The Great South Bay Oyster Project

The Great South Bay Oyster Project was launched in Spring 2020 with the purchase of 7,000 mature oysters from local oyster farmers to support their operations during restaurant shutdowns of the COVID pandemic. Working together with the Town of Babylon, we placed these oysters in an existing shellfish sanctuary.

This initiative quickly evolved into an all out effort to restore wild oysters to the Great South Bay for scientific research purposes and, of course, for the amazing environmental eco-services that oysters provide. This program update was prepared by Andy Mirchel, Board Member and Program Chairperson.

2023 Great South Bay Oyster Project Activities and Achievements

Community Oyster Gardens (COGs):
In 2023, Save the Great South Bay (STGSB) launched two test Community Oyster Gardens in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk (CCE). On July 6, we planted oyster gardens at Babylon Yacht Club and Bay Shore Yacht Club. Both sites exhibited promising growth throughout the season.

At the end of the growing season on October 11, 2023, we transplanted eight crates of baby oysters from these gardens to the Islip Sanctuary. This effort was supported by CCE experts Gregg Rivara and Demetrios Caroussos. Additionally, the Sayville Yacht Club Oyster Garden provided 20 crates of seasoned spat-on-shell (sSoS) under the guidance of their leader, Drew Baldwin, and helped with the planting process.

Collaborative Plantings:

• On July 10, 2023, STGSB, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), free-planted 20 cubic feet of spat-on-shell (SoS) across two promising sites (10 cubic feet each).
• Carl LoBue from TNC provided critical logistical support, including the boat and site-selection expertise.
• On October 27, 2023, under a temporary permit from the Town of Babylon and approval from the Village of Amityville, 20 cubic feet of SoS were hand-planted at the proposed Unqua Spawner Sanctuary as a viability test.

2024 Great South Bay Oyster Project Site Surveys

Unqua Site:
On May 25, 2024, Todd Shaw and Andy Mirchel conducted a survey of the Unqua test planting. Survival rates improved eastward from the bulkhead, reaching approximately 75%. Growth rates increased significantly, with oysters growing from 7 mm in October 2023 to 15–20 mm by May 2024. This success encouraged us to proceed with permitting the Unqua site.

Islip Site:
The Islip Sanctuary also showed excellent results. Oysters planted at 6–8 mm grew to over 40 mm. Carefully hand-planting among and around concrete rubble ensured high survival rates and stable clusters.

TNC Sites:

• On July 26, 2024, STGSB and CCE’s Gregg Rivara (certified scuba diver) surveyed two TNC planting sites.
• TNC West Site: Numerous clusters of SoS planted a year earlier displayed remarkable growth, with some oysters exceeding 90 mm. This site remains a strong candidate for continued planting.
• TNC East Site: Unfortunately, wave action caused significant dispersion and beaching, prompting plans to test a new location in future plantings.

2024 New Plantings

On August 6, 2024, we received a delivery of 40 cubic feet of spat-on-shell. Plantings were conducted as follows:

• Unqua Test Site: Approximately 25% of the delivery was hand-planted.
• Islip Sanctuary: Another 25% was planted here.
• TNC Sites: With support from Carl LoBue and Rob Vasiluth, we free-planted the remaining SoS at the TNC West site and a newly identified east site with a hard bottom and debris.

On September 21, 2024, COGs at Saltaire and Unqua Corinthian Yacht Club were transplanted to the Unqua Spawner Sanctuary. Babylon and Bay Shore Yacht Club gardens were transplanted into the rubble area of the Islip Spawner Sanctuary. On October 27, the Islip Sanctuary hand-planted 20 crates of SoS raised by Sayville Yacht Club, with CCE’s Demetrios Caroussos directing the effort. The in-water planting was supported by Drew Baldwin (Sayville OG Director), Andy Mirchel (GSB Oyster Project Director), and volunteers from the Sayville OG program.

Community Oyster Gardens (COGs): Expansion in 2024

In 2024, the COG program expanded significantly. New locations were established at Unqua Corinthian Yacht Club and Saltaire Community Marina on Fire Island. Each site’s capacity increased from four crates in 2023 to ten crates in 2024, thanks to dedicated volunteers recruited via SignUpGenius.

Early deployment of crates on June 21, 2024—two weeks earlier than in 2023—combined with favorable environmental conditions, resulted in exceptional growth. By September, our amended permit, which included the Unqua Spawner Sanctuary, was approved. This allowed us to transplant oysters from all COGs to the Islip and Unqua Sanctuaries. 

Conclusion

The 2023–2024 period marked significant progress in our mission to restore oyster populations in the Great South Bay. With expanded programs, successful plantings, and robust community involvement, we are well-positioned to continue scaling our efforts in the coming years.