Maryland’s Strong Oyster Count Shows That Restoration and Sanctuary Protections Are Working

Continued Progress is Under Threat by Proposed Legislation and Budget Cuts

Juvenile oysters, called spat, have reached their second highest numbers in Maryland since 1985, according to the results of the Department of Natural Resources’ 2025 Fall Oyster Survey released today. This is the sixth consecutive year oyster reproduction has been above average in the state.

This success comes just as Maryland legislators debate potential cuts to oyster restoration funding and a proposed bill that would threaten thriving oyster sanctuaries.

The survey, which measures oysters’ reproductive success and potential population growth, recorded approximately 250 oyster spat per bushel across a wide range of sampled oyster reefs. This successful reproduction comes after years of targeted investment and strategic restoration in Maryland’s oyster sanctuaries. According to the latest assessment, the number of adult oysters in Maryland has increased three-fold, with the greatest increases in sanctuaries that were targeting for restoration under the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

Protected sanctuary reefs provide abundant fish habitat and offer great opportunities for recreational angling. They also allow larger oyster growth, which increases reproduction both in sanctuaries and in areas open to harvest. Before this year’s oyster market collapse, harvests over the past five years rivaled numbers not seen since the late 1980s.

But despite proven success, oyster sanctuaries and restoration in Maryland are at risk this General Assembly session. Governor Moore’s proposed budget includes a 41% reduction for oyster restoration in DNR’s capital budget, which funds reef construction and oyster plantings in sanctuary areas.

Legislators are also considering a bill (HB1388/SB0875) that could open more than 56,000 acres of protected oyster sanctuaries to harvest. Destructive harvesting techniques like dredging have been shown to damage oyster reef habitat. This bill would counteract long-time investments in oyster reefs and strip sanctuaries of their protected status at a time when Maryland recently recommitted to an additional 1,100 acres of reef restoration in the new 2025 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Coastal Resource Scientist Julie Luecke issued the following statement:

“Oyster restoration in the Bay is working, and these strong survey results show it.

“Maryland cannot backslide on decades of progress and investment. Legislators must reject destructive proposals to dredge sanctuary oyster reefs and cut the oyster restoration budget. When Maryland leaders protect oysters, they also protect clean water, coastal communities, and local economies. Not doing so would undermine decades of progress and investment.”