Overview and Results

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Smith and Stephen Tettelbach published artical in last March (2009) Ecological Restoration.

  • Prior to the mid-1980's, Peconic bay scallops supported a commercial fisheryvalued at $2-4 million. Including economic multipliers, the fishery contributed more than $10 million to the local economy. For 400-600 full-time baymen, bay scallops were their primary source of income.
  • In 1985, a series of brown tide algal blooms destroyed the Peconic bay scallop populations and pushed them to the brink of extinction. With the disappearance of the scallop fishery most baymen had to leave the water - and had to find other jobs, retire or move out of state.
  • Bay scallop restoration efforts were started in 1986 by local baymen; Cornell Cooperative Extension and Long Island University have been leading these restoration efforts now for over 20 years.
  • Our restoration work in the late 1980's and early 1990's helped rebuild the Peconic scallop populations and fishery, but a severe brown tide in 1995 again wiped them out.
  • After 1995, scallop populations remained at very low levels and fishery harvests averaged less than 1% of historical levels - even though no brown tide blooms have occurred in the Peconic Bays since then.
  • But beginning in 2005, Cornell Cooperative Extension and Long Island University began the largest bay scallop restoration effort ever attempted in the United States. With funding from the Water Quality Protection and Restoration Program of Suffolk County, millions of scallops have been raised in Cornell's hatchery in Southold and planted into the Peconic Bays.
  • These restoration efforts have contributed to a huge increase in scallop populations. LIU and Cornell scientists have documented a 1300% increase in scallop populations in Orient Harbor, the site at which we have concentrated our scallop plantings, as well as large increases in other nearby areas.
  • As of October 2009 updated statistics for Orient Harbor has changed to 5,000%.
  • In 2009, populations continue to grow at a dramatic rate. We have documented that numbers of tiny bay scallops are 100 times higher than those we saw prior to the start of our current restoration efforts. We are also seeing the recovery of scallop populations beginning in many other parts of the bay.
  • Last year's Peconic bay scallop fishery was the highest it has been in 15 years and adult populations look good this year - so we are optimistic about the 2009 season and the future of Long Island bay scallops. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Long Island University are continuing to strive to bring the bay scallop back.