As part of our Operation Ecosystem Restoration (“OER”), in 2025 alone FoBB planted over 1.2 million shellfish in the Town of Brookhaven’s protected 4 acre sanctuary (managed by FoBB). This includes FoBB’s Spat-on-Shell (“SOS”) initiative – which planted 1 million juvenile oysters (on shell) – making enormous strides toward establishing a self-sustaining oyster population in Bellport Bay. FoBB’s primary water-related activities commence in April and are completed in November.
We are pleased to confirm that our oyster survival rates continue to improve each season. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (CCESC) has determined that FoBB’s oyster survival rate is “an excellent 75% survival rate” (above average), according to CCESC’s 2023 report.
As of 2025, FoBB, with assistance from our partners and volunteers, planted over 6 million shellfish in Bellport Bay.
Timeline of FoBB’s shellfish planting:
January 2026 - Whale House Point Oyster Company donated 7,000 “oversized-for-market” oysters to FoBB, and they were transported & planted in the Town of Brookhaven Protected Shellfish Sanctuary (managed by FoBB). Huge thanks to Mike Kokell & the Whalehouse Oyster Company for this generous donation!
December 2025 - FoBB & Cornell teams explored our reef & checked on our Spat-on-Shell (“SOS”) oysters. They found that the oysters have grown nearly 12 mm!
October 2025 - FoBB members Habiba Yanni & Patrick Jones got their certification for SCUBA diving at Hampton Dive in Riverhead! They put in 8 hours of e-learning, spent two days in the pool practicing safety skills & buoyancy control, then dove for two days at the Hampton Springs Dive site in open water.
Now they’re set to dive & help FoBB record data with Aquaculture Specialists & partners at Cornell on FoBB’s oyster reef & sanctuary. They’ll be using an underwater camera to relay images of marine life back to us. This will give us a closer look at our restoration efforts & the vibrant marine life thriving there.
Congratulations & a big thanks to Habiba & Patrick! And many thanks to Hampton Dive for their SCUBA certification class & professional instruction!
September 2025 - The Cornell & FoBB teams deployed approximately 500,000 Spat-on-Shell (“SOS”) oysters into the new oyster reef & the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary in the Bay. The Cornell team also conducted an underwater monitoring of the reef, which showed healthy, thriving growth of SOS oysters!
August 2025 - The FoBB team planted 75,000 oysters into the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary, thanks to a generous donation from the Town of Brookhaven.
July 2025 - The FoBB team measured a total of 50,000 oysters in the FLUPSY last week, assessing their growth & health. Once they reach 38mm or larger, they are transferred to the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary.
June 2025 - The FoBB team was joined by water quality expert Maureen Dunn & Save the Great South Bay to collect data on the Bay, marking the beginning of the 2025 Collaborative Water Quality Monitoring Program. The data gathered will be used to produce an accessible, letter-grade Report Card that reflects the health of the south shore bays & estuaries. Later that month, FoBB & Cornell crews installed 100 cubic feet of SOS oyster (approximately 500,000 oysters) into the new oyster reef in the Bay.
May 2025 - Seatuck Environmental Association donated 1,220 lbs of cured oyster shells, obtained from local restaurants, to FoBB. These shells were placed into 40 biodegradable mesh bags for installation into the new oyster reef. Later that month, CCESC & Seatuck joined the FoBB team to secure the perimeter of the new oyster reef using the 40 bags of oyster shell from earlier that month. Bags were also added as a foundation for the new oyster reef.
April 2025 - Yearly re-installation of the FLUPSY (FLoating UPweller SYstem) by FoBB team members Thomas & Habiba. The FLUPSY consists of compartments of oyster seed, with a pump drawing water upwards, creating a continuous current of water for the growing oyster seed. This enables natural filter-feeding to take place, as well as providing predation protection, fast growth, and space efficiency.
January 2025 - FoBB’s Thomas, Maria & PJ collected data on oyster growth, with a focus on how oysters adopt to colder temperatures during the Winter season. The results showed healthy, thriving oysters in the Bay.
September 2024 - The FoBB team & CCESC planted 100 cubic feet of Spat-on-Shell (“SOS”) oysters (approximately 500,000 oysters) into the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary in Bellport Bay. Later that month, FoBB planted an additional 60,000 oysters into the Bay. As well, progress was made on the new oyster reef. The FoBB team transported 45 mesh bags of cured oyster shell to the site of the reef, where they were installed by CCESC’s Gregg Rivara & Seatuck’s Connor Dempsey.
August 2024 - The David M. Duffy Jr. foundation sponsored a collaborative marine science camp with FoBB and the Center for Environmental Education & Discovery (CEED). Camp participants from the Boys & Girls Club of Bellport planted 30,000 oysters in the Bay! Later that month, the FoBB team & Seatuck Environmental Association loaded 1,620 lbs of empty oyster shells into biodegradable mesh bags to be installed as a perimeter along FoBB’s new oyster reef.
July 2024 - FoBB began construction of the new oyster reef (the first oyster reef in the Great South Bay)! Later that month, FoBB participated in the Village of Bellport’s Family Night, planting clams with the children & teaching them about the importance of shellfish restoration.
June 2024 - CCESC Aquaculture Specialists and the FoBB team deployed 100 cubic feet (approximately 500,000 oysters) of 4 mm Spat-on-Shell (“SOS”) into the Bay. Later that month, FoBB interns installed cage gardens under docks along Bellport Bay. 75,000 oysters were donated by the Town of Brookhaven to FoBB, and transported from winter cages in Mount Sinai Harbor to the Bay.
May 2024 - 125,000 oyster seed from Aeros Cultured Oyster Co. were added to FoBB’s FLUPSY, which was also power-washed by the FoBB Water Operations Team.
April 2024 - Yearly re-installation of FoBB’s FLUPSY (FLoating UPweller SYstem).
October 2023 - Last planting of the season. FoBB planted 60,000 oysters into the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary, obtained from Aeros Cultured Oysters Co. Later that month, a bi-annual SCUBA dive visit with Gregg Rivara of CCESC & Christina Woodward of FoBB. Average oyster size was 73mm, showing healthy growth of FoBB’s oysters.
September 2023 - FoBB & CCESC planted Spat-on-Shell (“SOS”) along the Bellport Bay shoreline. As well, Marine Biologist Chelsea Miller, from the NYSDEC, joined FoBB on board to check on our restoration efforts. 30,000 additional oyster were planted in the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary.
August 2023 - Friends of Bellport Bay began a new initiative to purchase and deploy Spat-On-Shell (“SOS”) from the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (CCESC) hatchery in Southold. SOS refers to the structure formed by oyster larvae, which grow into dense clusters known as oyster reefs. The Aquaculture Program at Cornell Hatchery grows oyster larvae into spat in a controlled laboratory environment, until they are large enough to plant on the Bay bottom. In summer of 2023, we purchased and deployed 400 cubic feet of SOS (500,000 oysters).
August 2023 - The David M Duffy Jr. Foundation, Center for Environmental Education & Discovery (CEED), and the Boys & Girls Club of Bellport participated in a week long collaboration in a marine program with FoBB. The Restoration Team members identified and recorded marine species in Bellport Bay, seine netted, counted and measured oysters for FoBB's aquaculture report, and planted approximately 60,000 oysters from our shoreline cage gardens into the Sanctuary.
July 2023 - We planted 385,000 single oysters from Aeros Cultured Oyster Company in Southold, which started from seed at 6-8mm, and were planted in the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary when they reached over 45mm.
June 2023 - For more than 6 years, Brookhaven Town has donated hundreds of thousands of oysters to FoBB, collaborating on a mission to restore the Bay's ecosystem. This year, Craig Strong and his team donated another 75,000 oysters from their winter cage gardens in Mount Sinai Harbor to FoBB.
Our interns and volunteers transported the 75 bags of oysters from Mount Sinai Harbor down to Bellport Bay, and installed them into our cage gardens where they were continually and systematically monitored, cleaned, and assessed by FoBB interns all season. When they were 40mm or larger, they were released into the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary in Bellport Bay, playing a vital role in providing healthy habitat for the ecosystem and marine species of the Bay.
October 2022 - The FoBB team completed our last oyster planting of the season. Planting 160,000 FLUPSY oysters directly into the Town of Brookhaven Protected Shellfish Sanctuary.
August 2022 - The FoBB Team planted 80,000 oysters in the Town of Brookhaven’s shellfish management area.
June 2022 - The FoBB team headed to Aeros Cultured Oyster Company in Southold, NY to pick up approximately 250,000 7mm young oysters to fill our cage gardens. The oysters were separated & placed into bags that are compatible with our cages.
October 2021 - The FoBB team maintained oysters in the FLUPSY & shoreline residents’ cage gardens. Over 400,000 oysters were planted in the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary in the Bay.
June 2021 - The FoBB team traveled to the Cedar Beach Hatchery in Mt. Sinai to collect 75,000 oysters donated by the Town of Brookhaven. 75 bags of oysters were transported to our oyster garden cages located under residential docks in Bellport Bay.
May 2021 - FoBB installed 30 oyster garden cages over two days to accommodate 300,000 oysters! These garden cages provide a sheltered, protected environment in Bellport Bay for juvenile oysters to grow & reach maturity before being planted on the Bay bottom.
September 2020 - We celebrated Labor Day by planting 30,000 oysters into Bellport Bay!
August 2020 - We planted 36,000 oysters into the Protected Shellfish Sanctuary in Bellport Bay! The oysters had been growing all summer in garden cages along the Bellport shoreline and were finally ready to enter the Sanctuary.
July 2020 - This is FoBB’s FLUPSY (FLoating UPweller SYstem), and it works by pumping nutrient-rich water into mesh baskets where juvenile oysters live until they’re mature enough to thrive in open waters. The FLUPSY has been operating since 2019.
September 2019 - Board Members & Gregg Rivara (CCESC) transporting 30,000 oysters from the FoBB Community garden to plant in the Sanctuary in Bellport Bay.
August 2019 - Taking oysters from a cage garden to release into the Town of Brookhaven Protected Shellfish Sanctuary.
June 2019 - Volunteers collecting bags of oysters at Cedar Beach, from The Town of Brookhaven. These oysters are grown in the Harbor and distributed to environmental groups to grow in cage gardens along the Bellport shoreline. They are then released into the environment when mature.
June 2019 - Governor Cuomo and FoBB President Thomas Schultz. In his commitment to improve water quality in Nassau & Suffolk Counties, Governor Cuomo visited Bellport Bay and recognized FoBB’s efforts & success in shellfish restoration.
August 2018 - Someone has to clean the cages! (Fireplace Garden)
July 2018 - Additional oysters from Cedar Beach (Academy Lane and Fireplace Oyster Gardens).
June 2018 - Sorting oysters from Cedar Beach and placing in oyster gardens.
November 2017 - Checking oyster colonies and planting additional oysters.
July 2017 - New oyster garden.
June 2017 - Sorting oysters at Cedar Beach.
May 2017 - Fundraiser: Oysters and Champagne - Isabella Rossellini’s Mama Farm.
October 2016 - Third recording of oyster growth.
July 2016 - Second recording of oyster growth.
July 2016 - Meet the parents at Mother’s Beach in Bellport!
July 2016 - Planting of oysters from the Town of Brookhaven.
June 2016 - Planting scallops.
November 2015 - First Recording of Oyster Growth.
September 2015 - Second Planting.
