CANCER IN THE ESTUARY
By ROB OLIN
“You have cancer.”
Those three words, when delivered by your doctor, are heart-stopping.
If, like me, you have been diagnosed with cancer, or someone you love has told you of their diagnosis, you know how life changing those three words are. Your heart stops, all air leaves the room, all thoughts leave your head, except for conflicting emotions of fight or flight… and how much time is left to do either.
Our estuary has cancer. And like most cancers, it began microscopically and has been growing insidiously and exponentially, while remaining mostly invisible in its attack on the lifeblood of our coast. It is now so pervasive that it is threatening to terminate the last, best, and most precious asset of our County… our State: Our beloved estuary, the most biologically diverse and essential estuary in North America.
Most cancers are based in genetics or behavior. Ours is behavioral. Probably because we didn’t know better, we harvested more wild oysters and built more septic fields than we should have. Because of these two things, our primary eco-engineers and water-filtering warriors (native oysters) have been depleted to less than 5% of their original numbers. That means that 95% of our coast’s filtration system is gone. 95% of our coastal barrier builders are gone. The nearly 3,000 other living species (including us) that rely on them are in jeopardy.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that this cancer is manmade and can be man-solved. And it doesn’t mean we have to stop human development or give up our ancestor’s way of life. Quite the contrary, it means there is an opportunity for all of us to adjust our building habits that allows more generations to live and learn about our unique Blessings of Nature and life. To create a better place for our children, and the offspring of those 3,000 species, to enjoy a healthier tomorrow, by adjusting our behavior today.
My company, Estuary Oysters has been partnering with Wakulla Environmental Institute, Florida A&M University and Indian River State College to research and advance the aquaculture oyster ranching industry in our county for the last eight years. We have seen vividly what positive change is taking place by reintroducing the natural filtration system (oysters, that filter 50 gallons of water per day/per oyster) is making to our water and sea floor. There is seagrass taking root and native fish returning to feed and spawn around our leases.
However, even though we are growing thousand/millions of oysters per year, that is not enough to offset the increased flow of nitrates being generated by way of the new and established septic fields that exist throughout the county. Our county representatives have been doing yeoman’s work in utilizing the funds available for water reclamation and purification. By converting existing septic fields, renovating and expanding water conversion facilities and creatively coordinating all new permissible construction to include sewage lines. However, their hands are tied regarding some properties with grandfathered property laws that still allow septic fields. We need to support our representatives in undertaking the “heavy lifting” needed to eliminate these “septic exceptions”, and afford fiscal reparations due those property owners affected, while moving forward towards the kind of water usage/recycling program that will save our precious coast for generations to come.
A new cave system was just discovered that feeds into our Wakulla Springs system. Technological advances will surely show many more cave/aquafer systems that do the same. I’m sure that all the lands north of us, all the way to the mountains, eventually feed into our estuary. We can’t do much about how that is processed, but we can lead by example via how we handle ours.
In the 68 years I have spent on this amazing planet, our surface population has tripled (most of that increase happening in the last 25 years). What will that growth continue to be in the next 20 years? What cancers will consume us… and what cancers will we cure?
Our National Park system has taught us much about the value “natural assets and preservation”, and was inspired by one of our greatest leaders and champions of environmental conservation, President Theodore Roosevelt, who preached: “We must do what we can, with what we have, where we are!” If all we can do is work together, support our leaders to exact the change necessary to eliminate future septic systems from leaching into our precious coast, then we will have successfully done what we can, with what we have, where we are, to cure the cancer we now face. From that cure, a myriad of more dynamic conversions for cleaner water and species salvation can develop.
All others that have faced cancer… and beaten cancer… will tell you of the strenuous demands the curative process entails. And each and every one of them, regardless of how arduous and debilitating those processes were, will praise the fact that they committed to that uncomfortable fight that allows them to savor the Blessings of Life they now enjoy.
This is our time, to hear and recognize the difficult diagnosis of cancer before us, and to commit to the disciplines necessary to cure the coastal cancer, and turn the tide from negative to positive… for the future of our children, and 3,000 other species, for generations to come. Let us do what we can together, with what we have, where we are… in this one-of-a-kind natural sanctuary we call home … while we still can.
Rob Olin is owner of Estuary Oysters.