Blog
Shelter Island Oyster Restoration - Summer 2026 Update
Back to the Bays had been busy this summer working to restore oyster reef habitats on Shelter Island and engaging the public every step of the way!
Marsh Restoration Rafts - a summer 2026 intern project
Back to the Bays intern, Rachel Kaplani, completed her senior thesis work with us this summer 2026. Curious about the interactions soil minerals, nutrients, and microorganisms have with plants and their root systems, Rachel has been developing and experimenting with growing methods for cultivating marsh grass, including floating “Restoration Rafts,” which allow grass roots to take up excess nutrients directly from our bays as they grow.
Seahorse Hotels, open for business
Kim Manzo and Kate Rossi-Snook give us an up close look at our 2026 Seahorse Hotel deployments in Greenport, Southold, Hampton Bays, and Sag Harbor/North Haven Stewardship Sites!
Blue Carbon ~ Mitigating climate change by restoring coastal habitats
Funded by and in partnership with the South Shore Estuary Reserve Program, CCE Marine has been able to continue restoring “Blue Carbon” habitats, like eelgrass and marsh grass. Learn about how Blue Carbon habitats help mitigate climate change.
Seahorse Hotels in Sag Harbor
In partnership with Kidd Squid Brewing Co. we held a Seahorse Hotel workshop in Sag Harbor. These structures will be deployed in village waters to provide additional habitat for our local seahorse species.
Quogue Oyster Reef Deployment
Our Quogue Junior Ambassadors came out to help us deploy the first round of summer 2025 spat-on-shell oysters in our Quogue Oyster Reef (established summer 2024).
Quogue Oyster Reef Monitoring
Kim and Kate head out to monitor our Quogue Oyster Reef, collect scientific data, and clean the spat-on-shell oysters growing in our restoration raft. It may have been a rainy day for our dedicated staff, but not for the oysters. The reef is absolutely thriving!
Oyster Restoration Raft Installed at Quogue Stewardship Site
Installing Oyster Restoration Raft in the waters of our Quogue Stewardship Site. Spat-on-shell oysters will improve water quality as they filter feed and grow, and eventually be planted in Quogue Village waters to bolster our newly restored oyster reef!
Seeding Bay Scallops in Sag Harbor
Our Back to the Bays team and CCE experts were joined by 2 VIP donors and the press, for our annual bay scallop seeding in Sag Harbor Shoals eelgrass sanctuary.
Back to the Bays Marks a Milestone
2025 marks the 10-Year Anniversary of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Back to the Bays Initiative!