![]() ![]() The number of farmed oysters nearly tripled between 20, and growers predicted a 33% increase during the most recent growing season, which would bring the number of farmed oysters to 25,000,000. The group ranges from 18- to 25-years old, and includes two college biology majors, a “life-long naturalist,” and a recent high-school graduate.Ī 2008 survey by the Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program at VIMS shows a steady growth of oyster aquaculture in Virginia as watermen shift from the traditional planting of “shell on bottom” to farming using cages, racks, and floats. The program is funded by an anonymous private donor.Īllen says the program’s goal “is to provide Virginia’s expanding aquaculture industry with trained technicians using a pool of local, interested people.”Ĭurrent trainees are Elisabeth Bloom of Hayes, Ben Clark of West Point, Tommy Camp of Williamsburg, and Lisa Domalewski of Virginia Beach. ABC staff, principally Karen Hudson and Amanda Chesler, crafted program specifics. The Oyster Aquaculture Training program, or OAT, is the brainchild of professor Stan Allen, Director of the Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center (ABC) at VIMS.Īllen established the program, which welcomed its first four trainees in April, to help provide private oyster farmers with workers who are skilled in oyster husbandry in the hatchery and field. The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance will play a key role in restoring the health of this national treasure.The Virginia Institute of Marine Science has begun a new program to train the skilled workers needed to advance Chesapeake Bay’s rapidly growing oyster-farming industry. ![]() By every measure, the Bay is healthier than it was even five years ago. The Chesapeake Bay has the potential to be the most dramatic example of environmental recovery ever seen. Learn more about increasing oyster aquaculture. Increasing oyster aquaculture-Oyster aquaculture provides economic opportunity for the Bay's coastal communities while helping protect the Bay's wild shellfish resources and providing filtration and habitat benefits. Learn more about improving science-based fishery management. Improving science-based fishery management-Because more than 75 percent of the Bay's oyster bottom is open to commercial harvest, promoting science-based fishery management of these reefs is essential. Learn more about restoring oysters in sanctuaries. The Alliance will work to overcome these challenges to ensure continued progress toward restoration goals. At present, restoration programs are planting roughly 1 billion oyster spat annually, but management and funding challenges threaten the timely completion of this goal. Restoring oysters in sanctuaries-Through the 2014 Bay Watershed Agreement, Maryland and Virginia committed to restoring 10 Bay tributaries by 2025. See our Partners page for a complete list.Īlso playing a key role in the restoration of Chesapeake oysters are management agencies such as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, and federal agencies that provide support for oyster restoration-the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE)-and corporate and private funders. ![]() This growing list of partners includes a range of local and regional conservation groups, aquaculturists, and other businesses from Maryland and Virginia. The ambitious goal of this collaborative effort is to add 10 billion oysters by 2025 in Virginia and Maryland waters.Ī broad array of partners will collaborate to make the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance stretch goal a reality. ![]() The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance is a multi-year effort designed to spark governmental action, public attention, and funding to accelerate ongoing oyster restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters are a keystone species, filtering water and providing essential habitat for other important Bay species. The health of the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population is critical for a restored Bay. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |