Maryland's Oyster Restoration Center (ORC) houses three large tanks for use in producing juvenile oysters, called 'spat.' These setting tanks are loaded with oyster shell, and then filled with Bay water. Oyster larvae, usually produced by the University of Maryland's Horn Point Laboratory, are then released into the tanks. After a few days, these larvae attach, or 'set,' onto the old oyster shells, at which point they are called 'spat.' CBF and our volunteers produce millions of spat at ORC each year, and transplant them onto restored sanctuary reefs.
