Since 2007, CBF has been growing oysters and engaging the community in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, contributing to more than two acres of protected oyster reef surrounding historic Fort Carroll. Our focus is to restore a small part of the oyster population that was once a fundamental part of Baltimore's identity, economy, and ecosystem while educating Baltimore residents about the important role oysters play in providing habitat and filtering the water.
In October 2013, and the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore came together to grow oysters in the Inner Harbor in ways that are engaging and inspire community stewardship for the local region, wildlife, and Chesapeake Bay. To date, the Partnership has planted over six million oysters on the reef at Fort Carroll. The effort is part of CBF's Maryland Oyster Gardening Program.
There are many barriers to accessibility to the Baltimore Harbor. Transportation, costs to access, and a lack of environmental and water safety education have all contributed to distancing people from this resource. The Baltimore Oyster Partnership connects residents, students, and the business community to their Harbor, providing opportunities to meaningfully interact with this crucial body of water, change perceptions, and educate about its extensive and healthy ecosystem. Connecting residents to water through hands on restoration like oyster gardening can encourage positive connections to their environment and expancs our community's capacity to care for the critical life around us.
Oyster gardeners, including adults and students from the Baltimore community, learn about the local ecosystem and the benefit of oysters to water quality and providing habitat for a variety of species in the Inner Harbor and Bay. Since the program began, hundreds of members of the public have participated, building their own cages and learning how to be oyster gardeners. Their cages are deployed along the piers of the Downtown Sailing Center and Baltimore Marine Centers' Lighthouse Point, and other locations around the Inner Harbor. Volunteers start growing baby oysters in the fall, filling wire cages with tiny oysters attached to old oyster shells and suspending the cages in the Harbor from piers and other structures. They maintain the cages throughout the winter. After nine months, the matured oysters are planted on a protected oyster sanctuary on the Patapsco River.
"Oysters are a lifeline in Baltimore," said Morgan Shapiro, CBF Baltimore Oyster Restoration Coordinator. "The rich history of Baltimore was built on oysters and their ecosystem." In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Baltimore was central to Maryland's oyster industry. Oysters harvested from the Bay made their way to a plethora of oyster canneries along the harbor. "While the current landscapre of oysters looks different now than before due to pollution, over harvesting, and disease, protecting oysters means preserving the spirit of the city," she continued. "They filter the Chesapeake Bay, sustain our economy, and connect our culture to the tides of history.
The Partnership's efforts are paying off. While oysters in the wild often see only a one percent survival rate due to predation and low oxygen levels, the baby oysters, called spat, grown by the Great Baltimore Oyster Partnership have maintained a 70 percent survival rate and increased 40 percent in size.
