Wellfleet Oyster Reef Restoration

Anamarija Frankić, of the Green Harbor Project at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Curt Felix of the Wastewater Management Planning Committee for the town of Wellfleet have collaborated on an oyster reef restoration project in Wellfleet Harbor. In 2011 a two acre cultch site was created in Wellfleet Harbor where Duck Creek and Mayo Creek meet. The goal was to create an oyster reef that would eventually host a population of 8 million oysters to increase water quality and increase species diversity. A single oyster has been found to filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. This has become an important tool in remediating coastal waters in order to decrease nutrient concentrations.

The Center for Coastal Studies has been involved with the project in providing water quality monitoring services. The Centers team has been monitoring 15 sites bimonthly between May and October within the two creeks, the study site, and outside of Wellfleet Harbor since the start of the project to determine if the oyster reef has improved water quality within Wellfleet Harbor.

Oyster stations

To learn more about the project please visit:
https://www.umb.edu/ghp/green_harbors/wellfleet_harbor

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Entanglement Hotline: (800) 900-3622
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(508) 487-3622
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