Contributor Steve Lauber shows his grandchildren the workings of an oyster Upweller.
Can Oyster farming in Manchester help to clean our Harbor and help combat the effects of climate change? A pilot program, initiated by the Manchester Harbor Boat Club, under the auspices of the Massachusetts Oyster project is trying to find out.
The oyster nursery (“Upweller”) is up and running under the fisherman’s canopy on Morss Pier in Masconomo Park. Approximately 20,000 baby oysters, called “spat,” are growing rapidly in the Upweller. Water is pumped up from the Harbor, circulated through the Spat and then returned to the Harbor. The water contains the nutrients and oxygen the spat need to grow. In the process, the oysters filter contaminates from the water before it is circulated back to the Harbor.
The goal is to grow our baby oysters to about one inch long so they can be planted on a licensed oyster bed nearby this fall. There, the oysters need two more years to grow to the ideal market size of three inches. In the meantime, they continue to clean the water, stabilize the seabed and provide a valuable buffer against the damaging effects of sea-level rise.
The Manchester community has come together in strong support for this project. Volunteers of all ages clean and monitor the Upweller every day, making sure the Baby oysters are in an environment where they can thrive. Educational graphics and a vision window allow visitors to see and learn about these amazing and delicious little creatures.
Stop by and take a look at this innovative community project that is serving to promote the local fisheries.
