Second Reef Planting Brings 435,000 Oysters to Ocean County Waters

The Ocean County Soil Conservation District wrapped up its second reef planting in November. Workers deposited 435,000 oysters into Barnegat and Great Bay. Nine shellfish farmers had raised these juveniles on their leases all summer before moving them to two restoration spots.

The oysters went into Tuckerton Reef, built back in 2016, and Mill Creek Reef, which came together in 2022. Stockton University watches over both sites. Each oyster measured about 1.5 inches when planted.

Farmers loaded their boats on Nov. 19 and set off. Stockton University Marine Field Station staff and conservation workers marked the planting zones with buoys. Rain and wind didn't halt the work.

This is the second year that oysters raised for an entire season on working farms have gone into restoration efforts. Officials believe the bigger, shell-based clusters create better structure. This keeps oysters from getting buried by mud and cuts down on predator losses.

The planting is part of the COASTAL Aquaculture Project, which has been taking shape since 2020. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service funds it through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

Project leaders say the work links working shellfish farms with conservation. The program uses aquaculture to bring back estuarine habitat and boost the local seafood business at the same time.

Students and staff from Stockton University Marine Field Station check the reefs twice a year — spring and fall. They track how many oysters survive and how much they grow.

The November planting is the second of four planned under the COASTAL project. By building up oyster numbers, the project hopes to improve water quality and ecological health across New Jersey's coastal bays.

More information about the COASTAL Aquaculture Project is available at soildistrict.org/projects/nj-coastal-aquaculture-project. Inquiries can be directed to kadams@soildistrict.org.