WORKING OBJECTIVES
AND ACTIONS
MISSION:
Recognizing the role that oyster habitat plays as an indicator of water quality, and the cultural importance of shellfish in our region, we seek to ensure the sustainability of oysters in the Guana, Tolomato, and Matanzas rivers by working to understand and improve the health of our estuarine waters.
GOAL 1:
Monitoring and management of water quality variables or constituents for the sake of oyster health to insure full growth and reproductive health of individual oysters and of existing oyster reef habitats (such constituents may be metals, microplastics, excess nutrients, or other parameters cited in FDEP 303(d) impairment list that have the potential to deleteriously affect oysters).
GOAL 2:
Monitoring and management of bacteriological water quality (fecal coliform and other, possibly better, indicators of pathogen contamination) for the sake of expanding currently opened or conditionally opened shellfish (oyster) harvesting areas.
GOAL 3:
Monitoring and management of bacteriological water quality for the sake of reopening targeted closed areas to shellfish harvesting.
​Monitoring and management of oyster populations to insure oyster resource sustainability and water quality stability.