OYSTER REEF BALLS
Helping the community’s watershed health and wildlife protections
On Tuesday, June 23, visitors and project partners watched as the Patricia Campbell set 62 oyster reef balls along a shoreline at Quiet Waters Park. These reef balls, made of concrete and intended to provide a home for oysters and other aquatic life, are a crucial piece of the Quiet Waters shoreline restoration project managed by Arundel Rivers Federation in partnership with the Department of Recreation and Parks, as well as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). This deployment of reef balls is one of three trips CBF’s oyster barge is making to the park this summer; once they’re done, 240 new oyster reef balls, over half of them pre-set with baby oysters, will call Harness Creek home.
The reef balls will serve as a breakwater, dissipating wave energy as it approaches the shoreline and minimizing further erosion. They will also provide critical habitat for a number of species. Over a hundred of the reef balls installed are seeded with live oyster spat to kickstart the reef building process. Oyster reefs have seen an exponential decline since the 19th century, when human populations around the Chesapeake Bay boomed. Through the combined efforts of volunteers, non-profits, and government agencies, oysters are beginning to make their comeback as our communities and leaders prioritize watershed health and wildlife protections. Once complete, the shoreline restoration at Quiet Waters will help realize these goals and make the space healthier and safer for human and animal visitors alike.