Oyster Talk

The massive set of wild oysters in the Tisbury Great Pond this summer is proof positive that the great ponds have not been stressed beyond their carrying capacity, and more importantly are capable of bouncing back despite environmental degradations that include too much nitrogen — from birds, acid rain and private home septic systems. Nitrogen is good for the garden where it makes tomatoes flourish but bad for ponds where it makes algae bloom, choking out the eelgrass which is a critical component of the shellfish ecosystem in a saltwater pond.

But the oyster comeback is more than a statement about resiliency in the natural world; it is also a testament to the quiet, steady work of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group that has been going on for the past thirty years in its hatchery on the Lagoon Pond. Led by Rick Karney, the marine biologist whose career has been broadly devoted to maintaining and developing a sustainable shellfish industry both for recreational and commercial interests, the shellfish group is one of the Island’s great and too often unsung success stories.

The hatchery produces millions of baby quahaugs, oysters and scallops every year which it distributes to the six Island towns for seeding in saltwater ponds. Mr. Karney and his small team have also been engaged in studying the ponds for many years, collecting information both physical and observed, that has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge about shellfish. One example is the study of the oyster shell disease Dermo, which wiped out oyster populations in Edgartown and West Tisbury and led to the collapse of the commercial fishery more than a decade ago. It was discovered that some oysters were resistant to the disease, and work began at the hatchery to breed these resistant oysters. There is much other interesting work under way at the hatchery involving genetic study and tagging of shellfish.

And the best news of the summer is that the oysters are back — millions of them, clinging to rocks, shells and also the shoreline at the Tisbury Great Pond. The Edgartown Great Pond is seeing a healthy set of oysters this year too, but the miracle set is going on in the Tisbury pond, which means good prospects for a robust commercial oyster fishery about three years from now.

Extraordinary vigilance and hands-on management will continue to be needed to keep the ponds clean and in sound ecological balance. But the Island is headed in the right direction.

And please consider making a contribution to the shellfish group, which runs on a shoestring, including modest funding from the towns and some state grant money. The shellfish group is a recognized Massachusetts nonprofit corporation. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1552, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. The Web site address is mvshellfishgroup.org. Think of it as a contribution to helping create a more sustainable Island.

And with an added bonus: three years from now, you will be buying fresh oysters for Thanksgiving.