2013 Maryland Oyster Spat Production

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In October, Governor Martin O’Malley announced that the State and its partners produced and planted a record number of native baby oysters (spat) in 2013.

The University of Maryland Horn Point Lab Oyster Hatchery team in Cambridge set a new national record with the production of 1.25 billion Eastern oyster spat this year.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s oyster cultivation facility at Horn Point is a focal point for oyster restoration and research in Maryland and the region.

Harris Creek Sanctuary received 750 million baby oysters, with help from a number of State, federal and private partners. At 377 acres, Harris Creek Sanctuary is the largest restoration project of its kind on the East Coast.

To target restoration efforts, State and federal agencies worked together to prioritize and establish sanctuaries in the most promising areas of the Bay, expanding protected waters from 9 to 24 percent in 2010.

Harris Creek was chosen for the initial large-scale restoration project because its water quality, salinity levels, shape and location all point to a high likelihood of success.

source: MD DNR

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