Asquith Creek Reef Project

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More than three million baby oysters took up residence in the Severn River on recycled concrete from a re-decking project on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

“Today marks the fruition of a landmark partnership in sustainable transportation and environmental protection,” said Transportation Secretary and Maryland Transportation Authority Chairman John D. Porcari. “It’s quite exciting that in preserving the Bay Bridge, we’re able to use the concrete bridge deck to help preserve the health of the magnificent Chesapeake Bay that flows beneath it..”

The Asquith Creek Reef was made possible by an alliance of public and private groups, with the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation and the Maryland Transportation Authority spearheading funding, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources leading the reef building.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Restore America’s Estuaries, the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative, and the Oyster Recovery Partnership also played central roles.

Representatives from the groups expressed confidence the alliance could be the start of a new era in oyster restoration in the Bay and a model worthy of future emulation and support.

During a ceremony at the reef, members of the alliance threw ceremonial handfuls of Bay Bridge concrete and oysters on top of the three-acre reef, then watched as tons of spat – baby oysters attached to existing oyster shells – were dumped on the recycled concrete foundation.

In all, 2,500 cubic yards of concrete were used as a foundation or substrate for the oysters. Traditionally, old oyster shells serve as foundations, but insufficient amounts of shells exist – threatening restoration of the oyster population.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

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