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Rob's 22-ton reef

A Boy Scout, his troop and other volunteers polish off his project to build a barrier of oyster shells.

By JACKIE RIPLEY
Published April 29, 2005

CARROLLWOOD - Rob Parrish spent his 16th birthday knee-deep in the waters of Tampa Bay and up to his elbows in 22 tons of oyster shells. The Chamberlain High School sophomore was working with fellow Boy Scouts to restore an oyster reef north of Apollo Beach.

"It's not pretty, but it's needed," said Rob, who hopes the project will help him earn the rank of Eagle Scout. "It will produce a lot of good fish and sea grass."

Oyster reefs provide a natural cleansing system for the bay by filtering as much as 37 liters of seawater every hour.

Last Friday and Saturday concluded Rob's yearlong project, a task meant to restore the Whiskey Stump Oyster Reef.

During those two days, volunteers and members of Boy Scout Troop 339 bagged tons of fossilized shells. They took the filled bags by boat across Tampa Bay, a few miles from the Alafia River boat launch. And from the boats, they hoisted the bagged shells into position at Whiskey Stump Key.

Once restored, the reef should buffer wave action along the shoreline, allowing mangroves and other salt marsh plants to thrive.

"The wave action of large boats has eroded oysters," said Rob, who has been sailing most of his life. "The solid mass should help prevent erosion."

Oyster reefs used to occur naturally in Tampa Bay, but a decline in water quality, overharvesting of oysters, and changes in the bottom of the bay have left fewer areas for oysters to attach themselves to. Hence the need for creating additional habitats.

Rob started the project in March 2004 by securing permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and the approval of the Tampa Port Authority and Audubon of Florida.

He followed those approvals with site surveys, reef measurements and planning meetings that continued through the summer and fall.

The project, which cost $2,000, was paid for in part with a $1,000 grant from the Mayor's Beautification Program. Donations also came from Tampa Bay Watch, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, TECO, Audubon of Florida and from private contributors.

"He wrote a grant for the Mayor's Beautification Program," said Rob's mother, Jeanine Parrish. "We told him he would have to come up with the funding on his own."

The project's level of success will not be known right away. It takes several months for oysters to bond to the fossilized shells and to form a natural reef. But the project's eventual goal is to create a healthy reef that offers habitats for various wildlife.

Tampa Bay Watch and Audubon of Florida will monitor the reef every six months for two years.

A few days before the project's finale, Rob was wrapping up details from his family's home in original Carrollwood. He had just returned from participating in Chamberlain High's "Science Brain Bowl."

"Rob's one smart cookie," said Jack Parrish, his dad.

[Last modified April 28, 2005, 08:32:07]