The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has completed the construction of a 288-acre oyster reef in Morgan Harbor (St. Bernard Parish) to increase oyster habitat and fisheries production. The construction process, known as cultch planting, is a proven habitat improvement technique used by LDWF.
This project was constructed using 2019 Flood Disaster funding. The primary goal of this project was to create oyster reef on public oyster areas in St. Bernard Parish to aid recovery of oyster habitat that was stressed and/or diminished by the historic openings of the Bonne Carré Spillway in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Since 1917, LDWF has placed over 1.5 million cubic yards of cultch material on nearly 30,000 acres with positive results. The 2024 Morgan Harbor project placed approximately 35,400 tons of crushed limestone onto the Morgan Harbor Public Oyster Areas to create a total of 288 acres of artificial oyster reef. Planting was completed in a manner to create an approximately 4” to 12” layer of material throughout the project area.
Oyster populations provide many important benefits to the estuary east of the Mississippi River. The new cultch plant is located within historic Public Oyster Seed Grounds, and the site was chosen for its suitable water conditions and its proximity to nearby oyster populations. The site also provided sufficient firm water bottom to support cultch material and minimize reef subsidence. When placed in suitable areas, the cultch material provides a substrate for free-floating oyster larvae to attach and grow, resulting in a mature, productive oyster reef. Potential long-term benefits from increasing available cultch material include: increased oyster production and oyster population connectivity, resilience, and stability. Healthy, interconnected oyster populations form reefs that provide the natural hard substrate needed for oyster larvae to settle, grow, and sustain the population. In addition to providing habitat for oysters, these reefs serve as a habitat for various marine organisms, ranging from small invertebrates to large recreationally and commercially important species. Furthermore, oyster reefs provide structural integrity, improve water quality, and potentially reduce coastal erosion.
Following standard protocol, new oyster cultch plants are closed to recreational and commercial oyster harvest for at least two years to allow time for oyster recruitment and growth. LDWF will monitor the productivity of the new reef through regularly scheduled sampling events to assess project performance and help guide corrective actions, if any, to achieve the project’s goals and objectives.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive LDWF email alerts, signup at http://www.wlf.la.gov/signup.