The Baltimore Oyster Partnership, a joint initiative between the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, announced Tuesday plans to expand oyster restoration efforts in Baltimore Harbor and the Patapsco River.

The partnership has a new goal of planting 5 million oysters in the Baltimore Harbor by 2030.

“Oysters are a vital species in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem,” said Carmera Thomas-Wilhite, vice president for communities and partnerships at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “They are critical water filters and provide habitat for other marine life. They are shoreline protection, and oysters are central to the base fishing industry and local heritage.”

Maryland’s oyster population has more than tripled in the past two decades, reaching over 12 billion oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

In June 2024, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said it was on track to meet its 2025 deadline of restoring healthy oyster reefs in 10 Chesapeake Bay tributaries.

Economic and environmental benefits

Oysters provide significant environmental benefits, filtering up to 50 gallons of water per day and removing algae, sediment and pollutants from the water, according to CBF.

The shellfish also create habitat for marine life, with hundreds of animals relying on oyster reefs for shelter and food, including striped bass, weakfish and blue crabs — a popular commodity in Maryland. In turn, oysters benefit the commercial and recreational fishing industries.

Maryland’s seafood industry contributes about $600 million annually to the state’s economy. In 2022, oyster sales brought in more than $56.8 million in revenue for Maryland and Virginia, according to the CBF. Oyster farming contributes about $9 million to the state’s economy each year.

The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that water clarity improvements to the bay could drive up property values in Maryland.