The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance promotes research and new approaches through oyster innovation grants and restoration funding.
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The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance (COA) has directly added 6 billion oysters to the Chesapeake Bay since 2017 through restoration and aquaculture. The Group aims to reach the 10 billion fee by 2025.
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It includes parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and the state of Delaware.
Regarding this achievement, Tanner Council, COA Senior Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said: "At least six billion oysters have been added to the Chesapeake in recent years thanks to heroic work by Maryland and Virginia, federal partners, and COA aquaculture and restoration partners."
In addition, COA highlights the small-scale restoration work and the collaboration of individuals and small businesses. "These efforts are a great example of how the people and partners throughout the region have embraced the many benefits of oyster restoration and aquaculture," the statement says.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Oyster Recovery Partnership restoration work has made it possible that the oyster count during 2023 broke a record.
The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance promotes research and new approaches through oyster innovation grants, restoration funding, facilitating collaborations between partners, and an annual Chesapeake Oyster Science Symposium.
COA founded the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) in 2018 to spark momentum and innovation to bring back oysters from historically low levels. It includes more than 110 nonprofits, academic institutions, businesses, and aquaculture operations.
The Oyster Innovation Awards, launched by COA in January, offers $140,000 for 15 organizations that promote oyster-related research, technologies, reproduction, educational opportunities, and more.