Students from Dunloggin Middle School have been raising baby oysters (called oyster spat) in cages at the marina for the past 6 years. In that time frame, the students have raised and relocated nearly 50,000 oysters to a sanctuary reef at the mouth of the Severn River. These budding young scientists who have an interest in marine biology or environmental science help provide care for the oyster spat that are housed in 20 cages located on the docks of the marina. In addition to the large group data collections that occur in the fall and spring, the students and their families are also required to visit the marina at least 1 other time throughout the year to provide care for the oysters, take water quality readings, record observations, and then share the data with other members of the group through a Google document. At the end of the year, the students take a field trip to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation where they relocate their cultivated oysters. The students work closely with several groups including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Oyster Recovery Partnership, the UMCES- Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, Clearshark H2O, and the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland.
The trip they took earlier this fall was a professional learning activity they designed for the faculty at Dunloggin Middle School. Daniel Blue, science teacher at Dunloggin Middle School, and another teacher co-wrote and received a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust so that they could show the staff exactly what their students do throughout the year as there are many cross curricular tie-ins to the study of oysters and oyster harvesting in the Chesapeake Bay. All in all, it was a very fun day and the staff really enjoyed themselves.
Kentmorr Marina management is pleased to be able to host the Dunloggin Middle School students and foster their learning about the Chesapeake Bay and its native species.
