The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has selected the next three sites for large-scale oyster restoration in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, marking the beginning of the state’s next phase of major oyster restoration.
The department will conduct oyster restoration and monitoring in sanctuaries in Herring Bay, the Nanticoke River, and Hoopers Strait. Staff presented the selected sites to the Oyster Advisory Commission at its meeting Tuesday.
Planning for these new restoration efforts comes as the department concludes its initial restoration of the “big five” sanctuary sites as required in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. Initial restoration is complete at four sanctuaries, with work on the last site in Manokin River scheduled to be completed on target for 2025.
“These three large-scale restoration sanctuaries represent a new chapter for oyster restoration in Maryland,” Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said.
“We’ve had tremendous success with our existing restoration sanctuaries, and we’re excited to build on that achievement and keep up the momentum for oyster recovery in the Chesapeake Bay.”
The new restoration sites are part of the department’s new Four Point Oyster Sanctuary Plan. The plan was developed to help guide future oyster sanctuary restoration and management in Maryland. The four points include monitoring the first five large-scale sanctuaries; evaluating underperforming sanctuaries; continuing and expanding oyster restoration in sanctuaries; and developing strategies to connect oyster restoration to watershed restoration.
Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) remain at a fraction of their historic population levels in the Bay after declines due to historic overharvesting, disease-related mortality, habitat degradation, and reduced water quality. Oysters act as a keystone species in the ecosystem of the Bay, provide a critical role by naturally filtering water, and continue to be an economic driver for the region.
Sanctuaries, which are permanently closed to harvest except on aquaculture lease sites, are areas where oysters can grow undisturbed in order to enhance the overall breeding population and build reefs that offer crucial habitat to many other Bay species. Restoring a sanctuary involves building hard substrate that can support reefs, and planting spat, or juvenile oysters.
Though final acreage of restoration at the next three large-scale sites will depend on further planning and study of the selected areas, DNR staff are expecting the Hoopers Strait restoration sanctuary to be comparable in size to the state’s three largest restoration sites—Harris Creek, Little Choptank, and Manokin—which range from 348 to 455 acres. Restoration at Herring Bay could be larger, potentially making it the state’s largest restoration effort to date.
Work at the Nanticoke River sanctuary, which will be a smaller site of about 175 acres on the southern portion of the Eastern Shore, is expected to begin in the spring and summer of 2025. In 2026, restoration will begin at either Herring Bay, near southern Anne Arundel County, or Hoopers Strait, near Dorchester County, with work at the third site to follow.
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Last year, DNR shellfish biologists recorded an outstanding natural spatset of juvenile oysters in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This abundant year-class of new oysters strengthens the overall population in both sanctuary and harvest areas for the future. In the 2023 to 2024 season, watermen harvested an estimated 430,000 bushels of oysters commercially in Maryland, generating a dockside value of about $15 million. Last year, Maryland’s aquaculture operations harvested a record yield of 94,286 bushels of oysters.
I'm actually pleasantly surprised that as much Maryland oyster bottom is in sanctuaries now. I didn't think it was that high. Of course, if they listened to me, they make all of Maryland an oysters sanctuary, and ban harvesting of wild oysters for 5-10 years, to find out if Eastern Oysters can still flourish in the modern Chesapeake Bay.
The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Well Rounded up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.
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