Today, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Maryland deployed 150 reef balls set with spat, or juvenile oysters, into the St. Mary’s River in southern Maryland. This effort is part of a larger initiative to add 600 oyster reef balls into the river and increase overall reef habitat and oyster populations in Chesapeake Bay tributaries.
The St. Mary’s River is one of the 11 Bay tributaries targeted to be fully restored for oyster habitat by 2025—and the only one on Maryland’s western shore. In its 2024 Hope on the Half Shell report, CBF recommends targeting an additional 20 Bay rivers for oyster restoration.
“Strategically targeting and restoring Chesapeake Bay tributaries for oyster habitat has been an extremely successful model that we should continue to build on,” said CBF Maryland Coastal Resource Scientist Julie Luecke. “A healthier Bay will require additional investment in oyster restoration and aquaculture, and luckily we already know it works.”
Oyster sanctuary reefs are powerhouses across the Bay. They filter water and provide habitat for many other species, including blue crabs and striped bass. When they reproduce, they don’t just seed oysters in the sanctuary, but also oysters downstream that can support a productive oyster harvest and local economy.
Oysters are most vulnerable during their first few weeks of life. Larvae are microscopic and must attach to a hard surface for survival. Reef balls are manmade, concrete structures that serve as excellent substrate for oyster spat, mimicking the structure of a mature oyster reef. The reef balls keep spat elevated from the Bay’s muddy bottom where they can suffocate, and their three-dimensional structure creates valuable fish habitat.
Throughout the year, CBF and CCA volunteers have built over 600 reef balls for this initiative. The project was funded by CCA through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
“We’re proud to work with community partners and students throughout the region to build important habitat and to connect people to the value of three-dimensional oyster reefs,” said David Sikorski, CCA Maryland Executive Director. “It’s great to know that through rolling up our sleeves and working together, we can make long lasting impact on the future health of our watershed.”
This effort furthers the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance’s ambitious goal of adding 10 billion oysters to Maryland and Virginia waters by 2025.
