  | We spent quite a bit of time this month preparing our lease for shell and spat on shell. Over time, oyster shell is covered by sediment. This is problematic because baby oysters (spat) need clean shell to set on. Shell is also important because it helps to keep newly planted oysters from sinking into the bottom. To combat sediment on our lease, we dredged the bottom. Using a modified dredge, we pulled shell out of the bottom and created a base for future plantings. We used a GPS to monitor our progress and overlay it with the substrate survey ORP conducted on our lease.  |
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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
July 2024
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