MISSION STATEMENT
FoBB’s mission is to improve the water quality of Bellport Bay and the Great South Bay. Our primary activity is Operation Ecosystem Restoration (“OER”) which brings the community together and improves water quality, creates habitat and protects shoreline through a sustainable solution – shellfish restoration. We have been implementing OER since our inception in 2015, and have successfully and sustainably planted approximately 4.8 million shellfish.
Due to an oyster's ability to filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, our successes have significantly cleaned the Bay, with approximately 240 million gallons of Bay water filtered per day (as of 2024). Our fundraising pays for equipment, water operations and scientific evaluation. We are proud to allocate over 85% of our budget directly towards our on-water programs. We partner with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (CCESC) for scientific evaluation, and with Brookhaven Town for a Marine Protected Area.
FoBB also sponsors community educational seminars on shellfish restoration and nitrogen pollution mitigation. Our initiatives benefit all of Suffolk County. Our success contributes to clean recreational use of the Bay by approximately 1 million people - enabling safe usage for swimming, sailing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and fishing.
In Summary: We are turning the tide one shellfish at a time, and restoring the marine ecosystem of Bellport Bay for generations to come.
We are a Not-for-Profit 501(c)(3) organization created to help improve the water quality of Bellport Bay and the Great South Bay. We are committed to educating the public through seminars and on-water programs. Our strategies include the planting of oysters and shellfish to filter the water of Bellport Bay, communicating the importance of environmental stewardship, and the education of neighbors and residents to alternatives for high nitrogen lawn fertilizers.
Our success with shellfish planting has become increasingly important in light of the closing of the channel between the Bay and the Atlantic Ocean that was created in 2012 during Hurricane Superstorm Sandy. The Bellport Bay and Great South Bay water quality is at significant risk of deteriorating due to the lack of tidal flush that no longer exists as of 2022.
Friends of Bellport Bay, Inc.
P.O. Box 323
Bellport, NY 11713
info@fobb.org
(917) 957-5458
Officers:
Thomas Schultz - Co-Founder and Director of Restoration Program
Katia Read - Co-Founder and Chair
Larissa Chraim - Co-Director
Ellis Kocay - Co-Director
Maria Slavnova - Co-Director
Christina Woodard - Co-Director
Board Members:
Amanda Burden, Tara Kavanagh, Howard Read, Peter Schulte, Rae Specht, Habibatu Yanni
Thomas Schultz
Co-Founder & Director of Shellfish Restoration Program
Thomas resides in Bellport Village where he and his wife Mary are raising three young daughters. After holding a position as a Legislative Assistant for the NY State Assembly, he decided to open Gallery 125, a fine arts gallery in Bellport, which produces several art exhibitions each year. In 2015, he produced an exhibition spotlighting sculptures created by Katia Read. Katia’s pieces capture the natural shapes and forms found on the Bay bottom, including that of shellfish. They decided to donate a percentage of proceeds from art sales to efforts related to shellfish restoration in the Great South Bay. This early collaboration led to the creation of FoBB in 2015.
Katia Read
Co-Founder & Board Chair
Katia is an environmentalist and artist. Katia earned a BFA in sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been exhibited at The Drawing Center, Rose Burlingham Gallery, NYC, Gallery 125, and the Marquis Gallery in Bellport. In 2015, with Thomas Schultz, Katia co-founded Friends of Bellport Bay on an environmental and planting mission aimed at recreating lost habitat and improving water quality in the Bay. Katia and her husband Howard raised their two daughters in Bellport and NYC.
Maria Slavnova
Co-Director
Maria has volunteered with FoBB since 2020 and is currently a student at Stony Brook University, working towards earning her Degree in Psychology. Maria obtained her NYS boating license through BoatEd in 2021. Through her time at FoBB, Maria has cultivated a passion for preserving the environment, which she hopes to spread to Bellport youth.
Ellis Kocay
Co-Director
Ellis has been working with FoBB since 2022, and their other experiences include co-founding Four Girls For Families, interning at Alliance for Clean Energy New York, and conducting original social science research with Dr. Lisa Anderson. Ellis’ passion for climate justice drives their commitment to the betterment of Bellport Bay, as well as their intended career in advancing green and equitable urban planning. Ellis is a 2023 graduate from Tufts University where they studied Sociology, Political Science, and Urban Studies.
Larissa Chraim
Co-Director
Larissa is a Stony Brook University graduate, holding a BS in Marine Science. She has experience in environmental education, research assistance (including microplastic and wastewater topics), and salmon restoration. She obtained her Open Water SCUBA certification through the Hampton Dive Center in 2021. She currently resides in Northern California, and is a passionate advocate for marine conservation, animal welfare, and environmental justice.
Christina Woodard
Co-Director
Christina is a Stony Brook University undergraduate, working toward a degree in Marine Vertebrate Biology. Currently also working as an intern in the Gobler Lab, she has 3 years of experience with shellfish planting and water quality monitoring. With concern for the environment, she enjoys helping create ecosystems that are more resilient to climate change and other stressors.
Board Members
Rae Specht - Rae is a Grants Manager at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Previously, Rae served as the Executive Director of Friends of Bellport Bay and co-founded Four Girls for Families, a clean drinking water organization serving families in Cambodia. Growing up in Bellport Village, Rae went on to attend Cornell University, where she concentrated in Literature, Environmental Studies, and Urban Studies.
Amanda Burden - Amanda is Principal at Bloomberg Associates, an international philanthropic consultancy advising mayors around the world to help improve the quality of life of their citizens. Previously, she was the New York City Planning Commissioner during the Bloomberg Administration from 2002-2013.
Tara Kavanagh - A practicing lawyer in Bellport for over 25 years, Tara is a graduate of Fordham University and Fordham Law. Tara’s practice is focused on the areas of real estate, estate planning, and estate administration. She was a member of the Town of Brookhaven Planning Board from 2005-2019. She currently serves on the Village of Bellport Golf Commission. Tara lives in Bellport with her husband, Tom Ford, where they raised their four daughters.
Howard Read - Howard is the Co-Founder and partner of Cheim & Read, a contemporary art gallery located in Chelsea and the upper east side, NYC. Howard also serves on the Bellport Environment Committee, focusing on improving environmental conditions for Bellport residents. Howard and his wife Katia are long time residents of NYC and Bellport.
Peter Schulte - Managing Partner, CM Equity Partners; Peter serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Rainforest Alliance and Lasell University, and is a former member of the boards of Marymount School in New York City, Deerfield Academy, Center for Business and the Environment at Yale University and the New York League of Conservation Voters.
Habibatu Yanni - Habiba holds a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from SUNY Farmingdale, and is the Lead Program Instructor for Sciences and Arts at Morrison Mentors. Habiba’s hobbies include equine therapy leading and swimming. She has been working with FoBB since 2022, and is enjoying the work to benefit our ecosystem.
IRS Tax ID Number 82-1658902