Lake Worth Lagoon’s American Oystercatchers
Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management’s Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL) restoration activities have had a positive impact on fish and wildlife habitats within the LWL system. A good example is the American Oystercatcher (AMOY), a shorebird listed by Florida as a Species of Special Concern. AMOY survive almost exclusively on a diet of shellfish—clams, oysters, and other saltwater mollusks. Because of this specialized diet, AMOY live only in a narrow ecological zone of saltmarshes and barrier beaches. They prefer sandy, shelly beaches for nesting but also nest on sandy spots in saltmarshes. LWL restoration efforts have created the correct feeding and nesting areas for these colorful birds. There are currently four pairs of AMOY nesting at LWL restoration sites, including Snook Islands, Bryant Park Wetlands, Grassy Flats, and Tarpon Cove. These LWL birds represent the southernmost nesting pairs of AMOY in the United States!
Since 1999, over 3,000 AMOY have been banded in the U.S. Color banding individual birds help researchers learn about their demographics, movement, habitat requirements, and survival. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) began banding the LWL AMOY chicks in 2019. Researchers hope the banding program will help determine whether AMOY fledglings eventually return to their original hatching locale to begin their own nests.
American Oystercatcher and chicks at Grassy Flats near Palm Beach, 2018
FWC personnel banding AMOY chick at Tarpon Cove in West Palm Beach, 2019.
Tarpon Cove’s Island Estuarine Habitat is Growing and Flourishing in Lake Worth Lagoon!
Tarpon Cove is Palm Beach County’s most recent habitat creation project is really taking form in Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL), adjacent to the El Cid neighborhood in West Palm Beach.
Since 2019, ERM has formed additional public and private partnerships to advance the project with Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FFWC) assisting with the acquisition of three grants totaling $2.1 million in federal funds. The marine community facilitated the project by acquiring over 200,000 cubic yards of beneficial dredged material from different dredge projects including Ryobivich Superyacht Marina expansion, Town of Palm Beach channel maintenance and the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) maintenance dredging within the LWL. These valuable partnerships and community involvement has resulted in the completion of two of the five mangrove islands. Additional restoration activities will begin in June 2020.
The Tarpon Cove restoration project will ultimately create over 45 acres of shallow, intertidal habitat that provides long term wildlife and water quality benefits within LWL. The construction process builds marine habitat by filling existing dredge holes, raising the lagoon floor elevation to create a shallow, sun-drenched bottom surface for seagrass recruitment. The newly created islands encourage the recruitment of oysters, a critical species that improves water quality and overall health benefits for the LWL ecosystem. In addition to the formation of valuable marine habitat, the finished project offers a natural shoreline barrier or breakwater along an extensive concrete sea walled section of the LWL as well as, creating an attractive marine landscape view, fishing and other aquatic recreation activities.
A pair of American Oyster catchers nested on the placed sand. FFWC Biologist’s monitored the nest and even banded the pair of chicks that hatched on the newly created islands. One of the banded chicks continues to be spotted utilizing the oyster reefs of the LWL.
Tarpon Cove Islands 2019; Aerial Photo courtesy of Baird
The Community Creates New Artificial Reefs Planned for Summer 2020
The artificial reef program has a busy 2020 summer planned! PBC Environmental Resources Management (ERM) will be overseeing a variety of artificial reef deployment projects involving community partners.
An ongoing project includes partnering with the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation to deploy 40 reef darts in 500 ft. of water offshore of the Singer Island area.
Reef Dart deployment
Another exciting community and educational partnership project under the direction of Dr. Jessica Miles, Palm Beach State College has built the Reef Hope statue that will be donated to the County for deployment as an artificial reef this summer. The statue is comprised of a stainless steel double helix, made by the welding students at their Okeechobee Campus, set on a concrete base featuring coral like sculptures made by biology students at the Palm Beach Gardens Campus. Students were on campus in October to help cover the double helix with mesh so high strength concrete could be added to help reinforce it. In January the statue was finished and will be on display at the Palm Beach Gardens Campus until it is deployed this summer one mile southeast of the Lake Worth Inlet in 45ft. of water.
Reef Hope Statute built by Palm Beach State College students
Finally, other notable artificial reef deployments will be 30 mermaids with Chris O’Hare and the 1000 Mermaids project. Over 600 tons of limestone boulders through a grant with the Florid Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and a few thousand tons of limestone boulders donated by the Andrew Red Harris Foundation. Inshore in the Lake Worth Lagoon, the County will receive additional reuse concrete from the Southern Blvd. Bridge replacement and place it in an area just to the south of the bridge.
Mermaid sculpture for 1000 mermaids Artificial Reef project
More info at pbcreefs.com
To learn more about these and other county boating-related facilities and marine destinations, visit Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management website at www.pbcerm.com or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram @PBCERM.
