This summer, District staff members assisted Kristin Adams, COASTAL Project Coordinator, with summer spat counts for the COASTAL Project. This partner-driven, farming for restoration aquaculture project is currently in it’s second year, with four years of funding total. In short, nine participating aquaculture producers are fostering oyster spat on shell (juvenile oysters) on their farm lease for one growing season prior to transporting it to a restoration reef managed by Stockton University in late November. Summer spat counts are essential to inform the producers on how their spat on shell looks regarding the setting ratio (number of live oysters) per sample.
District staff member Jessica Pinto, Georgie Lennon, Ben Hayden, Rachal Hammack, Joseph Serio and District summer intern Dylan Neumann assisted Kristin this summer for two different spat counts, and their efforts working in the heat, sun and with greenheads are greatly appreciated!