The U.S. state of Maryland has secured millions of dollars in funding to support efforts to restore its oyster population.
The funding will help the state meet the goals set by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement of 2014 and Maryland’s Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan.
- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced on Wednesday that the Oyster Recovery Partnership had been awarded a $9.1M contract.
- The non-profit uses shells and hatchery-reared oysters to build reefs as part of a larger project to restore Maryland's oyster population.
- Artificial oyster reefs remove harmful pollutants from the water and provide nursery grounds for other species, including rockfish and crabs.
- Moore also said that $13.7 million in Capital Grants funding had been secured to support medical and athletic facilities, museums, community centers, community revitalization, and historical buildings.
