FAQs

Oyster larvae are grown in a lab.  Once they grow to a certain size, they are exposed to oyster shells where some amount permanently attach to the host shell and begin to grow.  The number of spat that attach can vary, but usually range from 10 to 20.

We planted an estimated 21 million SOS in 2025.  We arranged for one barge from our grower.  One barge contains 3 very large seeding tanks in which the SOS are grown to a predetermined size before planting.   Each tank holds about 675 bushels, with an estimated 440,000 shells.  We sampled the oyster shells and counted the spat.  As a result, we estimated the planting at 21 million SOS, covering 3 acres on two separate locations.  Going forward, we hope to increase the number of barges to at least 2 to 3 per year.  At this pace, we should be planting SOS for many years into the future.

The Wye River oyster sanctuary was established in 2010. It contains 3,510 acres of which 1,100 acres is historic oyster bottom, once considered one of the premier oyster habitats in the Chesapeake Bay.  Sadly, the Wye River is rated with some of the worst water quality when compared to area rivers. Reestablishing oyster reefs will help rebuild the water quality of the Wye River, benefiting all those — current and future generations — who live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

In 2025, our “Founding Funders” were friends and neighbors who came together to help us launch the program. We raised approximately $60,000, which allowed us to purchase and plant one barge of oyster SOS and have a some left for 2026. Going forward, we hope to purchase 2 to 3 barges annually each of which would contain 14-21M SOS. Individual donors will continue to be our core funders, but we are applying for grants and looking for support from other sources as well.

For our 2025 planting, we raised ~ $60K for 21M spat on shell. An estimated 18% of the spat will reach maturity. If each of these 3.78M mature oysters filter 20 gallons a day*, a total of 75.5M gallons/day will be filtered.

So every $1000 donated provided 350,000 SOS, or 63,000 mature oysters, which will filter upwards of 1.26M gallons of water per day.

Another way to look at this is that every $1 donated purchased 350 SOS, or around 35 shells containing SOS. (Assuming an average of 10 spat per shell, this is more than one cage of SOS many of us are growing every year on our piers.)

*estimates range from 20-50 gallons per day - we have chosen to be conservative

Both the Maryland DNR and other nonprofits have oyster restoration efforts underway.  These efforts are part of Bay-wide initiatives and the Wye River may or may not get much attention on an annual basis.  

For now, the DNR has funding through 2027 for oyster restoration within the Eastern Bay complex, of which the Wye is a part.  Our goal is to shorten the timetable for restoration by accelerating large-scale SOS plantings in The Wye.

The oyster SOS will be planted on previously mapped locations on historical oyster bars, located within the Wye oyster sanctuary. Specific locations will be coordinated annually with the DNR.

We partnered with Seed-to-Shuck Ventures to supply our spat on shell. Since 2022, Seed to Shuck has produced over 1 billion spat on shell, and they apply proven, in-house production methods to grow SOS for us as well as for the Maryland DNR.

The ultimate measures of impact are improvements in water quality. It will take years of plantings to restore water quality, but our goal is to see measurable improvements in the next 5 years. In the interim, we will focus on our impact on the reefs themselves -- increasing their size, density, and overall health. The Harris Creek oyster sanctuary has seen significant oyster restoration efforts, with 2.5 billion SOS planted between 2011 and 2020. Today Harris Creek has consistently the highest grades on water quality. We hope to achieve similar results.

Given the vast size of the Wye River Oyster sanctuary, 1,100 acres on 23 historic bars, we expect it will be many years before we can declare victory and call the Wye’s oyster beds fully restored*. For now, we will focus on improvements in the health of each oyster reef we plant and measures of water quality. 

(*For a technical description of “fully restored” see Oyster Metrics Workgroup 2011.)

Oysters are filter feeders that clean water as they feed (video). Oysters consume algae, which can prevent harmful algal blooms that can deplete oxygen and create "dead zones". Oysters also remove nitrogen and phosphorus (often from fertilizer runoff, animal feces, and septic tanks) by either incorporating them into their shells and tissue or excreting them in small packets which sink to the riverbed rather than floating in the river’s waters. Removing these nutrients further reduces the growth of algae. Finally, oysters can accumulate other contaminants such as heavy metals, in their shells and soft tissues, where they remain sequestered.

Filtering the water also improves clarity, which allows more sunlight to reach underwater grasses, creating a healthier ecosystem for other aquatic llife. As a further benefit, oyster reefs create habitats for fish, crabs, and other species, enhancing biodiversity and strengthening the entire ecosystem.

The Wye River Oyster Program is a volunteer community-based initiative, so the best way to help is to become engaged and a part of our restoration efforts.  Contact us to discuss the various ways to become involved and of assistance. Click on the Support the Effort button on the top of the page for contact information.

The impact of oyster restoration efforts can be seen in various timeframes.. The first signs of water quality improvement might begin showing within a few years, but substantial and sustained impacts will likely take 5–10 years to fully manifest.

Short-Term (1–3 years):

○  Oyster survival and establishment: Early restoration efforts primarily focus on the survival and growth of oysters. It takes time for oysters to establish themselves in a new environment and reach a size that is capable of filtering water effectively. During this time, the oysters are still maturing, and water filtration rates may be modest.

○  Initial benefits: Some initial improvements in water quality may be noticed, but these are often small and localized.

○  An oyster spat could filter about 1 to 2 gallons per day in their first year, depending on environmental conditions and their growth rate. In Year 2 and Year 3, oyster spat undergo significant growth, and their filtration capacity increases dramatically.
In Year 2, an oyster might filter approximately 5 to 10 gallons of water per day. By Year 3, oysters are nearing full maturity and can filter up to 20-25 gallons per day.

2.        Medium-Term (3–5 years):

○  Filtration and habitat development: As oysters mature, their filtration capacity increases, leading to improvements in water clarity and overall water quality. Oyster reefs also begin to provide habitat for other marine species, increasing biodiversity in the area.

○  Increased nutrient removal: Oysters start to contribute more significantly to nutrient cycling, helping to reduce excess nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus) in the water, which can alleviate eutrophication issues.

3.        Long-Term (5+ years):

○  Ecosystem-level impact: As oyster populations grow and reefs become more robust, their impacts on water quality, biodiversity, and the overall health of the ecosystem become more significant. The effects are often seen on a larger, regional scale, particularly in terms of improved water clarity, reduced algal blooms, and healthier fish populations.

○  Sustainability and resilience: A fully restored oyster reef can act as a critical part of the ecosystem, helping to buffer the effects of storms and improve the resilience of the habitat over time.