![]() ![]() Oysters also need a hard surface to grow on and oyster shell is the perfect foundation for oyster reefs. Oysters need lime to build their shell and when calcium carbonate is mixed with water it converts to lime.This year the Society will be adding two more reefs in Delaware Bay and is working with its partners on a large scale plan for oyster reef restoration in Barnegat Bay. Since 2013 the Society has constructed three intertidal oyster reefs in Delaware Bay and two subtidal reefs in Barnegat Bay.Oysters were once plentiful in the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers and were a major source of income for oyster farmers and watermen.As such, they can be a buffer against hurricanes and Nor'easters. Oyster reefs stabilize shorelines and prevent erosion by reducing the force of waves.This increases biodiversity, but also serves as a food source for important species like striped bass, crabs and other marine life. Mussels, barnacles, and other marine creatures settle on their reefs. Those excess lawn fertilizer nutrients cause algal blooms which lead to other problems such as fish kills. ![]() Recent studies indicate that oysters are able to process lawn fertilizer nutrients that run off lawns and.Oysters filter plankton, nutrients, chemicals, and other pollutants from the water. They will not go to waste.įor more information about Operation Oyster, please contact Julie Schumacher at One adult oyster can clean up to 50 gallons of water per day. If conditions are not adequate for a river reef, any oysters grown in the rivers will be moved to an NJDEP approved location. If water quality is deemed adequate, the "spat on shell" bags from the docks will be used to kick-start an oyster reef in the river.Additional corporate contributions will help expand the program. Thanks to funding from The Grove and Brook 35 students will have this outdoor classroom for scientific study. A spat tank will be set up at a local dock to raise spat (baby oysters).A parade of boats will deliver the shell bags to their locations. Local boat owners will provide services to transport shell bags to and from waterfront docks and assist with the monitoring.The Rumson School district will incorporate this pilot project and other Littoral Society initiatives into its 2017-2018 science curriculum with the goal of expanding the program into other schools. Students will monitor the shell bags and the oysters.Local waterfront owners provide dock access to hang shell bags.The recycled oyster shell comes from local restaurants, which the Lusty Lobster collects and delivers to our shell pile. Volunteers bag shell at our oyster shell pile at Sandy Hook.Continue to consult with NJDEP for permits, licenses and approved procedures and practices. ![]()
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