Written by Christina Mink
On October 15, 2023 AYLUS Oyster Bay members helped maintain the Health of Oyster Harbor by collecting oysters and clams from the Oyster Festival. The Oyster Festival is an annual festival that focuses on honoring the oyster and sells it in every conceivable form, such as fried oysters, half shell, chowder, and wood-fired. Over 200,000 people attend each year.
During the festival, the Department of Environmental Resources of Oyster Bay has organized for festival goers to dump the oyster and clams shells into separate bins from the rest of the trash. The oyster and clam shells will then be returned back to the bay. The AYLUS volunteers encouraged and helped festival goers dump the trash into the correct bins, as well as organizing the bins to ensure that the trash and the shells are not mixed up. And sorted oysters and clams into designated bins.
Oysters and clams are essential to the sea and bay ecosystems. Oysters and clams serve as natural water filters, ensuring that the water is clean. One adult oysters is able to filter 50 gallons of water per day, while one adult clam can filter approximately 24 gallons of water per day. By returning the empty shells back to the bay, it creates a habitat that encourages new oysters and clams to settle in the bay. In addition, 90% of the Oysters sold in New York come from Oyster Bay, so the replenishment of Oysters is important for the economy. More oysters and clams mean better water quality for future generations and an economic boost for Long Island.
