PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Students in Portsmouth helped to deploy and record data of oyster reef balls at the Portsmouth City Park on Tuesday.
The event was a hands-on learning experience for the students. They deployed 10 large oyster reef balls along the Elizabeth River. Baby oysters are already attached to five of the hollow spheres using the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Mobile Oyster Restoration Center.
The project is part of Portsmouth Public Schools' hands-on environmental educational efforts, supported by Chesapeake Oyster Alliance restoration funds.
Portsmouth students gathered baseline data, counted, and measured the baby oysters before they were placed in the water.
A crane lowered each reef ball into the shallow water. CBF oyster restoration staff then waded in the water and place the balls into position.
A spokesperson from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said that "the reef balls are easily accessed from the shoreline, making this an ideal site for monitoring and education. Portsmouth Public School students will be able to record observations and data on the growth of these oysters for many years to come."
There will also be signs installed in the park to educate the public on the project and the "importance of oysters to water quality and habitat."
This project supports the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance's goal of adding 10 billion new oysters to the Chesapeake Bay by 2025.