Mountain of oyster shells helps Chesapeake Bay health, marks major milestone

SOMERSET COUNTY, Md. – Oysters may be divisive for diners, but for watermen, local wildlife, and Maryland’s economy, they’re essential to everyday life.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, and other organizations have just marked a major milestone in the Chesapeake Bay. Officials said the planting of thousands of bushels of oysters on Tuesday will pave the way for a thriving baywide population.

“We’ve been really happy to see the increase of abundance—the threefold increase that we’ve seen over about the past decade,” said Department Secretary Josh Kurtz.

Major Oyster Milestone

The dump of shells at the mouth of the Manokin River was covered in spat, or baby oysters. It marked the completion of a 15-year project, in which 7 billion larvae were planted across five Chesapeake Bay tributaries.

“These are not small projects. The Harris Creek (sanctuary) is about the size of the National Mall. It’s the largest oyster restoration on the planet when you look at Virginia and Maryland,” Kurtz said.

The plan was approved under the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and pulled together federal, state, and local leaders, as well as non-profits and the private sector.

“They looked at a bunch of different scientific components, and they decided that these were going to be some of the best places, some of the most impactful places, to restore. And, they’re also places that we can do this at scale … A big part of this is how these can really be seed beds for the rest of the oysters across the state,” Kurtz said.

Spat to Shell

The spat is grown at the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Lab in Cambridge. And if you assume your oyster shells find their final resting place on your seafood platter when dining out, think again.

“Oyster shells are a very important commodity. It’s not something that you want to throw away. Once you throw it away in the trash, it goes into a landfill and can never be recovered,” said Ward Slacum, Executive Director of the Oyster Recovery Partnership.

All across Maryland, the shell recycling alliance unites restaurants, shucking houses, and citizens to save their shells. The shells make for the perfect spot for spat to grow, and are used at Horn Point to keep the bay’s population going.

“In addition to that, we’re partnering with local watermen. They have the vessels that we use to transport the spat on shell to the water … It helps the water quality, it helps also with the habitat for other creatures. It’s really important for the commerce of the bay, too,” Slacum said.

Looking Ahead

State leaders called it a cycle worth celebrating.

“Oysters create oysters, and they need oysters to land on, right? So, it’s this really important, positive feedback loop in the bay,” Kurtz said.

Safe to say, the little bivalves have made a huge impact.

“We’ve basically revitalized habitat that has been degraded over time,” Slacum said.

Now, Kurtz said the Department is targeting three new sanctuaries in the Chesapeake Bay. He added officials want to replicate the success they have already seen.

“We’ve got several other sanctuaries that could be performing better. I think this is just a proof point for us … This is a team effort for Maryland and something we’re really, really proud of,” Kurtz said.

How You Can Help

And Marylanders can help as well. Kurtz encouraged consumers to keep eating oysters to help the industry. And if you own a waterfront property, you can grow oysters yourself and help the bay’s health. Click here for more information about the Oyster Gardening Program.