Babylon nonprofit launches oyster sanctuary in Amityville off Great South Bay
Save the Great South Bay has started an oyster sanctuary in Amityville, seen here on Wednesday. Credit: Rick Kopstein
They may have a hard shell, but oysters still need a place to feel safe. Now they have a sanctuary all their own.
Save the Great South Bay, a Babylon nonprofit, has created an oyster sanctuary in Amityville. It’s the latest of four sanctuaries the group has established along the South Shore. Their hope, they said, is to not only grow the population of the bivalve mollusks, but to improve the water quality of the bay in the process.
The sanctuaries are part of the nonprofit’s Oyster Project, which has three sanctuaries in Islip Town, said Andy Mirchel, director of the Great South Bay Oyster Project. The group also helps with community oyster gardens, which are run by volunteers.
Babylon Town, which owns the bottom of the bay at that location, gave the group a temporary permit last fall, and in September approved making it a permanent sanctuary. The state Department of Environmental Conservation gave approvals as well. This marks the first time an outside group will oversee an oyster sanctuary in Babylon Town.
The gardens and sanctuaries help the public to learn "not only about oysters but about the environment and the Great South Bay and the role oysters can play in restoring water quality," Mirchel said.
The Great South Bay was once teeming with oysters and other shellfish, but overharvesting, shoreline development and pollution led to a precipitous decline, experts have said.
In recent years, a push to revive the region’s aquaculture has focused on rebuilding shellfish populations. The bivalves are known for their water-filtering properties. A single oyster is capable of removing pollutants such as nitrogen from more than 50 gallons of water a day.
The sanctuaries create a controlled environment where wave action is limited to "help oysters proliferate," Mirchel said. The sanctuaries receive help from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, which raises oysters from the larvae stage and provides empty shells for the larvae to attach to, known as "spat-on shell." Local restaurants and organizations donate the shells.
Once an oyster latches onto a shell, it remains there for life. Each shell will typically have three to five oysters attached, said Josh Perry, hatchery manager for Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Those babies grow and a single 3-inch oyster can spawn 10 million to 14 million larvae at a time, which then search for something to latch onto, Perry said.
Last year, the nonprofit planted oysters in Amityville as part of a test run. The survival rate was high, Mirchel said. Last month the group, using both Cornell’s supplies and those harvested from nearby community gardens, planted 10 cubic feet of spat-on shells in Amityville. That can produce as many as 50,000 oysters, Mirchel said.
"The progress we’ve been making has really been remarkable," said Todd Shaw, board president for Save the Great South Bay.
Perry said he sees the nonprofit’s work as part of a larger effort that can make a difference.
"Even if we’re only making a little dent, a little bit of change within local waterways, I think it’s well worth it," he said.
Amityville Mayor Dennis Siry said he hopes the sanctuary will help improve the water quality at nearby Amityville Beach, which has had to close because of high levels of bacteria.
"Anytime it rains, it's closed the next day," he said. "If it's a rainy summer, it's horrible."
Mirchel said he wants to eventually have oyster sanctuaries all along the north shore of the bay.
"The idea is to have a chain of these and hopefully, along with all the other larvae produced by [commercial] oyster farmers ... there’s going to be a lot of larvae and they’re going to need places to go," Mirchel said. "We’re at the early stages, but we’re providing places for these larvae to land."
They may have a hard shell, but oysters still need a place to feel safe. Now they have a sanctuary all their own.
Save the Great South Bay, a Babylon nonprofit, has created an oyster sanctuary in Amityville. It’s the latest of four sanctuaries the group has established along the South Shore. Their hope, they said, is to not only grow the population of the bivalve mollusks, but to improve the water quality of the bay in the process.
The sanctuaries are part of the nonprofit’s Oyster Project, which has three sanctuaries in Islip Town, said Andy Mirchel, director of the Great South Bay Oyster Project. The group also helps with community oyster gardens, which are run by volunteers.
Babylon Town, which owns the bottom of the bay at that location, gave the group a temporary permit last fall, and in September approved making it a permanent sanctuary. The state Department of Environmental Conservation gave approvals as well. This marks the first time an outside group will oversee an oyster sanctuary in Babylon Town.
The gardens and sanctuaries help the public to learn "not only about oysters but about the environment and the Great South Bay and the role oysters can play in restoring water quality," Mirchel said.
Growing the oysters
Todd Shaw, Save the Great South Bay board president, which has started an oyster sanctuary near the Unqua yacht club in Amityville. Credit: Rick Kopstein
The Great South Bay was once teeming with oysters and other shellfish, but overharvesting, shoreline development and pollution led to a precipitous decline, experts have said.
In recent years, a push to revive the region’s aquaculture has focused on rebuilding shellfish populations. The bivalves are known for their water-filtering properties. A single oyster is capable of removing pollutants such as nitrogen from more than 50 gallons of water a day.
The sanctuaries create a controlled environment where wave action is limited to "help oysters proliferate," Mirchel said. The sanctuaries receive help from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, which raises oysters from the larvae stage and provides empty shells for the larvae to attach to, known as "spat-on shell." Local restaurants and organizations donate the shells.
Once an oyster latches onto a shell, it remains there for life. Each shell will typically have three to five oysters attached, said Josh Perry, hatchery manager for Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Those babies grow and a single 3-inch oyster can spawn 10 million to 14 million larvae at a time, which then search for something to latch onto, Perry said.
'A little dent'
Todd Shaw, Save the Great South Bay board president, shows some of the oysters planted in the sanctuary. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Last year, the nonprofit planted oysters in Amityville as part of a test run. The survival rate was high, Mirchel said. Last month the group, using both Cornell’s supplies and those harvested from nearby community gardens, planted 10 cubic feet of spat-on shells in Amityville. That can produce as many as 50,000 oysters, Mirchel said.
"The progress we’ve been making has really been remarkable," said Todd Shaw, board president for Save the Great South Bay.
Perry said he sees the nonprofit’s work as part of a larger effort that can make a difference.
"Even if we’re only making a little dent, a little bit of change within local waterways, I think it’s well worth it," he said.
Amityville Mayor Dennis Siry said he hopes the sanctuary will help improve the water quality at nearby Amityville Beach, which has had to close because of high levels of bacteria.
"Anytime it rains, it's closed the next day," he said. "If it's a rainy summer, it's horrible."
Mirchel said he wants to eventually have oyster sanctuaries all along the north shore of the bay.
"The idea is to have a chain of these and hopefully, along with all the other larvae produced by [commercial] oyster farmers ... there’s going to be a lot of larvae and they’re going to need places to go," Mirchel said. "We’re at the early stages, but we’re providing places for these larvae to land."
Amityville Oyster Sanctuary
10 cubic feet of "spat-on" shells
Can produce up to 50,000 oysters
Each oyster can produce 10 million to 14 million larvae
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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