Latest news with #ChesapeakeBayFoundation
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
For the first time since the Key Bridge collapse, oysters are being planted nearby
Frits de Goede, operations manager at Ports America Chesapeake, dumps oysters overboard to plant them in the Patapsco River, one of the first Chesapeake Bay Foundation plantings since the collapse of the Key Bridge. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters) Ben Carver, a boat captain for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, assumed the worst. When Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed — killing six construction workers and sending thousands of tons of concrete and steel hurtling into the Patapsco River — Carver feared that the foundation's nearby oyster reef would be smothered beneath the sediment and debris. 'I thought all of our little buddies out there would be dead,' said Carver, the foundation's Baltimore Harbor Environmental Education Program captain. He had last visited the reef, located beside historic Fort Carroll, the night before the tragedy, when he dredged up some oysters from the river bottom for a regular check-up. It would be about six months before he could return to inspect the reef, upon which 6 million oysters have been planted since 2008. What he found surprised him. Healthy oyster after healthy oyster. 'These are resilient little things,' Carver said. This month, the Bay Foundation began oyster planting at the fort for the first time since the bridge fell. In two boat trips to the site, schoolchildren and other volunteers have tossed an estimated 128,187 oysters overboard, to start their new lives in the Patapsco. The goal is to plant half a million oysters there this summer. Last year, with maritime traffic limited in the Patapsco River channel during the typical planting season. oysters grown in and around the Baltimore Harbor that would have gone to Fort Carroll were planted in the Magothy River instead. It was a hard decision, said Kellie Fiala, Maryland oyster restoration coordinator for the Bay Foundation. Staffers toyed with keeping the oysters in their dockside cages, and waiting to plant them at the fort, a manmade island fortress that never saw battle, but has become a sanctuary for cormorants, gulls and other seabirds. But keeping the oysters out of the reef during peak feeding season could have caused some to perish, Fiala said. 'People were very understanding, but we're very excited to get oysters back in Baltimore, in the Patapsco River, where people are growing them,' she said. Aboard the Snow Goose, the Bay Foundation's educational vessel, volunteers start by counting the number of oysters, which appear as small dots on the rough grey shells, on a selection of shells. From there, they estimate the total number of mollusks that will be planted. Once they reach Fort Carroll the process is simple: Volunteers grab a bright blue basket filled with oysters, and dump them over the side of the boat and into the murky depths. But getting each oyster ready for release day is a bit more complicated. It begins at the Bay Foundation's Oyster Restoration Center in Shady Side, where oyster larvae are placed in tanks with recycled oyster shells, their preferred substrate. The setup mimics a natural process, which has become more difficult for baby oysters as the Chesapeake Bay's oyster reefs dwindle. 'Imagine being fertilized, being born, and then having two weeks to find your forever home,' Fiala said. 'That's what they have to do.' Once the baby oysters adhere to a shell, they're known as spat. Afterwards, the spat-on-shell bound for Fort Carroll are moved to submerged cages around the Baltimore Harbor, where they are minded by volunteer 'oyster gardeners' for their first year of life. The cages help shelter the vulnerable young oysters, and keep them from sinking into the mud, serving the function of oyster reefs, which once rose above the surface of the Chesapeake in some places, snarling passing ships. Domino Sugars in downtown Baltimore is a longtime 'gardener,' and contributed tens of thousands of oysters to a planting this week, the second since the Key Bridge fell. Others came from the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Dundalk and Vane Brothers in South Baltimore, which are newer participants. Frits de Goede, operations manager for Ports America Chesapeake, which operates Seagirt, said the group wants to up its game next year, in hopes of inching closer to Domino's oyster number. Ports America grew 5,580 oysters this year, compared to Domino's 21,060. 'We're trying to work up to that,' de Goede said. Gardeners periodically pull up the cages attached to their docks, and clean off any algae or debris, to ensure that the oysters get plenty of water flow. Oysters are filter feeders, which means that they pull nutrients from the water column in order to survive and grow. Therein lies their value to the Chesapeake Bay, which is beset by excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, runoff from farm field fertilizer and sewage treatment plant discharges, among other sources. The excess nutrients spur the growth of algae, which essentially suck oxygen from the water as they die, creating hazardous anoxic conditions — 'dead zones' — for crabs and fish. But adding more oysters in the Chesapeake means more nutrients will be filtered out, strengthening ecosystems and further growing the natural oyster population. Decimated by disease, harvesting and habitat loss, the bay's oyster population has plummeted since the 1800s. While it once took Chesapeake oysters an estimated three days to a week to filter all the water in the bay, it now takes more than a year, Fiala said. 'We also couple that with the fact that there's more people in the bay watershed than ever before having an impact. So, we need more oysters in the water than we have ever had,' Fiala said. The strategy could be working. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources released a summary this week of its latest stock assessment for oysters in Maryland portions of the bay, which found that the population increased from 2.4 billion adult oysters in 2005 to 7.6 billion in 2024. Back then, Maryland's oyster population was just starting to recover from devastating bouts of disease, such as MSX and Dermo. Mike Wilberg, a professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science who led the assessment, pointed to three reasons for the increasing trend in a news release from the department. 'The first one is that we have had some good spatsets,' he said. 'The second one is that natural mortality rates, or particularly disease, hasn't been as bad as it was in the 1980s and 1990s. And then the last one is that the department has maintained restrictions on harvesting that have allowed the oysters that are in some of these areas to continue to survive and reproduce.' The stock assessment doesn't include oyster sanctuaries like the ones at Fort Carroll, focusing instead on oyster bars that are open to harvesting. But large-scale restoration sites, planted by DNR and partner organizations, make up substantial portions of several harvest regions — and they're likely strengthening the oyster harvest in their areas, Wilberg said in the news release. 'The three major restoration sanctuaries that are pretty much finished have all been really strong successes,' Wilberg said. But the Bay Foundation believes there's more to be done. In a 2024 report entitled 'Hope on the Half Shell,' the foundation pushed for Maryland and Virginia to establish sanctuaries in an additional 20 tributaries, ensure that 11 existing tributaries are maintained, and bolster the aquaculture industry, which grows oysters for consumption, by leasing more areas to proprietors. There are two small sanctuaries on either side of Fort Carroll, Fiala said: a 2-acre plot and a 1-acre plot. In part to protect those two areas, the Bay Foundation is keeping a close eye on the effort to demolish the remainder of the Key Bridge and build its successor, said Gussie Maguire, Maryland staff scientist at the foundation. 'There are certain practices that can be put in place — and that we're advocating for — to minimize the impacts of disturbing the sediment with the explosives and all that,' Maguire said. 'Silt curtains on land, turbidity curtains in the water.' In a September 2024 letter to the Maryland Department of the Environment, which is in charge of permitting for the new bridge site, the Bay Foundation highlighted the importance of the reefs. While testing found the reefs in 'relatively good' shape after the collapse and the subsequent salvage effort, 'more extensive disturbances' could 'impact these nearby reefs in the absence of proper precautions,' wrote Allison Colden, the Bay Foundation's Maryland executive director. 'Nearly every weekday during the spring and fall school season, students sample the reefs at Fort Carroll to learn about the importance of oysters for water quality, habitat, and biodiversity,' Colden wrote. 'The protection of these areas from disturbance and damage associated with bridge reconstruction will be critical.' The Bay Foundation is also pushing for the rebuilt bridge to include new features such as upgraded filtration for stormwater, reducing the amount of rainwater that washes off the bridge's roadway and directly into the Patapsco, carrying pollutants with it. That could include the addition of a piping system with filters included, but it could also include the installation of rain gardens, known as bioswales, on either end of the new bridge, like at the Aurora Bridge in Washington State, the Bay Foundation said. Or the new bridge could host floating wetlands that could filter pollutants, like the ones installed at Baltimore's National Aquarium nearby. The new bridge will be wider than its predecessor, potentially increasing the discharge of pollutants 'including trash, oil and grease residues, salt and brine during winter weather, and tire dust and other sediments,' and increasing the necessity of adequate stormwater treatment, Colden said. In the meantime, the return of oyster plantings mere feet from the Key Bridge wreckage is a welcome symbol of the city's toughness, Fiala said. 'Baltimore has a lot more behind it — a lot more resilience — than I think people give it credit for,' Fiala said.
CBS News
22-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Maryland's Chesapeake Bay sees concerning drop in blue crab population
Maryland's Chesapeake Bay is seeing a concerning drop in its population of blue crabs, according to the Chesapeake Bay foundation. The survey, conducted jointly by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Maryland Department of Natural Resources, estimated total crab abundance at 238 million, the lowest count since surveys began in 1990. According to the report, this year's decline affected all population segments. Adult male crabs dropped to 26 million, adult female crabs to 108 million, and juvenile crabs to 103 million. The numbers are significantly lower than 2024's results, which were just slightly below average. Why are blue crab numbers declining? Blue crab populations can vary dramatically year by year due to weather trends, predator numbers, and habitat availability. The loss of critical crab habitat, such as underwater grasses, threatens the species. Invasive predators like blue catfish also pose a significant threat to blue crabs. Climate change and polluted runoff can be detrimental to young and spawning crabs. Chesapeake Bay area residents believe blue crabs are the Bay animal most in need of protection, according to polling results conducted by Chesapeake Bay Foundation earlier this year. What does the CBF recommend? The CBF recommends that Maryland maintain its existing regulations for male crabs and strengthen protections for female crabs. The foundation also recommends that the state reduce imports of egg-bearing "sponge" crabs from Virginia. Virginia should reduce its blue crab harvest and consider additional protections for males, which have reached a historic low, according to the foundation. The organization also that the federal government should fully fund programs and agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Environmental Protection Agency that support regional clean water initiatives protecting blue crab habitat.
CBS News
22-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Oyster restoration efforts ramp up near Key Bridge collapse site to improve water quality
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has resumed oyster restoration efforts near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse for the first time in nearly a year. More than 31,000 oysters were planted on Wednesday at Fort Carroll, a sanctuary reef a short swimming distance from where the bridge collapsed in March 2024. WJZ joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on the Patapsco River to help plant the oysters. Kellie Fiala, the Maryland Oyster Restoration Coordinator with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, says oysters are a natural filter feeder that filters up to 50 gallons of water each day, which clears the way for better water quality and more wildlife. "It's critical," Fiala said. "Oysters used to be a critical part of the economy here, the environment here, and so what we're really trying to do is reconnect people to the water in a healthy and positive way, but also improve the water quality here." Oysters thriving despite Key Bridge collapse WJZ joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for an oyster restoration effort in March 2024, the day before the Key Bridge collapsed. Fiala said the collapse sparked fear that the debris would stir up sediment and smother the oysters. But, fortunately, underwater surveying shows the oysters are alive and thriving. More than 500,000 oysters to be planted this summer The Chesapeake Bay Foundation expects to plant about 500,000 oysters in the waters this summer. The oysters being planted at Fort Carroll this summer have been growing throughout marinas in the Harbor, tended to by volunteers. This process of "oyster gardening" helps oysters survive their first year of life, when they're most vulnerable. "We want them to improve water quality, provide habitat, and ecosystem services in Baltimore for the people here," Fiala said. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation said more than six million oysters have been planted in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. According to the Department of Natural Resources, Maryland's oyster population has more than tripled in the past 20 years. Oysters are crucial for Maryland's economy Oysters are important for the Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem, as well as Maryland's economy. Maryland's seafood industry accounts for about $600 million annually to the state's economy. Within the last three years, Maryland has collected a record number of oysters. Oysters also help improve the Chesapeake Bay's water quality, with adult oysters filtering up to 50 gallons each day, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that water clarity improvements to the bay could drive up property values in Maryland.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chesapeake Bay Foundation washes away pollution with Hampton River restoration
HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) planted the first oyster castles Tuesday at the Hampton River in efforts to build the largest living shoreline combined with oyster reefs. The initiative, 'Roots to Reef', is designed to protect Hampton from climate change threats such as storms, erosion, and pollution. 'This Roots to Reef initiative at Pine Cone Harbour creates a natural buffer and filtration system at the water's edge. We're really connecting the dots here – the work we do on the land directly influences the health of the water, and vice versa' said Kati Grigsby, CBF's Hampton Roads Urban Restoration Coordinator. The Hampton River spans 3.2 miles long and historically been a source for food, recreation, and national security but with the influx of residents over the years, the CBF believes the river faces polluted runoff from streets, parking lots, and buildings. The river restoration will take a natural approach, as 5,584 oyster castles, 720 bushels of recycled oyster shells, 650 innovative Natrx Basalt Shell Bags and 22 coconut fiber coir logs will be placed near the Pine Cone Harbour Condominiums. This is made possible in part due to the Blocker Foundation and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hampton. 'The end result is a more resilient and interconnected ecosystem along the urban Hampton River. Unlike hardened shoreline projects such as concrete sea walls, living shorelines are designed to evolve and migrate with rising sea levels,' said Grigsby. For those interested in the project and are looking to volunteer visit the link . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chesapeake Bay Foundation outlines efforts to improve area waters
HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — The Chesapeake Bay Foundation outlined its efforts to improve the region's waterways during a trip along the Hampton River Wednesday as it also discussed the need for trash removal efforts on Clean the Bay Day. Shelling out to raise awareness for importance of oysters to ecosystem 10 On Your Side got a look at a living shoreline known as the Pinecone Harbor oyster reef, where more than 1,000 feet of oyster beds sit. Though high tide wasn't on our side Wednesday, but down below, the foundation installed more than 4,500 oyster castles and hundreds of bushels of recycled oyster shells. 'So that oysters that we plant and future oysters that naturally spawn in the river will have habitat to land and thrive,' said Jackie Shannon with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration expected to hit 2025 goal Oysters are natural water filters, improving water quality, and overall, the health of our waterways. And that's where you come in. 'We know that any trash that lands in the water is going to come from land, so picking it up from the land first is important,' Shannon said. Waterways and bridges run throughout Hampton Roads, but are often seen as a convenient trash can for some drivers. Plastics, in particular, become microplastics, and that's not good for anyone. 'It doesn't biodegrade,' said Lisa Renee Jennings with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. 'It just degrades into smaller and smaller pieces, right? So a little fish eats a little plastic big eats the little fish. Continuing on, [it] eventually ends up on our plates.' As for that three-hour tour, that's all they're asking for from 9 a.m. until noon June 7 to join Virginia's biggest annual cleanup. On average, every year, at least 3,000 people participate,' Jennings said. 'Now that's gone as high as 6,000, before COVID. but those numbers are coming back and building again. It's pretty remarkable to know in three hours, at least 3,000 volunteers are working really hard, and at the end, on average, to between 75,000 and 100,000 pounds of debris are removed in just those three hours on the first Saturday in June.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
