HUNTINGTON, NY – National Grid Ventures (NGV) and the Rotary Environmental Action Coalition of Huntington (REACH) partnership closes a third season of restoring Long Island oyster reefs. Through the Huntington-Northport Oyster Reef Project, the partners are working toward improving water quality and strengthening marine ecosystems in local embayments. Historically, Long Island has served as an oyster hub, but overharvesting and

pollution have taken a toll. The partnership hopes to reverse the course for oyster reefs in the area and revive a keystone maritime legacy.

REACH is a public/private partnership between the Town of Huntington, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program and local Rotary Clubs, dedicated to service projects based on environmental sustainability with a primary focus on improving water quality, restoring habitat and supporting aquaculture by reintroducing keystone indigenous species to local embayments.

Launched in 2022, with funding from NGV, the Huntington-Northport Oyster Reef Project began with a small group of dedicated volunteers, growing spat-on-shell oysters in custom designed nursery docks at Gold Star Battalion Beach in Huntington and Woodbine Marina in Northport. Spat-on-shell oysters are baby oysters that attach and mature on larger oyster shells.

From humble beginnings, the project more than doubled the volume of oysters and tripled volunteer participation. In year three, with the environmentally focused REACH Rotary club, the plan is to expand the number of oyster reefs into a network of spawner sanctuaries and introduce billions of oyster larvae into the Huntington-Northport water complex. The group of dedicated volunteers has expanded into the hundreds and grown more than 450,000 oysters in only two seasons. They hope to add at least another 300,000 oysters this year in season three to strengthen the locally planted reefs and promote the formation of wild set oyster reefs (natural ocean reefs).

NGV volunteers are growing in numbers too, from 30 in 2022 to more than 40 in 2024, where its employees are helping build oyster reefs at the Huntington and Northport nursery docks.

“As clean energy developers, it’s important for us to identify ways to improve the environment. Revitalizing oyster habitats is a great example of investing in both Long Island communities and its waterways,” said Will Hazelip, President of NGV US Northeast. “We are boosting the oyster population on Long Island to improve the water quality hand in hand with the people that live here. I’m proud of our work to ensure the region’s waterways are thriving.”

Oyster reefs are to the East Coast of the US as coral reefs are to the Caribbean. They create nooks and crannies for a multitude of species to find food and shelter. One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. The reefs kickstart the natural food chain and invigorate the entire marine ecosystem, creating and restoring habitats for indigenous marine species.

“NGV’s generous funding gave REACH its start. Since then, we have expanded our footprint in the Huntington community and doubled our capacity,” said James Wylie, Project Coordinator, Huntington-Northport Oyster Reef Project. “The nursery docks provide the

platform for the vitally important volunteer work that’s required for our long-term reef restoration program. The focus on the environment proved so popular in the community that a new Rotary club was formed to include everyone, of any age, with an interest in this work. We address pressing problems with practical solutions. We have branched off into other water-related initiatives such as half-shell recycling, sugar kelp cultivation and native plants to further strengthen our weakened eco-systems. For us, it all starts with oysters, and we know that reefs are spawning. All of this is a direct result of NGV’s investment.”

Currently, REACH has received a grant from the Sierra Club to quantify success and establish baseline data on the reefs they have planted. Sierra will also fund the formation of the REACH SCUBA Team to survey local seabeds for ideal locations as they expand their network of spawner sanctuaries to promote wild set oysters in Huntington waters.

REACH also was awarded a global grant from The Rotary Foundation in coordination with The Rotary Club of Okayama West in Japan. In addition to research on habitat restoration through direct observation, the group is planning to conduct experiments on sugar kelp as a biostimulant and build an outdoor classroom at Gold Star Battalion Beach to promote education in aquaculture.

Please visit OysterReefProject.org to learn more about how REACH is restoring oyster reef habitats through its spat-on-shell, sugar kelp, native plants and half-shell programs to help strengthen the Long Island marine ecosystem.

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About National Grid Ventures

National Grid Ventures (NGV) is the non-regulated division of National Grid plc, one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. NGV operates outside of National Grid’s core regulated businesses in the US and UK where it develops, operates and invests in energy projects, technologies and partnerships to accelerate the development of a clean energy future. NGV’s diverse portfolio of low carbon and renewable energy businesses across the UK, Europe and US includes subsea electricity interconnectors, wind and solar power, and battery storage. For more information, visit https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures.

About REACH

REACH – Environmental Action Coalition of Huntington is a public/private partnership between the Town of Huntington, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program and local Rotary Clubs. Our goals are to improve water quality, to restore habitat and to support aquaculture efforts to the benefit of bathers, boaters and baymen.