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OYSTER NEWS A newsletter for MRC oyster growers

February 2014

Go with the (Ice) FloeThis winter the Midshore region has been zapped

with frigid temperatures, icy conditions, and arecord number of snow days. You may be

wondering, Are the oysters in my cages or floats weathering the cold? Are they still growing? Arethey ali e?! The answer is yes, yes, and yes"

Oysters can sur i e in freezing water#they willnot be harmed as long as they remain under

water. $owe er, if they are e%posed to frigid air,oysters may die. &hec' on them regularly, but donot lea e them out of the water.

$ow can you tell if your oysters are sur i ing?Tip: the shell of a dead oyster will be open at thehinge, while a healthy oyster will remain tightlyprotected inside a closed shell.

Jump Starting Mother Nature !ysters Growers in Action(n )**+, Maryland o . Martin O-Malley 'ic'ed off aneffort to get property owners along state ri ers tobecome careta'ers for oysters. The Marylanders

row Oysters program began with ) * families andby )*/* had e%panded to ),*** growers on /+ ri ers.M0& would li'e to see e"ery #oc$ owner participatein the future.

&lic' here to iew a "i#eo about the important role that oyster growers play in oysterreco ery.

http://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jgxtn1dAtEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jgxtn1dAtEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jgxtn1dAtEhttp://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jgxtn1dAtE

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MRC !yster Restoration (nitiated by o ernor Martin O!Malley in

1eptember )**+,Marylanders GrowOys ers is managed bythe Maryland2epartment of 3atural0esources incon4unction with theOyster 0eco ery5artnership, the

6ni ersity of Maryland &enter for 7n ironmental 1cience, and localorganizations li'e M0&. Maryland 2epartment of 5ublic 1afety and&orrections inmates produce the cages for the program.

Additionally, the 1tate of Maryland offers a 8 ** ta% credit to any citizen for the

purchase of oyster spat floats.M0& can supply cages and9or floats. (f you ha e a friend or relati e who would beinterested in participating, please ha e them contact M0&.

&lic' here to watch a ideo about oyster restoration .

%o the Math(n )*/:, M0& oystergrowers tended tens ofthousands of oysters,

raised in cagessuspended from pri atepiers, or in oyster floats.These oysters were thenrelocated to a permittedoyster sanctuary in the;ye 0i er &omple%. Thegoal of these programs isto gi e young oysters ahead start during their

ulnerable first year of

life so they may later be planted in sanctuaries where they enrich the ecosystem andincrease the oyster population. Oysters and other creatures eat and remo e algae,thereby reducing pollution. 7ach cage with spat at about one inch in size will filter up to

* gallons per day per cage.

,*** oysters in ) =cages off = doc's. 5lus, =: oyster floats#each containing ** oysters#ha e beendeli ered for the )*/:@)*/> season. (n total, that!s about ,*** oysters raised in oneyear"

http://midshoreriverkeeper.org/oyster-restorationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V6to7WDpiUhttp://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://vimeo.com/79510209http://midshoreriverkeeper.org/oyster-restorationhttp://midshoreriverkeeper.org/oyster-restorationhttp://midshoreriverkeeper.org/oyster-restorationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V6to7WDpiUhttp://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://www.oysters.maryland.gov/http://vimeo.com/79510209http://midshoreriverkeeper.org/oyster-restorationhttp://midshoreriverkeeper.org/oyster-restoration

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&han$s for Sharing

One ne er 'nows what will be disco ered in anoyster cage" 2id you 'now we ha e seahorses li ing

in our waters?This photo was ta'en by Be in 1ulli an, one of ouroyster growers on the &hoptan' 0i er.

(f you ha e photos about oyster gardening, pleaseshare them with us. ;e welcome pictures that willhelp us promote our oyster programs.

MRC 'elcomes Jeff orstman

This March, Ceffrey $. $orstman will come onboard as M0& deputy director and our newMiles@;ye 0i er'eeper. Ceff will be o erseeingM0&!s oyster reco ery programs. ;e e%tendour than's to Tom

http://midshoreriverkeeper.org/staffhttp://midshoreriverkeeper.org/staffmailto:jeff@midshoreriverkeeper.orghttp://midshoreriverkeeper.org/staffmailto:jeff@midshoreriverkeeper.org

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S ew

/ pint standard oysters with oyster liFuor/ G cup water Hincluding oyster liFuorIsalt and pepper to taste/ small onion diced fine/ cup e aporated mil': tablespoons butter

!u"plin#s

G cup flourG teaspoon saltG teaspoon ba'ing powder J cup water

For $e !u"plin#s1ift flour, salt, and ba'ing powder. Add water a little ata time, and 'nead to form dough. 5inch off tinydumpling balls K@inch round for oyster stew.

&oo' oysters in /G cups oyster liFuor and water until edges of oysters curl. 2ropdumpling balls into coo'ing oysters.

Add diced onions and coo' o er medium heat for about / minutes or until dumplingsare no longer doughy.

$eat e aporated mil', water, and butter. ;hen hot, pour into oyster stew.

1er e at once.

0ecipe from Mrs. Kitching's Smith Island Cookbook by Lrances Bitching and 1usan1tiles 2owell, published by Tidewater 5ublishers, &entre ille, M2, c. / +/.

-./AS/ N!&/0 (f you are recei ing this newsletter by postal mail, please no i%yus o% your &urren e"ail address so we can sa e resources when deli ering futureissues. 7mailed ersions also include direct lin's to ideos and websites. 5lease call usat >>:.:+ .* // or send an email message to annEmidshoreri er'eeper.org . ;e loo'forward to hearing from you.

Midshore 0i er'eeper &onser ancy, (nc.)> 3. $arrison 1treet, 7aston M2 )/=*/

>>:.:+ .* // www'"ids$oreri(er)eeper'or#

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0870332643/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=43874416409&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13935252732051864457&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2lxxu808tg_emailto:ann@midshoreriverkeeper.orghttp://www.midshoreriverkeeper.org/http://www.amazon.com/dp/0870332643/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=43874416409&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13935252732051864457&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2lxxu808tg_emailto:ann@midshoreriverkeeper.orghttp://www.midshoreriverkeeper.org/