This year’s oyster planting season has been one of the most ambitious in ORP’s history. Since mid-April, our team has worked in close partnership with state and federal agencies, local watermen, and conservation organizations to deliver tangible, lasting restoration across Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay waters. From revitalizing oyster sanctuaries to replenishing public fisheries, our work is rebuilding a resource vital to the Bay’s health, heritage, and future—and we’re just getting started.
Manokin River: A Monumental Milestone
After years of planning and collaboration, the restoration of the Manokin River oyster sanctuary is is on the brink of completion—a milestone decades in the making. Led by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), this effort delivers the fifth and final large-scale sanctuary in Maryland, fulfilling the state’s oyster restoration pledge under the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. A coalition of partners, including ORP, UMCES Horn Point Laboratory, NOAA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Maryland Watermen, have worked side-by-side to bring this vision to life. Once finished, the Manokin will stand as the largest oyster sanctuary in the world, restoring 441 acres of reef with well over a billion oysters!
- Read the Chesapeake Bay Program’s press release on progress towards the Ten Tributary goal
- Learn more about Manokin completion in this recent article from Chesapeake Bay Magazine
- “Oysters are Breathing Life Into the Chesapeake Bay”, article from Reasons to Be Cheerful
📅 Follow our story (@oysterrecovery) on August 26 (rain date Aug 27) to watch as this historic milestone is achieved!
Other Sanctuary & Coastal Restoration Highlights
Sanctuary plantings began in May and have included several exciting projects outside of the Manokin. With support from Ever Forward mitigation funds and a grassroots fundraising campaign by the Advocates for Herring Bay, Herring Bay is now home to 60 million new oysters. As part of Operation Build-a-Reef, in partnership with the Severn River Association, ORP recently planted 9 million oysters on a sanctuary reef in the Severn River.
In Eastern Bay, we deployed 205 bushels of mature farm-raised oysters through a SOAR planting in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, supporting restoration while strengthening the regional shellfish economy.
Looking Ahead: What Comes After the Ten Tributaries Goal
As the Ten Tributaries’ effort successfully concludes, ORP and restoration partners are already looking ahead. The next large-scale sanctuary – the Nanticoke River – has been selected and work will begin next year.
We are developing a plan and actively pursuing funds to implement the Oyster Expert Panel Best Management Practices (BMP) recommendations for oyster restoration and harvest practices to help meet Chesapeake Bay water quality goals. This fall, thanks to the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, ORP will launch Maryland’s first BMP pilot project. This work will build on the successful collaboration model piloted in the Eastern Bay Oyster Coalition and further advance DNR’s restoration goals.
Public Fishery Plantings: Record-Breaking Numbers
Restoration in support of Maryland’s public oyster fishery kicked off in April and has already surpassed previous benchmarks. To date, ORP and its’ partners, on behalf of DNR and the County Oyster Committees, have planted:
- 24,000+ bushels of wild seed
- 128,000+ bushels of shell
- 330+ million spat-on-shell
This year’s efforts include a second season of targeted restoration in Eastern Bay on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, as well as 41 million spat-on-shell planted in Anne Arundel County using Ever Forward mitigation funds. Altogether, these plantings cover approximately 165 acres of harvested oyster reefs across 15 Bay tributaries, strengthening both the fishery and the Bay’s ecosystem.
We’re also continuing to test innovative materials. This summer, we coordinated the planting of 10,000 bushels of recycled crushed concrete in Broad Creek and Pocomoke Sound. These substrates, placed alongside shell plantings, are part of an ongoing field study to assess their effectiveness as an alternate substrate to oyster shell for bottom enhancement and catching a natural spat set. Early testing has shown promising results.
Help Keep the Momentum Going
2025 is a turning point in oyster restoration—and we’re just getting started. Here are three ways you can support our work right now:
- 🦪 Donate to support oyster restoration and help us continue building a healthier, more resilient Chesapeake Bay. Every dollar makes a difference. 👉 Make a gift
- 🎉 Join us at World Is Your Oyster Fest on October 2 to celebrate this year’s progress with fresh oysters, craft cocktails, live music, and more—all while supporting restoration.👉 Get your tickets
- 📣 Raise your voice for oyster restoration by submitting comments on the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement goals. Let leaders know you support additional investment in oyster restoration.
🗓️ Deadline: September 1. 👉 Learn more
Together, we’re restoring the Bay—one oyster at a time. 💙