Calcasieu Lake Destruction

[DaPointIsDaBomb]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

This statement ignores the plain fact that the ecosystem benefits of oyster reefs are not only related to the biomass of living oysters, but are also strongly related to the physical structure of oyster reefs providing valuable habitat for benthic invertebrates.

Studies have shown that tonging for oysters preserves the reef structure and the habitat benefits nearly as well as not harvesting the oysters at all. In contrast dredging destroys the reefs and results in most of the calcified material getting buried in the muck and mud resulting in a much less dynamic benthic ecosystem. Further, all the silt stirred up negatively impacts light penetration and photosynthesis.

It is much better to think about the ecosystem in terms of the food web. Everything about harvesting with tongs is better for the food web than dredging.

there is nothing wrong with the ecosystem as it is. The fisheries is obviously not hurting. The number of guides on the lake has increased exponentially over last few years so clearly the fish aren't hurting. People want oysters, they will get oysters. LDWF will continue to seed them in and they will all be harvested. Just like trees, rice, and sugarcane. You plant them and harvest them all and then repeat

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by DaPointIsDaBomb

there is nothing wrong with the ecosystem as it is. The fisheries is obviously not hurting. The number of guides on the lake has increased exponentially over last few years so clearly the fish aren't hurting. People want oysters, they will get oysters. LDWF will continue to seed them in and they will all be harvested. Just like trees, rice, and sugarcane. You plant them and harvest them all and then repeat

Calcasieu got lucky that Omega Protein moved.

Keep raping the oysters, the system will suffer. It did suffer from 2010-2012, but came back in 2013 when the pogey plant closed.

As has been mentioned, there is a more sustainable approach (tongs) to harvesting oysters that is better for the ecosystem.

No one us saying don't harvest oysters. The point is to do it in a sustainable way with minimal impact on the ecosystem.

["W"]

Originally Posted by DaPointIsDaBomb

there is nothing wrong with the ecosystem as it is. The fisheries is obviously not hurting. The number of guides on the lake has increased exponentially over last few years so clearly the fish aren't hurting. People want oysters, they will get oysters. LDWF will continue to seed them in and they will all be harvested. Just like trees, rice, and sugarcane. You plant them and harvest them all and then repeat

So who's planting and reseeding oysters on big lake ?

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by DaPointIsDaBomb

there is nothing wrong with the ecosystem as it is. The fisheries is obviously not hurting. The number of guides on the lake has increased exponentially over last few years so clearly the fish aren't hurting. People want oysters, they will get oysters. LDWF will continue to seed them in and they will all be harvested. Just like trees, rice, and sugarcane. You plant them and harvest them all and then repeat

Your breath must stink from that much bull**** coming out of your mouth.

You have no clue what you are talking about. So, just do everyone a favor, go brush your teeth, AND SHUT UP!!

The fact that you cite increases in guides as a reason for the ecoystem being fine is just asinine. How many of those guides limit out on every trip? How many are catching majority undersized trout, or 12" trout? How has the average catch of other guides been affected, if at all?

So if the ecosystem is fine, why did LDWF want to close the season? What, is there some giant conspiracy against the oystermen?

[fonikoddity]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Your breath must stink from that much bull**** coming out of your mouth.



You have no clue what you are talking about. So, just do everyone a favor, go brush your teeth, AND SHUT UP!!



The fact that you cite increases in guides as a reason for the ecoystem being fine is just asinine. How many of those guides limit out on every trip? How many are catching majority undersized trout, or 12" trout? How has the average catch of other guides been affected, if at all?



So if the ecosystem is fine, why did LDWF want to close the season? What, is there some giant conspiracy against the oystermen?

Are you being serious or just adding to the troll factor? I'm legitimately confused.


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[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by fonikoddity

Are you being serious or just adding to the troll factor? I'm legitimately confused.

Smalls is right. Judging the health of an ecosystem by the number of guide boats is bad science, so bad that it stinks.

There are some things about the ecosystem that show ongoing strength, but there was some luck involved with the closure of the pogey plant and huge increase in the menhaden numbers a couple years after the oyster numbers plummeted.

But in the long run, protecting the habitat is a better plan than raping it. Galveston Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and lots of estuaries along the Gulf coast and eastern seaboard dwindled to a fraction of the fisheries they once sustained after the destruction of the oysters in those systems. Oysters provide a number of very important ecosystem services which improve the habitat of the whole estuary and beyond.

Filtering of large volumes of water to improve light penetration is one of the most important ecosystem services provided by oysters. Why is light penetration so important? In a word: photosynthesis. The whole food chain depends on primary production through photosynthesis, then the biomass is available to the larger food web. No light penetration -> no photosynthesis -> no food web.

Colleagues and I have correlated the oyster stocks not only to primary production in Calcasieu Estuary itself, but also in a 100 km by 100 km square area in the near shore Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the estuary. It turns out that the oysters in Calcasieu are filtering the water, increasing light penetration, and enhancing primary production in that large region of Gulf water also. Muddier water -> less light penetration -> lower biomass. It's that simple.

The attached map shows the correlations between primary production in near shore Gulf waters and Calcasieu oyster stocks in the 9 years following Rita. This is convincing evidence that harming the oyster stocks in Calcasieu will harm not only the ecosystem in the estuary, but also in a large region of nearshore Gulf waters.

Keep raping the system, everyone is going to get screwed.

[DaPointIsDaBomb]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

Smalls is right. Judging the health of an ecosystem by the number of guide boats is bad science, so bad that it stinks.

There are some things about the ecosystem that show ongoing strength, but there was some luck involved with the closure of the pogey plant and huge increase in the menhaden numbers a couple years after the oyster numbers plummeted.

But in the long run, protecting the habitat is a better plan than raping it. Galveston Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and lots of estuaries along the Gulf coast and eastern seaboard dwindled to a fraction of the fisheries they once sustained after the destruction of the oysters in those systems. Oysters provide a number of very important ecosystem services which improve the habitat of the whole estuary and beyond.

Filtering of large volumes of water to improve light penetration is one of the most important ecosystem services provided by oysters. Why is light penetration so important? In a word: photosynthesis. The whole food chain depends on primary production through photosynthesis, then the biomass is available to the larger food web. No light penetration -> no photosynthesis -> no food web.

Colleagues and I have correlated the oyster stocks not only to primary production in Calcasieu Estuary itself, but also in a 100 km by 100 km square area in the near shore Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the estuary. It turns out that the oysters in Calcasieu are filtering the water, increasing light penetration, and enhancing primary production in that large region of Gulf water also. Muddier water -> less light penetration -> lower biomass. It's that simple.

The attached map shows the correlations between primary production in near shore Gulf waters and Calcasieu oyster stocks in the 9 years following Rita. This is convincing evidence that harming the oyster stocks in Calcasieu will harm not only the ecosystem in the estuary, but also in a large region of nearshore Gulf waters.

Keep raping the system, everyone is going to get screwed.

Don't know why y'all celebrate the pogey plant shutting down locals lost their jobs just like they would if you ban oyster dredging. Didn't know this site was full of Hillary supporters. The lake is fine. The increase in guides shows that there are plenty of fish to be had for everyone

Make the lake great again

[fonikoddity]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

Smalls is right. Judging the health of an ecosystem by the number of guide boats is bad science, so bad that it stinks.



There are some things about the ecosystem that show ongoing strength, but there was some luck involved with the closure of the pogey plant and huge increase in the menhaden numbers a couple years after the oyster numbers plummeted.



But in the long run, protecting the habitat is a better plan than raping it. Galveston Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and lots of estuaries along the Gulf coast and eastern seaboard dwindled to a fraction of the fisheries they once sustained after the destruction of the oysters in those systems. Oysters provide a number of very important ecosystem services which improve the habitat of the whole estuary and beyond.



Filtering of large volumes of water to improve light penetration is one of the most important ecosystem services provided by oysters. Why is light penetration so important? In a word: photosynthesis. The whole food chain depends on primary production through photosynthesis, then the biomass is available to the larger food web. No light penetration -> no photosynthesis -> no food web.



Colleagues and I have correlated the oyster stocks not only to primary production in Calcasieu Estuary itself, but also in a 100 km by 100 km square area in the near shore Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the estuary. It turns out that the oysters in Calcasieu are filtering the water, increasing light penetration, and enhancing primary production in that large region of Gulf water also. Muddier water -> less light penetration -> lower biomass. It's that simple.



The attached map shows the correlations between primary production in near shore Gulf waters and Calcasieu oyster stocks in the 9 years following Rita. This is convincing evidence that harming the oyster stocks in Calcasieu will harm not only the ecosystem in the estuary, but also in a large region of nearshore Gulf waters.



Keep raping the system, everyone is going to get screwed.

I don't need an education on the oyster issue, I'm more than informed on the matter. How are you guys not getting that he's trolling you guys...it's only every single post from the guy lol.

I think sometimes a few folks on here want to interject their thoughts on matters so badly that they forget to use common sense or context clues...hell, maybe even read between the lines. It started off as entertaining to me at first, but now it's just sad that you don't see it. For me it basically discredits anything else you post on here.


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[Smalls]

Originally Posted by fonikoddity

I don't need an education on the oyster issue, I'm more than informed on the matter. How are you guys not getting that he's trolling you guys...it's only every single post from the guy lol.

I think sometimes a few folks on here want to interject their thoughts on matters so badly that they forget to use common sense or context clues...hell, maybe even read between the lines. It started off as entertaining to me at first, but now it's just sad that you don't see it. For me it basically discredits anything else you post on here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Besting trolling he's ever done then, or the worst, depending on how you look at it. This moron is normally babbling about CCA and a silver lab.

Maybe it's you not recognizing when he is trolling or not.