After four months of growth, these oysters still have a lot of growth and water-filtering work to do. (Photo courtesy John Consoli)
As fall draws near, there is another season beginning for areas around the Chesapeake Bay as Oct. 1 marks the opening day of oyster season for commercial and recreational purposes.
Oyster gardening is a preservation practice used to help grow the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Due to circumstances like diseases and overharvesting, the population of oysters in the bay has fluctuated over the years. According to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, 14-20 million bushels of oysters were harvested annually in Maryland in the late 1800s.
This number plummeted over the years, with only 430,000 bushels harvested from October 2023 to March 2024, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
While oyster preservation efforts have grown the oyster population in Maryland over the years, the decline in the oyster population compared to 200 years ago is still a threat to the health of the bay and to the watermen who harvest the oysters.
One adult oyster can filter 50 gallons of water per day and acts as a habitat for other aquatic life. Oysters also sustain the livelihood of watermen and are sought after by seafood lovers.
According to the Maryland Department of the Environment, “Oyster gardening is the practice of growing oysters at private piers for ecological benefits.”
Participants use cages or floats filled with spat-on-shell (baby oysters) and submerge them to the bottom of the waterbody or float them on the water’s surface.
The process and time it takes the oysters to grow vary between floats and cages and their location.
The oysters are then kept or taken to a sanctuary reef to protect them from being harvested. The state requires recreational oyster gardeners to register with the Department of Natural Resources. Oysters grown for recreational use, like oyster gardening, cannot be sold and should not be eaten, according to Maryland DNR
John Consoli of Chester Md, is familiar with oyster gardening and grows oysters off his pier using floats.
He became interested in oyster gardening after meeting local watermen in 2022 who explained how they made a sustainable living harvesting and growing oysters.
The watermen would sell their oysters, then buy back the shells and put baby oysters on them.
The shells would then be placed in their oyster lease, and in two to three years there would be oysters to be harvested.
“I thought, oh my God, that’s so incredibly sustainable,” Consoli said. “You know, I was just so impressed. I was like, they were guaranteeing their future business.”
Consoli started oyster gardening four years ago, and through trial and error, he worked out a successful system.
He said he prefers using floats over cages because the oysters grow faster.
Consoli said they clean the oysters every two to three weeks by using a low-pressure power washer.
“If it’s not so hot, you can let them sit in the sun for a couple of hours, let all the little micro marine growth on them burn off a little, and then you put them back in the water.”
Consoli estimated that it takes about 15-20 minutes to clean a float.
“What you are trying to do is get the marine growth and other things off of them so that they have better water flow and it actually promotes growth,” he said.
He added that’s also a good chance to check the zip ties and ropes on the floats and repair any damage.
Another issue oyster gardeners need to be aware of is the potential for oysters freezing and dying if they are in the cold open air. Consoli said that last year, due to extended days of cold weather during the winter, he had about a ten percent loss.
However, this event did not hinder Consoli from continuing to grow oysters and encouraging others to do so.
He said neighbors became interested in what he was doing — and through word of mouth, oyster gardening began to expand in his area.
Starting oyster gardening is not a complicated process, and Maryland has several foundations and programs that help people get started. Marylanders Grow Oysters and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation are two options.
Their websites list what individuals need to be eligible to oyster garden and what supplies will be provided. Visit cbf.org or oysterrecovery.org for more information.
This form of gardening is a wonderful opportunity because people of all ages can do it and help preserve the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay.
Consoli said he knows people who range from 40-85 years old who do it.
“They’re all excited about doing it,” he said. “They feel positive about it, and to me, that’s what energizes me, as I see people doing something positive for their environment.”
