Peconic Pearls Environmental Nitrogen Sampling Project Results To Be Revealed At Bivalvus Day Celebration

Peconic Pearls/Noank Aquaculture Cooperative, Peconic Land Trust and National Grid Foundation are teaming up to host a Bivalvus Day celebration that includes a presentation from Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Noank Aquaculture Cooperative representatives about the Peconic Pearls Environmental Nitrogen Sampling Project. The event will take place at Long Island Spirits on Friday, December 9th.

“We hope everyone comes out to celebrate National Bivalvus Day to learn more about the Peconic Pearls Environmental Program – and what we can all do to protect our waters,” expressed Karen Rivara of Noank Aquaculture Cooperative.

Led by CCE and Noank, the Peconic Pearls Environmental Nitrogen Sampling Project enlisted state-of-the-art technology to promote the health of the Peconic Estuary by identifying and reducing the nitrogen surplus that enters the area’s bays. In the mid-1980′s, the Estuary was overtaken by “Brown Tide” – a microalgae that turned the waters brown and opaque, which had a devastating impact on the bay scallop fishery and finfish and shellfish populations. While restoration efforts have been promising, the bay scallop fishery is still not fully recovered and Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB’s) remain an issue.

“The Peconic Pearls Environmental Program is funded by a 5 cent premium on every sale of Peconic Pearls oysters, which we grow at the Peconic Land Trust’s Shellfisher Preserve in Southold and a grant from the National Grid Foundation,” added Rivara. “We conducted a nitrogen sampling study with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County.”

Attendees will learn the results of the nitrogen sampling study during the Bivalvus Day presentation.

Additionally, the event will include a reception that will feature a $15 LiV cocktail and 4-oyster sampler special with oysters provided by the Little Creek Oyster Company of Greenport, with a portion of the proceeds going towards the Peconic Pearls Environmental Program.

Bivalvus Day will begin at 4 p.m. with an equipment demonstration, followed by the presentation at 4:30 p.m. The evening will culminate with the networking reception from 5 to 6 p.m.

Admission to Bivalvus Day is free.

Long Island Spirits is located at 2182 Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow. For more information, visit peconicpearls.org.