Since 2000 the Oyster Recovery Partnership has planted over 1 billion UMCES produced disease free spat on shell oysters at over 60 locations.     Where We Plant Our sites include Sanctuaries, Managed Reserves, and Harvest bars. Hatchery Operation The University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Horn Point Lab raises the disease-free seed that is planted. The ORP field operation handles the logistics of moving the large amounts of spat on shell on to the pre-selected oyster recovery sites. Site Preparation All oyster recovery sites are chosen and prepared to provide maximum habitat value for the seed oysters. Operational partners MWA, USACE, NOAA and DNR are directly involved in the site preparation through bar cleanings, shell plantings, and a side-scan sonar bottom survey that helps identify bay bottom suitable for restoration. Monitoring The UMCES program monitors most of our sites for dermo disease presence, mortality, and size data. Data analysis is conducted by the Paynter Labs.           Copyright © 2006-2008 Chesapeake Appreciation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.