The Town of Oyster Bay has approved plans to expand its shellfish hatchery operations with a new facility at TOBAY Beach, which could significantly increase the municipality’s ability to restore marine ecosystems on both the North and South shores.
Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said the new site is not a relocation of the existing North Shore hatchery in Oyster Bay, but an expansion intended to complement the current operation.
“This is a new location,” Saladino said in an interview. “The one in Oyster Bay stays; this will be an additional hatchery to help us get to that 40 to 60 million clams and oysters a year mark. That’s our goal.”
The town’s current hatchery on the North Shore produces about 10 million to 12 million clams annually, according to Saladino. The planned TOBAY Beach facility is expected to greatly expand that output, with room for future growth through a modular design.
“We decided we needed a location that trucks can come and go, a location that won’t affect any residences, and a location that has room to expand, and most importantly, has access to very clean salt water,” Saladino said. “So at TOBAY Beach, we have all of that.”
The new hatchery will be built on the bay side of TOBAY Beach, not the oceanfront. Saladino emphasized that the project is separate from the town’s ongoing coastal erosion concerns along the Atlantic shoreline.
The site’s proximity to the State Boat Channel Bridge was a major factor in the town’s decision, he said, citing the area’s strong tidal flushing and water quality.
According to Saladino, the expanded facility will not only grow shellfish seed to larger, more resilient sizes, but will also allow for spawning operations.
He added that much of the shellfish produced at the new hatchery will support restoration efforts in Oyster Bay Harbor, where the town has set a goal of introducing as many as 100 million shellfish seedlings annually.
Shellfish such as oysters and clams play a key ecological role as filter feeders, improving water clarity and quality.
“Each shellfish filters approximately 50 gallons of water a day,” Saladino said. “So when you multiply that times the millions, it really makes it enormous, enormous difference in the water quality and the environmental impact on the marine environment.”
The project will be managed through the town’s Department of Environmental Resources and funded through the capital budget, with the town also pursuing grant assistance to offset costs.
Friends of the Bay Executive Director Christine Suter the increase in shellfish production capacity will mark an important step forward in restoration efforts.
“We’re just really eager for there to be a hatchery built so that the town can increase its capacity to produce shellfish seeds,” Suter said. “That is really needed for conservation efforts on the north and south shore of Oyster Bay.”
She added that the larger hatchery could improve the town’s ability to produce “spat on shell,” a restoration method in which juvenile oysters are attached to shell substrate before being placed in the water.
“Being able to produce more spat on shell is great in terms of conservation,” Suter said. “They’re less vulnerable to be harvested, and they’ve proven to be somewhat more resilient.”
The town is currently in the design phase. Saladino said officials expect to have a clearer timeline for construction within the next few months.
