Oyster Cages to be Installed at the Harbor East Marina in Support of Chesapeake Bay Sustainability Efforts
Harbor East Marina today is proud to announce it has joined The Great Baltimore Oyster
Partnership, a collaboration between the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore's Healthy Harbor Initiative (HHI) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), in the partnership’s efforts to plant 5 million oysters in Baltimore’s Patapsco River. As part of the partnership, Harbor East Marina will be installing 25 oyster cages along the promenade wall of the marina. In this protected location, the young oysters will receive the time and care necessary to safely mature. Once matured, the oysters will be moved to a sanctuary on the Patapsco River.
“Harbor East Marina is dedicated to supporting the sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Eric Bradley, Director of Marina Operations, Harbor East Marina. “Oysters are special creatures that have a unique natural ability to filter pollution from the water. By creating a safe space for these oysters to grow in Baltimore, we will effectively be adding a natural filtration to the Inner Harbor. Our hope is that this effort will greatly support the HHI goal of making Baltimore’s famed waterfront safe for swimming and fishing by 2020.”
As part of its commitment to the Great Baltimore Oyster Partnership, Harbor East Marina will not only create space for the installation, but will dedicate staff members to tend to the posts, clean algae from cages, check the well-being of the young oysters, and monitor the surrounding waters for debris. Next spring, CBF will ‘plant’ the oysters on the Fort Carroll reef in the Patapsco River.
“CBF is thrilled to have Harbor East Marina as another partner to help grow oysters in the Inner Harbor. This year the program will total over 200 cages at locations from Canton to the National Aquarium to the Rusty Scupper and all the way to the Coast Guard Station in Curtis Bay,” said Terry Cummings, Director of CBF’s Baltimore Initiative. “The more oysters we have and the more people involved, the greater our chances of reaching a clean harbor by 2020.”
“Baltimore’s waterfront is undoubtedly one of the city’s biggest assets, attracting residents and tourists from Canton through Harbor East and beyond,” stated Tim O’Donald, President of Harbor East. “We are thrilled to play a small role in helping to clean and restore the harbor and are tremendously grateful for the important work done by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and The Chesapeake Foundation to achieve this end.”
The installation at the Harbor East Marina will be completed this Friday, September 30th, 2016. This is not the first green initiative Harbor East Marina has implemented. Earlier this month, it was certified as a Clean Marina by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources after adopting best management practices and meeting all environmental and regulatory requirements.
About Harbor East Marina
Harbor East Marina is a 184 slip facility located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, within the vibrant Harbor East neighborhood. The facility, which boasts 500 feet of alongside dockage and ample amenities for annual, seasonal and transient guests, has been operated by Harbor East since 1992, with Oasis Marinas brought on to provide management services in 2015 . With its floating docks, newly appointed boater lounge, pumpout station, party pad and prime location among some of the city’s best restaurants and shops, the marina is a popular destination among boaters looking to enjoy the heart of the city. For more information, visit www.harboreastmarina.com.
About Healthy Harbor
The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore's Healthy Harbor initiative provides a roadmap for cleaning up Baltimore's Harbor and the waterways leading to the Harbor. A clean Harbor and clean streams will provide opportunities for residents and area families to enjoy clean water in their neighborhoods. Greener and cleaner neighborhoods will make Baltimore City and Baltimore County more livable for all our citizens. For more information on Healthy Harbor, visit www.healthyharbor.org.
About the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is a non-profit organization devoted to the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay in the United States. It was founded in 1967 and has had an educational program in Baltimore for 30 years. CBF is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. For more information on the foundation, visit www.cbf.org.
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