Moriches, NY - January 18, 2019 - Fifth-grade students in Madison Gunderson’s and Kimberly Scala’s classes at Moriches Elementary School have once again partnered with the Moriches Bay Project, an aquatic restoration program with a mission to improve the overall water quality in Moriches Bay and increase environmental productivity by re-establishing populations of shellfish and eelgrass to the fragile marine environment. The classes recently gathered in the school library to help construct oyster cages, which can hold approximately 200 adult oysters and collectively filter approximately 10,000 gallons of water per day. Altogether, the students built six cages which will help to filter up to 60,000 gallons of water in the bay each day!
“Students enjoyed learning and participating in this activity,” said Ms. Gunderson. “They were eager to join the fight in helping to keep our bays clean!”
The Moriches Bay Project is a small grassroots non-profit organization with a mission to improve the quality of the water in Moriches Bay and turn it back to its natural state of health, which is done through oyster farming and eelgrass planting. They are dedicated to bringing awareness about their mission to the local community and inspiring children to carry on that effort.