Ruppersberger to Announce $6.6 Million for Oyster Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay
(Annapolis, MD)- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) will announce $6.6 million for oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters are such an important part of Maryland’s rich history, but oysters have been hit hard recently. The Bay’s native oyster population is estimated to be about one percent of what it was at the end of the 19th century. The declining oyster population not only means tough times for watermen, it also means fewer oysters are helping clean up declining Bay waters.
Oysters filter water in their search for food. An adult oyster can filter as much as 60 gallons of water a day. To put it in perspective, the native oyster population could filter all of the water in the Bay in three or four days in the late 19th century. Now, it takes the oysters close to a year to do the same thing. Restoring the Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster population is an important part of improving the health of the Bay.
Congressman Ruppersberger will be joined by oyster experts and members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for the announcement on Friday, May 8, 2009.
Who: Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Kim Coble. Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Stephanie Reynolds, Fisheries Scientist, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Members of the Chesapeake Bay FoundationWhat: Congressman Ruppersberger to Announce $6.6 Million for Oyster Restoration
When: 12:30 p.m., Friday, May 8, 2009
Where: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters
6 Herndon Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21403
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