Madaket Marine using oysters to combat algae blooms

By Brian Bushard
The Inquirer and Mirror
July 22, 2021

(July 22, 2021) Madaket Marine received 10,000 oysters from the nonprofit Massachusetts Oyster Project this summer as part of an initiative to fight algae blooms in the harbor, an issue that has led to poor water quality around the marina for several decades.

“Hither Creek has historically had excess nutrient levels and slow-moving waters, which has resulted in algal bloom through a process called eutrophication,” Madaket Marine said in a statement this week. “If no action is taken, the oxygen levels will reach a point where marine life, including fish and other organisms, will not survive in the creek.”

One adult oyster is believed to be able to filter 50 gallons of water a day, according to the Massachusetts Oyster Project.

The restoration project follows a 2018 pilot program. Madaket Marine grows the oysters using ocean water pumped into the marina. Its plans to release them into the harbor once they reach a diameter of 25 millimeters. The long-term goal is to create a restoration reef in Madaket Harbor.

Madaket Marine using oysters to combat algae blooms – The Inquirer and Mirror