It was a perfect early Fall day on October 5th for paddle boarding and seeding Three Mile Harbor with 25,000 oysters from the East Hampton Town Shellfish Hatchery with Director, John “Barley” Dunne. In time, if all goes well with water temperatures and weather conditions, the oysters will mature enough to be harvested by our fisheries. In the meantime-
FUN FACT: Did you know? According to the NOAA: Oysters feed by filtering algae from the water, ultimately removing nutrients from the water, which, in excess, can degrade the aquatic environment. A single adult oyster can filter more than 50 gallons of water a day.
Photo by Durell Godfrey for The East Hampton Star
East Hampton Town Trustee David Cataletto and Lisa Armon, both teachers with East Hampton’s Middle School and co-educators with the Surfrider Junior Club, enjoyed the afternoon during the annual Fall oyster seeding of Three Mile Harbor with their students.
The East Hampton Shellfish Hatchery’s Director John “Barley” Dunne brought 25,000 oyster seedlings for the students and skiff and gave an informative “class” about the various species of marine shellfish in our harbor waters- oysters, clams, and scallops, along with marine plant species, one of which is edible!
Trustee Susan McGraw-Keber and Lisa Armon were aboard to help distribute the oyster seedlings with Lisa to the students as they paddled up to the boat to fetch oyster containers. Trustee David Cataletto and Gina Bradley of Paddle Diva, who provided the paddle boards for the students, paddled along with the students, who all were outfitted with life preserver waist belts, ready to inflate with the pull of a string in case of an emergency.
“Barley”, Lisa, and Susan filled the tubs with oyster seedlings as they headed out to the harbor. Photo: Durell Godfrey for The East Hampton Star.
Thank you to all the students who participated from the Surfrider Junior Club, their teachers, Lisa Armon and David Cataletto, Paddle Diva’s Gina Bradley, and John “Barley” Dunne and all the staff at the hatchery, and The East Hampton Star’s photographer, Durell Godfrey!
Interested in becoming an “oyster farmer”? If “YES“, call John “Barley” Dunne, to sign up for the initial class session that begins in the New Year! 631-668-4601.
Photos from the Trustee’s adventures! Durell Godfrey for The East Hampton Star and Trustee Susan McGraw-Keber
