Quogue Stewardship Site Update

Jun 29

Spat on Shell Oyster Reef at our Quogue Stewardship Site in June 2026

2026 marks the third season of our Quogue Stewardship Site oyster reef restoration efforts. Established in August 2024 with the first spat-on-shell planting, we have been monitoring the reef and planting additional oysters every year since.

On June 2, 2026, Aquaculture Specialist, Kate Rossi-Snook, completed our most recent monitoring, and the reef looks amazing. Our oldest oysters are huge - some approximately 6 inches or larger! Kate also observed multiple mating horseshoe crab pairs, many young blue crabs, and a large pipefish seeking shelter in the oysters.

On June 10, 2026 our oyster restoration raft located at the Post Lane bridge was stocked with its first round of spat-on-shell for the 2026 growing season. The strong tidal flow at this site allows for amazing oyster growth in their hanging baskets - this is ideal because the larger the oysters are at planting, the more likely they are to survive to spawning adulthood. We look forward to pulling them out of the water, checking their growth, and planting them at our reef site on July 7th. Another round of fresh spat-on-shell will be added to the raft, so keep an eye out for a second reef planting event to be announced for early August!

We are grateful to all of our private donors, the Quogue Association, and the Southampton Water Quality Improvement Program. Their support has allowed us to significantly expand our oyster restoration work at this site and we look forward to continuing to track its growth and success.

Now it's time to get your feet wet and have some fun - we hope some of you join us at our planting events!