Local Business Growing More Than Oysters, and other news
- IRNA
- Aug 9
- 9 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
August 9, 2025 Weekly Newsletter
Growing More Than Oysters:
How Treasure Coast Shellfish
is Cultivating Lagoon Health
In the waters just north of Pelican Island, something is happening beneath the surface. What was once as a barren river bottom has transformed into an ecosystem teeming with life, blue crabs, juvenile lobsters, bay scallops, snapper, and even the occasional juvenile mahi-mahi. The catalyst for this transformation? Floating oyster cages operated by Treasure Coast Shellfish, a Sebastian-based aquaculture operation that's proving business success and environmental restoration can go hand in hand.
From Hurricane Debris to Sustainable Farming
For Nicolette Mariano, founder of Treasure Coast Shellfish, the journey began in an unexpected place, pulling debris from mangroves after Hurricane Frances in 2004. As a 14-year-old volunteer at the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, she helped clean up a destroyed shellfish hatchery, sparking a fascination with aquaculture that would shape her career.
"It was like a desert," Mariano recalls of the area where her farm now operates. "There were practically tumbleweed, maybe a catfish, and 10 minutes later, there's a blue crab. It's not a reef, but it is its own ecosystem now."
That transformation didn't happen by accident. Operating on just under seven acres of leased public waterway, Treasure Coast Shellfish has created what Mariano calls "a new type of seagrass habitat of sorts," a vertical, three-dimensional habitat that provides the ecological services once offered by the lagoon's depleted seagrass beds.
Nature's Water Treatment System
Each adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, and with over a million oyster seed planted this year alone, Treasure Coast Shellfish operates what amounts to a massive, living natural water purification system. But the environmental benefits extend far beyond water filtration.
The farm uses both diploid and triploid oysters, a decision that prioritizes ecological health over pure profitability. While triploid oysters grow faster because they don't reproduce, Mariano specifically chose to include diploid oysters that can spawn and contribute to the local population.
"It was really important to me and Treasure Coast Shellfish to have diploid oysters so they'd give back to the local environment," she explains. "We don't really have much of a wild population" in the area.
These spawning events create spectacular displays. Earlier this year, Mariano witnessed her oysters releasing clouds of eggs and sperm into the water column, an event she describes as looking "like you poured milk in water.” This was a sign of reproductive success that benefits the entire lagoon ecosystem.
Creating Habitat Where None Existed
The floating cage system has attracted species that haven't been seen in the area for years. Mariano still marvels at discovering her first live bay scallop in the Indian River Lagoon. "I've never seen a live bay scallop in the Indian River Lagoon in my entire life until, like, a few years ago, we were pulling bags, and I'm like, that's a freaking scallop," she says.
The farm has also provided nursery habitat for juvenile spiny lobsters, stone crabs, and various fish species. Even the inevitable presence of pea crabs, tiny crustaceans that live inside oyster shells—signals ecosystem health. "That right there is like Mother Nature's stamp of approval," Mariano notes. "Everything's good."
Overcoming Challenges and Misconceptions
Operating an oyster farm in Florida comes with unique challenges, from seasonal influxes of predatory crabs to educating consumers about food safety. Mariano works to dispel the old myth about not eating oysters in months without an "R," explaining that modern refrigeration and proper handling make year-round consumption safe.
"Yes, people can get sick, especially if you're eating them raw, just like any raw or undercooked food," she acknowledges, but emphasizes that this applies to all seafood, not just oysters.
The farm also faces practical challenges from its own success. The artificial habitat now attracts recreational fishermen, creating safety concerns when farm workers are in the water tending to the 504 cages currently deployed.
Looking Forward
As Treasure Coast Shellfish continues to grow (they currently use about 40% of their permitted area) the operation serves as a model for how aquaculture can support both economic development and environmental restoration. The farm employs local residents, including two former spearfishermen who once fished around the cages and now help maintain them.
Perhaps most encouragingly, Mariano has noticed seagrass returning to areas near the farm dock nursery—something a local resident in his late 40s told her he hadn't seen since he was nine years old.
While Treasure Coast Shellfish operates as a business, selling oysters to restaurants and seafood markets throughout the region, its impact extends far beyond the bottom line. In an era when environmental restoration often requires significant public investment, Mariano's operation demonstrates how private enterprise can create economic value while rebuilding the natural systems we all depend on.
As she puts it, the farm has transformed a barren section of river bottom into something that "would still be just a desolate, barren ground" without the oyster cages, proving that sometimes the best environmental solutions are the ones that pay for themselves.
For more information about Treasure Coast Shellfish, contact them at info@treasurecoastshellfish.com or visit them online at treasurecoastshellfish.com.
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Archaeological finds are abundant here, see how growth affects history (TCPalm) - Archaeological sites across Florida’s Treasure Coast are increasingly threatened by development, yet experts say construction can also aid discovery and preservation if handled responsibly and guided by proper oversight and reporting.
Living Docks Are a New Tool for Lagoon Health (Vero Beach Magazine) - Great to see continued media coverage of this program! The Living Docks program in Indian River County uses oyster mats attached to dock pilings to filter water and create habitat in the Indian River Lagoon, offering coastal homeowners and volunteers a hands-on way to help restore the lagoon’s health amid ongoing pollution and habitat loss.
Critical Decisions Ahead:
Comp Plan Changes Could
Reshape County's Future
Mark your calendars: Tuesday, August 12 at 9:00 A.M. The Indian River County Board of County Commissioners will decide on sweeping changes to the county's Comprehensive Plan—the blueprint that determines how our community grows and whether our natural treasures survive the pressure.
The Good News
Some proposed updates show genuine environmental leadership. The county wants to adopt a formal 10-Year Water Supply Plan that coordinates with regional efforts, crack down on private water plants, strengthen turtle-friendly lighting rules for our beaches, and eliminate harmful brine discharge into the lagoon. These moves signal serious commitment to protecting the Indian River Lagoon and our coastal ecosystem.
The Alarming Rollbacks
But several changes represent serious steps backward for environmental protection and smart growth. The county wants to scrap a long-standing cap of 200 new septic tank permits per year, replacing it with vague language to "limit and discourage" new systems. Without that hard number, septic expansion could surge, pumping more nitrogen into our already-stressed lagoon.
Even more concerning is a new rule letting developers destroy "small" wetlands (anything under half an acre) simply by paying a mitigation fee. These wetlands might seem insignificant individually, but they provide critical stormwater filtering and wildlife habitat. Their cumulative loss could devastate the lagoon's ecosystem over time. The damage will add up!
The county is also gutting detailed criteria for prioritizing which conservation lands to purchase, replacing specific, measurable standards with broad, unenforceable language. This makes it nearly impossible for the public to hold officials accountable for conservation decisions.
What's Being Pushed into the Shadows
The county is burying Traditional Neighborhood Design policies (rules that promote walkable, mixed-use communities) in less visible regulations, and eliminating a coordination tool called the Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement (ISBA). The ISBA has required cities and the county to work together, with public input, when cities want to expand their boundaries or extend utilities. Without it, these growth decisions become scattered, less coordinated, and harder for residents to track or influence.
Additionally, key development standards are being weakened: interconnectivity requirements that help create walkable neighborhoods are being softened from "shall require" to "shall review," giving developers more wiggle room to avoid connecting their projects to surrounding areas.
Your Voice Matters
If you care about smart growth and keeping our waterways healthy, this meeting demands your attention. Several of these changes (particularly the septic cap removal, wetland mitigation changes, and conservation criteria gutting) represent significant environmental rollbacks that could have lasting impacts on the Indian River Lagoon.
Attend the August 12 hearing or submit written comments to commissioners, because these decisions will determine what Indian River County looks like for decades to come.
The question isn't whether we'll grow.
It's whether we'll grow wisely...
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Keep Grass Out of Our Lagoon!
While our four-legged friend here might think blowing grass clippings into the water is hilarious, it's actually no joke for the Indian River Lagoon's health. Those innocent-looking grass clippings quickly decompose in the water, releasing excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus that act like fertilizer for harmful algae.
This nutrient pollution can fuel massive algae blooms that block sunlight from reaching seagrass beds, deplete oxygen levels, and can create toxic conditions that kill fish, manatees, and other marine life. What starts as a convenient disposal method for yard waste becomes a serious threat to one of Florida's most precious ecosystems.
So remember: grass clippings belong in the compost bin, not the lagoon – no matter what your four-legged landscaper might suggest!
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