Georgia DNR plans special zone for oyster farming near Jekyll Island

Caption

Concrete pilings protect a mariculture zone along Chatham County's Bull River, similar to the one being planned in Glynn County.

Credit: Tybee Oyster Company

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is set to establish a protected area for underwater oyster farming in Southeast Georgia's Glynn County, marking the third such location of its kind in the state.

Roughly 30 acres of marshland west of Jekyll Island will be designated as a zone for “mariculture” — the cultivation of coastal shellfish — with this particular site focusing on subtidal oysters.

Under the Georgia DNR's proposal, oysterbeds on Jointer Creek will be boxed in by concrete piling barriers to ward against passing boats, with further protection provided by stationary strobe lights and reflective signage.

“The benefit of having them marked like that is that they'll go on the navigational charts that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration puts out,” DNR spokesman Tyler Jones said. “And, there'll be a notice to mariners about it as well. It's kind of like knowing the rules of the road.”

The DNR will divide the Glynn County mariculture zone into three commercial leases awarded through a lottery, which interested oyster farmers can enter until the Jan. 21 deadline.

Two other mariculture zones are already in place further up the Georgia coast: one along the Mud River north of Sapelo Island in McIntosh County and another on the Bull River west of Tybee Island in Chatham County.

Aside from its impact to the regional economy, oyster farming helps protect the environment. According to the DNR, a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day.