Maintenance 10-13-13 to 10-19-13
The “Spat” are growing!!
On Saturday when I checked my oysters, I was excited to see the spat growing on the oyster shells! Many were the size of a fingernail or larger. My cages are suspended from a floating dock, which keeps the oysters close to the surface, where there is an abundance of oxygen. You may not be able to see your spat yet if your cages are in the water at a deeper level than are mine – but you will soon!
Once again this week, there was very little growth or “fouling” on the cages. Here’s what you should do this week:
- Actively dunk your cages up and down in the water – like steeping a tea bag – to remove the silt and sediment from the “spat”. The silt and sediment can smother the spat and kill them.
- Give your cages a quick shake to keep the oysters from growing together.
- Leave your cages on the dock for about an hour. This will allow any growth that has occurred to dry out and die.
- Set a timer so you don’t forget to put your oysters back in the water.
- Make sure the oysters are evenly distributed on the bottom of the cage and put them back in the water!
IN THE EARLY STAGES OF SPAT DEVELOPMENT AVOID USING YOUR HOSE OR POWER WASHER TO CLEAN THE CAGES. The pressure of the hose and power washer can kill the spat.
That’s it for this week. Please call Kelsey at 410-822-9143 if you have any problems with the maintenance of your cages. Talk to you next week!
Sincerely,
The Oyster Reef Recovery Initiative