![]() The spat hardens and grows, until they are ready to be moved to the nursery in the Choptank River or planted at a prepared site by the Oyster Recovery Partnership. After about 48 hours, they check the shells to see if larvae have successfully attached and become spat. ![]() Once the larvae reach a certain size, scientists move them to outdoor setting tanks filled with shells. When the eggs begin growing, they are transferred to larval tanks where they will continue to grow for 14 to 20 days. During the spawning process, the adult oysters are separated by sex, so that the eggs can be fertilized in a controlled environment. The process begins when scientists trigger a group of adult oysters to begin spawning. This is accomplished by leading oysters through an entire life cycle at the hatchery. It is the mission of scientists at the Horn Point Laboratory to conduct cutting edge research and restoration activities, which so far have led to the deployment of over one billion oyster spat to Bay waters and tributaries. This facility is one of the largest oyster hatcheries on the East Coast and is making strides in restoring the Bay’s oyster population. The invaluable laboratory for education, research and restoration was updated in 2004 with the state-of-the art hatchery that stands today. Two years later, the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery was opened on the Choptank River in Cambridge, Md. In response to the devastation, University of Maryland researchers proposed creating a facility to assist in their rehabilitation. In 1972, rain from Hurricane Agnes overwhelmed tributaries flowing into the Chesapeake with sediment, causing a record low salinity level that in part, led to major losses for the Bay’s oyster population. ![]() Over time, native oyster populations have declined due to over-harvesting, habitat loss and disease. These baby oysters, now in the early stages of their life cycle, will eventually grow up to filter water from the Chesapeake Bay, provide habitat to other aquatic species and stimulate the economy. Looking up at the 13 towering 10,000-gallon water tanks, it’s difficult to imagine the thousands of microscopic oyster larvae growing inside.
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