Saladino, LaMarca and Pravato "Seed the Bay" with Baby Oysters

By Niall Fitzgerald

The fall "oyster spat" seeding season is upon us.

Last week, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Town Clerk Rich LaMarca and Town Receiver of Taxes Jeff Pravato took to the waters of Oyster Bay to seed over one million baby clam and oyster seedlings - called "spat" - into our local waters.

The Town's shellfish hatchery program has already planted roughly 12 million clam and oyster seedlings into Oyster Bay during 2023.

“Oyster Bay Harbor is one of our crown jewels, and we are proud to be doing more than ever before to improve our water quality,” said Supervisor Saladino. “Programs like these help bolster the local economy while improving water quality. This helps preserve the natural beauty of our local waterways for generations to come.”

The Town grows out the seedlings at its Shellfish Hatchery until they mature enough to be transferred into grow-out areas where they can fully mature. The oysters and clams act to filter the water - with each adult clam or oyster filtering clean over 25 gallons of seawater each day.

The seeding program also supports the oyster fishing industry, with hundreds of local "Baymen" harvesting local clams and oysters - keeping the "oyster" in Oyster Bay.