Shelter Island Commits WQI Funds to Shellfish and Habitat Restoration
Earlier this week, the Shelter Island Town Board formally accepted the recommendation of the Community Preservation Fund Water Quality Improvement Advisory Board to grant $200,000 of the Town’s WQI funds to CCE for a proposed Shellfish and Habitat Restoration project. This vote of support makes an important statement: that water quality and the health of our bays and wetlands is a crucial issue that requires action, and Shelter Island is ready to make the commitment to preserving its natural resources.
Building upon its 2022 pilot year, which initiated a remote setting tank for producing spat-on-shell oysters to create an oyster reef in Coecles Harbor, in 2023 this project will: add approximately 160 cubic feet of spat-on-shell to the oyster reef; plant 10,000 eelgrass shoots; create a small scallop spawner sanctuary with 100,000 bays scallop bugs; and seed 250,000 hard clams in addition to the annual town reseeding program.
The hatchery is already abuzz with larval and juvenile shellfish, and as the water continues to warm, our team is preparing to begin monitoring and site selection for the various restoration activities. This project won’t just improve water quality, it will also create wonderful education + outreach opportunities for the Shelter Island School and broader community - be sure to check our calendar and register for upcoming stewardship events!
