Sessions in full swing
The fourth year of CSHH’s community oyster gardening program is underway. The oysters are looking amazing thanks to all of our incredible volunteers who have been cleaning the cages and oysters!
So far this season, our biggest measurement for a single oyster across all sites is 4.5 cm, measured at the Sea Cliff Yacht Club. At the other locations, the biggest measurements so far are as follows:
Hempstead Harbour Club – 3.5 cm
North Hempstead Beach Park – 3.1 cm
Tappen Marina – 2.7 cm
Once our oysters are big enough, averaging around 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) per location, they will be planted in Hempstead Harbor and continue to grow.
Photo slideshow includes: spat-on-shell from each of the four oyster gardening locations (Hempstead Harbour Club, North Hempstead Beach Park, Tappen Marina, and Sea Cliff Yacht Club) on various volunteer dates between 8/1/25 and 8/16/25 (photos by Sarah Stromski and Shalini Desai)
The record for the biggest oyster ever found is a Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) found in Wadden Sea National Park in Denmark measuring 35.5 cm (13.97 inches) in length, 10.7 cm (4.21 inches) wide, and weighing in at a whopping 3.56 lbs! At the time it was found, it was thought that the oyster was about 15-20 years old.
If you would like to read more about this oyster, visit the link here.
