NCCOS’s Cooperative Oxford Laboratory in Oxford, Maryland, recently joined the Oyster Recovery Partnership’s Shell Recycling Alliance by installing oyster shell recycling bins at the lab. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Oyster Disease Research Program, which under a partnership with NCCOS is housed at the Oxford laboratory, evaluates shellfish health in support of Chesapeake Bay fisheries and aquaculture, and their sampling generates large quantities of oyster shell. The new recycling bins will be used to collect shells from the DNR program and other oyster disease research efforts at the lab.
Natural oyster shell is the best material to raise new oysters and restore oyster reefs.Oyster shells are a limited natural resource, and every shell that is recycled creates a substrate for approximately 10 baby oysters or spat. It is anticipated that approximately 360 pounds of oyster shell will be collected and recycled by the Oxford labthis year.
For more information, contact Gretchen.Messick@noaa.gov.
