We need your help to restore oyster habitat in Wellfleet Bay!

Wild oyster reefs provide an abundance of ecological benefits to nearby marine and coastal areas. The reefs filter algae and sediment from the water at a rate of up to 1.3 gallons per hour. This not only improves water quality it also allows sunlight to penetrate, enhancing the growth of valuable ellgrass. The oyster reefs are three-dimensional structures that greatly increase the amount of habitat for other marine animals such as crabs and small fish. They also provide buffers against wave action and storms that erode the nearby coastline.

This beneficial habitat has disappeared from Wellfleet Bay, the result of overfishing and disease, and most other areas where oysters used to thrive. In partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the Town of Wellfleet and with the support of NOAA, we are setting out to reestablish oyster habitat in Wellfleet Bay. This first reef near Lieutenant Island will contribute to the health of the bay and nearby coastal areas. It will also provide scientific data to support the reestablishment of oyster habitat up and down the Atlantic coast.

Fundraising to support the habitat restoration will help fulfill our obligation to NOAA and enable us to expand the project in years to come. We’re asking you to sponsor a reef ball for $250 or spat block for $100 or to make a donation of another amount. A reef ball or spat block with the name you specify will become an integral part of the first reef structure. We have to construct the reef balls at the sanctuary and, if you wish, you can make your own reef ball and carve your initials into it!

All the reef balls and spat blocks that are sponsored will have the sponsor name placed on them and a picture taken during the construction process. We’ll be conducting walks to the area during the fall; we hope by then oyster spat will have settled on the reef structure. In time it should be completely covered by oysters.

So you’ll always know where your reef ball or spat block is--even if you can’t see the name--we’re going to produce a GPS map with the location of each ball and block specified. What a memento to show your friends!

For all these reasons—improving the condition of Wellfleet Bay, sponsoring scientific research, and establishing a living monument in the truest sense—we urge you to join us in this important project and to encourage your family and friends to do the same. You can email this page to them or you can create a page of your own using the links at the top of the page.

$250 sponsors a reef ball. $100 sponsors a spat block. Or support habitat restoration with another amount. Use the Give now button to make your contribution to habitat restoration in Wellfleet Bay.