By: John Franaye
The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) planted 175 million oysters on 55 acres in the Chesapeake Bay during May 2014 as it prepared to celebrate its 20th anniversary of restoring this vital natural resource.
The oyster boat Robert Lee transported the oysters from the Horn Point Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Cambridge to oysters reefs in Harris Creek, the largest oyster restoration project underway along the East Coast. They are the latest of more than 5 billion oysters ORP and its partners have planted during the past two decades.
“This is an exciting time for oysters,” said Stephan Abel, executive director of the ORP. “Oysters are at the center of major water restoration efforts in the Bay and nationwide. Hatcheries are raising billions of oysters to build sanctuaries and boost aquaculture. Restaurants have discovered that serving sustainably raised oysters attracts customers and strengthens their businesses.”
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