For a second year, Portland oyster lovers, make Shuck Portland an incredible success! Through slurping, eating, drinking and purchase of Shuck merchandise and raffle tickets more than $10,000 was raised!…
The commercial market for Yaquina Bay Olympia oysters began in the 1860’s. At the time, Yaquina Bay was part of the Siletz reservation. As word of the navigability and bountiful oysters grew, non-Indians came to Yaquina Bay. By the turn of the century, the stock of native oysters was nearly depleted. In 1918, the Pacific oyster from Japan was introduced into the bay. The colder waters of the Oregon coast required reseeding each year. In 1968, scientists at the Marine Science Center, began research into the feasibility of hatching Pacific oysters locally. Their findings combined with the research of others, gave us the oyster industry in Yaquina Bay as we know it today.
In 2007, The Wetlands Conservancy purchased 310 acres in MacCaffery and Poole Slough in the Lower Yaquina with goals of protecting the existing low and high marsh habitat and managing the forest lands toward mature forest conditions. Over the past ten years an additional 100 acres have been added to the preserve.
Today, The Confederate Tribes of the Siletz Indians, The Wetlands Conservancy, and Oregon Oyster Farms are partnering to restore Olympia oysters at Poole Slough in the Yaquina Bay. By spreading oyster shell along the bottom of the channel, substrate is provided for juvenile native oysters to settle on, grow, and hopefully reproduce, providing a source population for this significant resource.
Healthy native Olympia oyster populations improve water quality, sequester carbon, and provide food and refuge for fish and crabs, enhancing the ecosystem around them. A single oyster can clean up to 50 gallons of water a day, making them a vital part of keeping waterways naturally clean.
For a second year, Portland oyster lovers, make Shuck Portland an incredible success! Through slurping, eating, drinking and purchase of Shuck merchandise and raffle tickets more than $10,000 was raised!…
After three hours of chainsaws running, removal of debris and raking, there is a clear trail running along the estuary at our Lincoln County preserve. Thanks to our great partners,…
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a submerged flowering plant species that exists all over the world in coastal areas[1]. It can only exist in low wave conditions, where it forms extensive…
What the Shell Happened to the Oysters? In the early 1900’s Oregon was lined with prolific wild oyster populations. After the gold rush, the West Coast saw a rise in…
The Confederate Tribes of the Siletz Indians, The Wetlands Conservancy, and Oregon Oyster Farms have partnered up to restore Olympia oysters at Poole Slough in the Yaquina Bay. By spreading…