Oyster gardeners aim to boost shellfish supply in Oyster Bay, Cold Spring harbors
Rob Crafa, of the Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee, and volunteer Deborah Perrone, of Huntington, remove oyster cages from Beekman Beach in Oyster Bay. Credit: Rick Kopstein
On an early August morning, Rob Crafa’s feet sank into the muddy sand of Beekman Beach in Oyster Bay. After stepping into the low-tide waters, he shook a cage filled with a few hundred oysters — knocking off a layer of sea grapes that could suffocate the shellfish.
The cage is one of nearly 200 spread across five locations in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors. Volunteers hope the oyster gardening effort can help to boost the shellfish population.
The gardening starts in the spring, when volunteers build their cages. They start growing the oysters during the summer, submerging the cages in underwater gardens that are cleaned every couple of weeks. By fall, the oysters are large enough to be dropped to the bottom of the bay in protected areas and continue to grow.
As the town's shellfish population declines, experts say the gardening is key to restocking the harbors. Oyster gardening has long been a tradition on Long Island, but recently it has taken on new urgency.
"We have to take a longer-picture view," said Crafa, coordinator of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee, which has spearheaded the effort. "Now is the most critical time to be doing this."
The idea behind oyster gardening is to release the oysters when they're large enough to survive. This way, they can better withstand predators like the oyster drill, which, as its name suggests, drills into the oyster shells and removes the soft interior of the bivalves.
The annual shellfish catch from Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors has dropped substantially over the past decade, according to data from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
In 2013, 73,524 bushels of hard clams and 30,277 bushels of oysters were taken from those waterways, according to the agency. In 2022, 31,751 bushels of hard clams were harvested, along with 15 bushels of oysters.
Shellfish populations in waterways like the Peconic Estuary have seen similar declines, due to a range of factors including rising water temperatures, predation and lower oxygen levels.
A $300,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be used to add oysters to Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors, as well as Manhasset Bay and Hempstead Harbor, officials said.
So far, 2.4 million oysters have been placed in those waterways since late May, said Eric Swenson, executive director of the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee. The goal is to place 6 million oysters in those waters over the next two years, he said.
The committee is relying on spat-on oysters, which are known for latching on to other shells underwater — making them effective at creating oyster reefs.
"Spat-on shells means they adhere to oyster or clam shells, so you may have a clam shell that has 10 to 20 oysters growing on it," Swenson said.
Carol DiPaolo, a water monitoring coordinator for the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, said the nonprofit's oyster gardening program has about 140 volunteers and is expected to plant around 80,000 oysters with the federal aid.
The oyster gardening rests on the volunteers who descend on spots like Beekman Beach every two weeks over the summer, said Deborah Perrone, of Huntington, who has been a part of the program since 2017.
In addition to Beekman Beach, the program runs out of West Harbor Beach in Bayville, Laurel Hollow Beach, and Eagle Dock Beach and Jennings Beach in Cold Spring Harbor.
"It's part of life now," Perrone said. "This is what we do for summer Saturdays — my whole family is involved."
On an early August morning, Rob Crafa’s feet sank into the muddy sand of Beekman Beach in Oyster Bay. After stepping into the low-tide waters, he shook a cage filled with a few hundred oysters — knocking off a layer of sea grapes that could suffocate the shellfish.
The cage is one of nearly 200 spread across five locations in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors. Volunteers hope the oyster gardening effort can help to boost the shellfish population.
The gardening starts in the spring, when volunteers build their cages. They start growing the oysters during the summer, submerging the cages in underwater gardens that are cleaned every couple of weeks. By fall, the oysters are large enough to be dropped to the bottom of the bay in protected areas and continue to grow.
As the town's shellfish population declines, experts say the gardening is key to restocking the harbors. Oyster gardening has long been a tradition on Long Island, but recently it has taken on new urgency.
"We have to take a longer-picture view," said Crafa, coordinator of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee, which has spearheaded the effort. "Now is the most critical time to be doing this."
The idea behind oyster gardening is to release the oysters when they're large enough to survive. This way, they can better withstand predators like the oyster drill, which, as its name suggests, drills into the oyster shells and removes the soft interior of the bivalves.
The annual shellfish catch from Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors has dropped substantially over the past decade, according to data from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
In 2013, 73,524 bushels of hard clams and 30,277 bushels of oysters were taken from those waterways, according to the agency. In 2022, 31,751 bushels of hard clams were harvested, along with 15 bushels of oysters.
Shellfish populations in waterways like the Peconic Estuary have seen similar declines, due to a range of factors including rising water temperatures, predation and lower oxygen levels.
A $300,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be used to add oysters to Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors, as well as Manhasset Bay and Hempstead Harbor, officials said.
So far, 2.4 million oysters have been placed in those waterways since late May, said Eric Swenson, executive director of the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee. The goal is to place 6 million oysters in those waters over the next two years, he said.
The committee is relying on spat-on oysters, which are known for latching on to other shells underwater — making them effective at creating oyster reefs.
"Spat-on shells means they adhere to oyster or clam shells, so you may have a clam shell that has 10 to 20 oysters growing on it," Swenson said.
Carol DiPaolo, a water monitoring coordinator for the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, said the nonprofit's oyster gardening program has about 140 volunteers and is expected to plant around 80,000 oysters with the federal aid.
The oyster gardening rests on the volunteers who descend on spots like Beekman Beach every two weeks over the summer, said Deborah Perrone, of Huntington, who has been a part of the program since 2017.
In addition to Beekman Beach, the program runs out of West Harbor Beach in Bayville, Laurel Hollow Beach, and Eagle Dock Beach and Jennings Beach in Cold Spring Harbor.
"It's part of life now," Perrone said. "This is what we do for summer Saturdays — my whole family is involved."
Oyster gardening
- A $300,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be used to grow oysters in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors, as well as Manhasset Bay and Hempstead Harbor.
- There have been 2.4 million oysters placed in those waterways since May.
- The committee is relying on spat-on oysters, which help to accelerate population growth.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
