Moriches Bay Project Million Mollusk March Aims To Seed 1 Million Oysters Into Local Bay

The Moriches Bay Project (MBP) has started a campaign to raise funds supporting their goal of seeding 1 million oysters in the Moriches Bay by the end of 2015. Created in 2012, the non-profit is dedicated to the restoration and rehabilitation of the Bay.

Just one oyster filters 50 gallons of water per day. (Photo: Facebook.com/morichesbayproject)

They hope to raise $20,000 during the campaign, which started on November 15, 2014, and will end on January 14, 2015. To donate, visit www.indiegogo.com. Donation options range from $1 to $1,000, and those who give over $250 will receive a ticket to the Moriches Bay Project’s annual gala.

Proceeds from donations will go towards purchasing healthy, compatible oyster stock from a breeding lab, scouting locations with local resource managers, construction, labor, and equipment, transportation costs including fuel for boats and vehicles, and monitoring and assessment by scientists of the MBP and Cornell Cooperative Extension.

So far, the Moriches Bay Project has installed two oyster farms with 5,000 oysters each, created two oyster beds with 25,000 oysters, and planted 5,000 eelgrass shoots.

The organization notes that just one oyster filters 50 gallons of water per day, so by reaching their goal the MBP would help generate oyster beds that create the foundation of an actual reef system, which will filter out harmful algae that has polluted East End waters, provide habitat for other marine animals, and also lead to a larger self-sustaining oyster population.