In step forward for Oyster Bay hatchery, some town workers are acquiring skills to grow shellfish
Josh Perry, manager of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Marine Environmental Learning Center’s shellfish hatchery, at work in the algae lab in Southold. Credit: Randee Daddona
The Town of Oyster Bay plans to soon build a shellfish hatchery capable of producing 100 million oysters and clams annually, but before that leap, town workers will need to better learn the process of running a large-scale operation.
With that in mind, the town board will allow Department of Environmental Resources staff to participate in a training program at the Cornell Cooperative Extension's Southold hatchery, from Wednesday to April 30.
Oyster Bay Town officials said eight workers will attend the hatchery a few days a week, at no cost to the town, giving the nonprofit much-needed staffing help while learning hands-on skills to grow shellfish, which serve as natural underwater filters. A single oyster in ideal conditions can filter 50 gallons of water a day, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and helps create an environment for other marine life.
"This is a mutually beneficial arrangement," said Colin Bell, deputy commissioner of the town's Department of Environmental Resources. Town officials passed a resolution on Jan. 7 to allow staff to take part in the training.
The town has its own smaller shellfish hatchery in Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park but hasn’t before taken on the task of spawning its own shellfish — a process littered with potential complications, Bell said.
The art of raising shellfish is a delicate one. They need the right food and the right conditions. And even when all that is in order, they face long odds.
"It’s incredible how sensitive these animals are, especially in their earlier life stages," said Josh Perry, the manager of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Marine Environmental Learning Center’s shellfish hatchery.
Perry, who will run the program, said that when shellfish spawn, millions of potential babies are released. Knowing what to feed the tiny eggs, how to manage them and what to expect "is integral for success," he said.
Josh Perry will run the program. "They’re getting an education from soup to nuts," he said. Credit: Randee Daddona
To make it all work, a hatchery needs "a good recipe," Perry added.
The town workers will learn to operate top-end machinery, like a bioreactor machine that automatically grows algae — the food that helps grow shellfish. The workers will also take part in cleaning tanks and learning techniques to prep the shellfish to spawn, according to Perry, which will be a skill they can replicate in the town’s planned hatchery.
"They’re getting an education from soup to nuts," Perry said. "If you are going in blind without any training, you can get this beautiful machine, and if you have no idea what to do with it, you’re not going to be able to produce anything."
Previously, the Town of Oyster Bay relied on a commercial hatchery operation run by Frank M. Flower & Sons. The company ceased hatchery operations in 2019 when it became unclear if the town would renew its 30-year underwater shellfishing lease, which expired last year. The two sides are now embroiled in litigation, Newsday reported.
The town has not yet finalized where the new hatchery would be built, but officials previously said construction would start this year.
Bell said the training also supports the town’s current initiatives to bolster shellfish populations in Oyster Bay, where environmental factors have posed challenges to the oyster and clam populations. The town has launched numerous partnerships to support the establishment of oyster reefs in the bay. Bell said most of the shellfish the town uses to restore Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor come from the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
"My team here gets to be part of developing the shellfish that ultimately winds up in our harbors," Bell said.
Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said the training helps town employees "develop the practical skills and expertise needed to support sustainable aquaculture operations."
"By working directly with shellfish broodstock, larvae, and juvenile stages, employees gain critical knowledge of water quality management, feeding protocols, disease prevention, and equipment operation," Saladino said in a statement.
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