Town Reintroduces Oysters to Bay for 4th Straight Year

(Photo: Office of Town Council Member Mariann Dalimonte) North Hempstead Town Council Member Mariann Dalimonte (fourth from left) is joined by Bay Constable Mal Nathan (on boat) and officials from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County as they reintroduce 1 million oysters in Manhasset Bay.

North Hempstead Town Council Member Mariann Dalimonte, officials from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, and Bay Constable Mal Nathan and his team welcomed one million new spat-on-shell baby oysters to their residence in Manhasset Bay on June 3. This is the fourth summer that North Hempstead added one million oysters to Manhasset Bay, bringing the total seeded oysters to 5 million. 

The program was spearheaded by Dalimonte, in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, with the goal of restoring the water quality of Manhasset Bay through the reintroduction and establishment of oyster beds.

 “I have loved Manhasset Bay since I was a child, but nitrogen pollution has had a significantly adverse effect on its water quality,” said Dalimonte, citing studies showing that oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day.

The plans to embark on this project first began in January 2020, when Dalimonte started exploring the idea of reintroducing oysters into the bay as a means of helping the environment. At the Town Board meeting on April 28, 2022, Dalimonte offered the resolution to embark on this project, which was unanimously approved.

Over the last three years, Dalimonte, North Hempstead Bay constables, and members of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County team have continually assessed the reintroduced oyster population. They noted that the oysters were not only alive, but they had grown since they were planted in the summer of 2022. The positive status report allowed the Town to make the decision to move forward with reintroducing an additional one million oysters in July of 2023, June of 2024, and now June of 2025 as well.