Oysters are a keystone species and crucial to improving water quality throughout the Coastal Bays. MCBP offers a limited volunteer oyster gardening program where volunteers are provided spat-on-shell and oyster cages. Over the course of a year, volunteers monitor and maintain these oyster cages until the oysters are large enough to be collected by MCBP. These oysters are NOT meant for human consumption, they are added to a local restoration site or oyster reef location within the Coastal Bays’ watershed where they can continue to grow and prosper. This program provides a hands-on opportunity for volunteers to contribute to making a difference in their own backyards and encourages the understanding of the importance of oysters in our bays. For more information on this program contact Carly Toulan at ctoulan@mdcoastalbays.org
This video was created by MCBP to educate oyster gardening volunteers and the public on the life cycle of the keystone species, the Eastern oyster.
This video is for MCBP Oyster Gardening volunteers and others who are interested in learning how to properly maintain oyster cages and the oysters within them. In addition, this video includes information on species that can be found inhabiting your oyster cage and how oyster cages benefit our bay critters.
