material. Shells, lime and sand, by volume and not by weight; he goes on to say that 10 bushels of each of these mixed with water will provide about sixteen cubic feet of tabby material. Walls typically ranged from about 14 to 16 inches thick at ground level, could be over two feet thick for anything below ground level, and about 10 inches for second floor walls. Seldom would tabby walls be higher than two storys. One excellent example of tabby construction methods is at the Wormsloe Plantation Museum, as well as the tabby remains of the Nobel Jones house. As mentioned earlier, coastal Native Americans have been harvesting oysters well in excess of three to five thousand years. In the Greek and Roman times oysters were considered a delicacy. From Neolithic man to the present this mollusk has

An example of early tabby construction, on Ossabaw Island. Photo by Amy Thurman

found its way not only onto the dinner table and buildings, but the shells were used as implements such as spoons and knives. There are so many rabbit holes we could go down in talking about the uses of the oyster! Building on the remains of your ancestors is the motto of the coastal Georgia and South Carolina oyster, and in particular the cluster oysters which, as the name implies, attach to other oyster shells, creating clusters, which in turn make up oyster beds or rakes. Unlike singles these require a bit more work to extract the delicious morsels. Which brings us full circle from my opening sentence, the world is your oyster. One might interpret this to mean you get out of it, that which you put into it. You can struggle to open an oyster shell and be content with the reward of just the meat to sustain you, or you can open many shells in search of that ever elusive pearl, that will elevate you. Maybe I’ll see you at an oyster roast soon! In the meantime, peace and love, shrimp and grits … I'll see you on the water.!

Email: TheOriginalCaptainGator@gmail.com

Southern Tides Magazine

October 2020

9369 Whitefield Avenue

Southside

What a special property. Tucked away but still very convenient to everything. Wonderful open floorplan from GR to Kitchen. Beautiful Savannah grey FP in the GR. Two bedrooms, two baths and a sunroom are also on the first floor. Upstairs is a huge master bedroom with a large bath and two closets. Also an office or additional bedroom. Outside is a great private deck, detached 2 car carport and a large workshop. Inground sprinkler for the great garden area. Whole house deep well shared with adjacent property. New pump. Really special and unique. $345,000

TYBEE ISLAND

1217 Bay Street, Unit A 232

Relax and enjoy in this recently converted 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom vacation condo. All new updates including a brand new King-Sized Bed, and a new in-unit Washer and Dryer. The living area features updated furnishings and a well-equipped kitchen with breakfast bar seating for 2, additional table seating for 4, stovetop and oven and full sized fridge/freezer. The living room is furnished with a sleeper sofa and a 32in flat-screen TV, with DVD player. Furnished private balcony with a glimpse of the ocean. $239,900

GEORGETOWN

REDUCED

Spacious 3BR and 2BA home on corner lot. This neighborhood is located close to all roadways. Shopping and amenites close by. Georgetown amentites very close. Elementary school even closer. This home has a very open floorplan with a separate master on one side and the other three bedrooms on the other. Easy access to the hall bath from all three secondary bedrooms. One has a double entry door which would be a great office if needed but has a closet. The neighbors are looking for some amazing new next door buyers. Great community. $239,000

Southern Tides October 2020

Articles inside

Oyster Mariculture Update

Shell Recycling Locations

Editor's Note

Living Shorelines

Roasted

Taste of the Tides

The Bitter End

Recipe for an Oyster Roast