Plantation Creek Site

The site is located adjacent to the GADNR dock in Brunswick and serves as an education and outreach tool because of its’ location within the DNR’s Coastal Regional Headquarters property. The site is also known as the Gabe Gaddis Memorial Reef to honor the memory of a Coastal Resources marine biologist.

Strategy

Construct 0.1 acres of essential fish habitat using bags of recycled oyster shell placed on top of wooden pallets to encourage reef growth.

Utilizing volunteers to involve the community in restoration efforts, 210 volunteers from youth groups attending Epworth by the Sea Methodist Center donated 338 hours converting loose oyster shell into bagged shell for the project. Staff deployed the materials in two parallel rows within the intertidal zone 10 to 15 feet from a vegetative edge opposite the GADNR dock.

Results

Monitoring was conducted periodically since the project’s materials were deployed. The reef is currently stable and thriving, improving habitat and supporting larvae and many juvenile recreational fishing species.