In the 1990s, serious consideration was given to listing our native oyster as endangered.

Thanks to advances in the science of breeding disease resistance, improved water quality, careful management practices and major restoration efforts, Virginia’s native oyster has made a brilliant come back.

In 1999, Virginia CZM jump-started large scale, 3-D oyster reef restoration with a $1.5 million project in the Rappahannock River and Seaside Eastern Shore.  This paved the way for the then-novel technique. 

Virginia Oyster Heritage Program

In 1999, the Virginia CZM Program brought together state, federal and non-governmental organizations, and private oyster industry partners to focus on the Bay’s largest oyster restoration project.  Virginia’s oyster harvest had been the lowest ever recorded that year.  But oysters are beginning to take hold once more.

The Virginia CZM Program made a major $1.5 million dollar investment in the Oyster Heritage Program, which restored oyster reefs in the Rappahannock and Seaside Eastern Shore.  This efforts catalyzed the practice of building 3-dimensional sanctuary reefs to “feed” nearby 2-D harvest reefs.

Additional grants to the Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) allowed for development of improved commercial aquaculture leasing and permitting and promotion of “oyster gardening” for private use.

Today, Virginia’s restaurants abound with oysters hailing from seven distinct Virginia regions.  Many also participate in the VCU Rice Center Oyster Shell Recycling Program, to which Virginia CZM also contributes, helping to return valuable oyster shells back to Chesapeake Bay as substrate for new oyster growth.

Building Oyster Reefs in the Lynnhaven

Blowing-shell-off-boat-in-Lynnhaven-Oct-4-2019--MRC_125629

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office asked Virginia CZM to serve as the conduit for $575,000 in funding for reefs in the Lynnhaven River.  In October 2018, those funds were added to the annual Virginia CZM award and subcontracted to VMRC.  The Lynnhaven is one of the tributaries included in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s goal of restoring oyster populations in ten tributaries by 2025. The target for restoration in the Lynnhaven is 60 acres.  Through this grant and using a combination of shell, crushed concrete, stone, or other materials, VMRC restored 10 acres towards the Bay Program goal.

Oyster Shell Recycling Program

Virginia’s restaurants abound with oysters hailing from seven distinct Virginia regions.  Many participate in the VCU Rice Center Oyster Shell Recycling Program, to which Virginia CZM also contributes, helping to return valuable oyster shells back to Chesapeake Bay as substrate for new oyster growth.