Help Restore Oyster Habitat in the Herring Bay Sanctuary
The Advocates for Herring Bay appreciate your interest and support for our “Happy Oysters, Healthy Bay” campaign. Your donations or participation in the Maryland Grows Oyster (MGO) program will make a difference!
Why is oyster restoration important?
Investing in this project will yield environmental benefits for Herring Bay for years to come. Being located on a historical oyster reef in a sanctuary ensures that the oysters planted today will not be disturbed in the future because those oyster beds are permanently closed to harvesting. As noted in the FAQ about the benefits of restoration, those protections allow the reefs to develop three-dimensional structures that provide the food and shelter needed by hundreds of aquatic species—including crabs and fish. Each adult oyster also filters more than 10 gallons of water per day, reducing major pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus.
Those benefits, especially reductions in pollution, will be felt beyond the border of the Herring Bay. Because it is a sub-bay of the Chesapeake, Herring Bay’s water constantly intermingles with the waters of the open Bay. Thus, the waters cleansed by oysters’ filtration—and any waters carrying new larvae—will help not only Herring Bay but the broader Bay watershed.
How can I help with AHB’s MGO oyster gardening project?
Oyster gardening is a great way to promote the growth of oysters. Spat-on-shell are placed in secure cages that can hung from piers or boat slips with at least 4 feet of water at low tide. The cages protect the tiny oysters from predators and being in deep water ensures that they will not die from being exposed to frigid air. “Gardeners” maintain the cages for about 9 months (generally September to May). For details about the logistical requirements for caring for the oysters, check out the information on the website for the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), which administers the program for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Here is a link to ORP’s “Getting Started” page.
Starting in 2026, AHB will be serving as a Coordinator for a MGO project raising oysters that will be planted on a restoration site in the Herring Bay Sanctuary. Please contact us at herringbay@gmail.com if you are interested in helping in some way!
How many oysters will our donations support?
As you can see the FAQ on “What it takes to build a reef,” the process involves growing oyster larvae at a hatchery, nurturing them on shells, and transporting and planting them on underwater reefs. In 2025, the cost of planting 10 million juvenile oysters in the Herring Bay Sanctuary cost approximately, $40,000, or an average of $4,000 per million spat-on-shell. At that price, here is what your contribution can buy:
$50 buys 12,500 juvenile oysters
$100 buys 25,000
$250 buys 62,500
$500 buys 125,000
$1,000 buys roughly a quarter-million juvenile oysters
How can I make a donation?
Monetary donations can be made by check payable to the Advocates for Herring Bay or by using the online donation button on this website. If possible, checks are preferred to avoid processing fees. Checks should be made payable to AHB-Oysters and can be delivered at upcoming fundraising events or sent by mail to P.O Box 496, North Beach, Maryland. 20714. If you would prefer to use Zelle—a banking service—contact us at herringbay@gmail.com to make arrangements.
AHB is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation to the oyster campaign is tax deductible.