It Takes a Bridge to Build a Reef

Rachel Brittin
NOAA Fisheries Service

December 17, 2008 — The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is truly an engineering feat, spanning 4.3 miles and helping more than 20 million people cross the Bay each year. Yet, most motorists are unaware of the restoration activity just below the Bay’s surface.  On Oct. 23, 2008, NOAA and Restore America’s Estuaries joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and a coalition of conservation organizations to complete a project using recycled concrete from a re-decking project to restore an oyster reef. 

Taking more than a year and a half to complete, a new three-acre oyster reef has been built near the mouth of Asquith Creek in the Severn River — a major Chesapeake Bay tributary.  The new oyster reef uses old Bay Bridge decking concrete to support more than four million baby oysters.

“This oyster restoration project is a great example of a local community working with government agencies, as well as the private sector to restore the Chesapeake Bay,” said Perry Gayaldo, deputy director of the NOAA Restoration Center. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of area residents in growing young oysters or “spat” for use in restoring oyster reefs, and the dedication and support of so many local and national organizations.”

Oysters not only filter pollutants from the Bay’s waters, but oyster reefs also play an important role as habitat in sustaining a diverse array of marine life — including Maryland’s threatened blue crab population. In recent decades, thanks to a myriad of threats to our coasts, oyster reefs nationwide have been degraded and the habitat they provide is dwindling.

“This effort on the Severn River in Annapolis underscores the importance of restoring reefs like this one all around the country — working to maintain a healthier coastal environment for future generations,” said Gayaldo.

Much of the concrete was taken from the re-decking of the westbound Bay Bridge. The concrete was broken apart, thoroughly cleaned and inspected, and then hauled on barges to the reef site. Engineers from the Maryland Geological Survey team did exhaustive underwater testing of the site to ensure the reef allowed a minimum of 10 feet of clearance for boats.

NOAA is working jointly on this new oyster reef with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation,  the Maryland Transportation Authority, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, Restore America’s Estuaries, and the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation.

Representatives from the groups believe that this alliance of organizations could be the start of a new era in oyster restoration in the Bay and a model for future efforts around the country.

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