After each set of oyster larvae, we hold about 20 shells back from going out in the river. We place the shell in a milk crate and hang them over the wall at the J.C. Lore Oyster House. This lets us keep an eye on their growth. These oysters were first put in our tanks on July 1. They were moved to our lease on July 9th. Today, at 19 days old, this sample is looking like oysters! More oysters in the Patuxent means cleaner water and local seafood. Two wins!!
The wait is over! We purchased larvae (almost oysters) today. We traveled to Ferry Cove Shellfish in Tilghman, Maryland and picked up 2 million larvae. We had a few hiccups preparing for the larvae—we will call it a learning curve. First, low salinity prevented the hatcheries from starting the spawning season. Then, our air pump was not keeping up with the back pressure of the water, and we had to make sure all the shell was underwater, but we are confident that we are giving the larvae a good chance at survival. Our salinity and temperature are right. Now we will wait and see if the larvae attaches to the shell.
The Oyster Recovery Partnership conducted surveys of our oyster grounds. Using state of the art technology, ORP determined what shell was on the lease and which areas are ripe for planting. Oysters do well in hard, stable bottoms that ensure the oysters do not sink into the mud or sand. ORP also provided Patuxent River Seafood with a tracker to map where we recover shell and plant shell and oyster spat.
Setting tanks require waterflow and aeration. An air pump supplies air to the tanks and a sump pump pushes water into the tanks. We even built a cage around the pump to make sure we do not get jellyfish sucked into the tank.
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In 2023 the Patuxent River had a record breaking spatfall for oysters. To aid in the resurgence of oysters, Patuxent River Seafood is planting 25 acres in the Patuxent River. The plan is to jumpstart the area by recovering silted shell, adding shell, and planting oysters. The oysters will serve ecological functions including filtering nitrogen and phosphorus until they are marketable.
AuthorRachel Dean Archives
December 2025
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