Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

In an unrelated event, nearly 750,000 adolescent oysters will be transferred Saturday to restoration sites in Bristol Harbor and neighboring areas, culminating the third annual cycle of a joint effort between local community members and marine science researchers at Roger Williams University to bolster Rhode Island's diminished oyster population, the university announced.

"RWU is committed to reinvigorating Rhode Island's oyster populations," said Timothy Scott, professor of biology and director of the University's Center for Economic and Environmental Development. "Oysters are natural water filters and these growing populations can help improve the overall health of our coastal waters."

Rhode Island's oyster population has suffered intense decline since the early 1900's due to polluted waters, over harvesting and natural disease. Aquaculture specialists at Roger Williams University, working with the R.I. Aquaculture Initiative and the Island Foundation, initiated the R.I. Oyster Gardening for Restoration and Enhancement program in 2006, asking coastal landowners to raise juvenile oysters in waters along the shores of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island coastal ponds until they were big enough to move to permanent restoration sites.

The first year of the program, 18 oyster gardeners signed up to raise baby shellfish. Last year, that number was up to 55. And this year, the program has grown to 73 volunteer oyster gardeners. Next year, it is expected the number will increase to 100 gardeners.

Researchers are currently collecting these adolescent oysters. Volunteers will gather Saturday at RWU to count and measure them, compare survival and growth rates and replant the oysters on Prudence Island, at Town Pond in Portsmouth and at an experimental oyster site in Bristol Harbor.

"This program is helping to rebuild the decimated oyster populations in Rhode Island," said Steve Patterson, coordinator for the program. "We all benefit from this restoration as these small creatures can provide cleaner water, a boost to the state's shellfish industry and an overall improvement to Rhode Island's coastal beauty."

-- With information from Roger Williams University via The Associated Press