The Oysters are Back in Barnegat Bay
Won’t disclose how ancient I am but I started coming to Long Beach Island in New Jersey before Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency.
Back then there was less ocean animal life to be found - the result of recent heavy development, plus the fact that there was no Environmental Protection Agency. Add to that habitat-destroying dredging to replace beaches and you have an ecosystem in decline.
The good news is that the general public knows what the word “environmentalism” means now, and there are private groups and government agencies dedicated to restoring and replenishing native species in the bay.
Oysters are rebounding in Barnegat Bay and elsewhere on the East Coast, especially in Chesapeake Bay, thanks to government efforts. Hey wait, that’s SOCIALISM!
As we know, oysters filter the water, their reefs attract other species … and they are delicious.
—Alex
Measures of a Successful Oyster Reef
“Overall, there were 40-60% more species found on the reef sites compared to an unrestored, bare-bottom area.”
-Barnegat Bay Partnership
Oyster farmers — like all of us — have a vested interest in the health of the bay:
“Oystering was once a vibrant way of life for the bay community, until it collapsed in the 1950s. Our independent farming members represent the future of the sustainable working waterfront of New Jersey and the fastest growing agricultural industry in the Garden State.”
-The Barnegat Oyster Collective
