Witness Long Island oysters as they celebrate the first day of their annual spawning season.
Every February, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (CCE Suffolk) kicks off spawning season for millions of shellfish – including oysters, clams and scallops – at its massive hatchery in Southold.
This event showcases the spawning of oysters that play a critical role in supporting Long Island’s $30-million shellfish industry. The larvae will be used for habitat creation, population recovery, and water quality improvements throughout the region.
DATE:
Friday, February 21, 2025 – Spawning begins at 9:30 am.
WHERE:
The 3,700-square-foot hatchery of CCE Suffolk’s Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center, 3960 Cedar Beach Road, Southold.
WHO:
CCE Suffolk aquaculture scientists and researchers will be joined by:
- Assemblymember Keith P. Brown
- Assemblymember Joe DeStefano
- Assemblymember Jodi Giglio
- Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay
- Assemblymember Tommy John Schiavoni
- Suffolk County Legislator Chad H. Lennon
- East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzales
- Riverhead Town Council Member Denise Merrifield
- Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski
- Vanessa Lockel, Executive Director, CCE Suffolk
BACKGROUND:
One goal of CCE Suffolk’s Marine Program is to help restore Long Island’s oyster, clam, and scallop populations through the work of our hatcheries. The Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center plays a key role in this effort to ensure that the commercial harvesting of Long Island shellfish remains profitable and sustainable. The center also produces seed that is stocked in local waters to support recreational harvest, which is an important and historic part of Long Island’s rural maritime heritage.
According to the Long Island Oyster Growers Association, the shellfish industry on Long Island delivers approximately $30 million in economic value for the region.
Every year the CCE hatchery in Southold produces nearly 150 million oyster larvae. In addition to this, the facility is the site of innovative work relating to the production of native ribbed mussels used for habitat restoration, shoreline stabilization, and water quality improvement.
About Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
Established in 1917, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (CCE Suffolk) is a non-profit community education agency that works to preserve the county’s agricultural resources, marine life, protect our eco-systems, support families, provide community service opportunities for youth, and advance research-based education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Affiliated with Cornell University as part of the national land grant university system, CCE Suffolk’s staff consists of educators, researchers, specialists, and support personnel who are dedicated to making Suffolk County a desirable place to live and work.
CCE Suffolk is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under an organizational model approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York.
More information is available at http://ccesuffolk.org/.