The Newsmagazine of Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County
By Victoria Ford | on October 06, 2022
BIVALVE BONANZA: Sample raw bar selections doused in Hank Sauce and wash them down with Bloody Marys in the name of boosting shellfish populations for the bay’s sake. (Photo by Jack Reynolds)
Aquaculture and coastal resilience are the themes of this Saturday’s fourth Shellabration at Long Beach Township municipal complex in Brant Beach from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as the Superstorm Sandy decennial approaches.
The township and the Jetty Rock Foundation host the free community event, spotlighting oysters’ role in clean water and a healthy coastal ecosystem. The two entities helped to create Long Beach Island’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program, a partnership with other municipalities, local restaurants, oyster farmers and scientists to regenerate local oyster populations. In the last 100 years, the declining oyster population in the Barnegat Bay has significant implications considering a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day.
Oysters are instrumental in marine ecosystems. Supporting reef restoration and living shorelines to cultivate future generations of oysters means cleaner waterways, a more robust local aquaculture industry and a stronger coast.
Foundation Executive Director Julia Tomeldon recited the Jetty Rock mission: “to protect our oceans and waterways and support those who build their lives around them.”
“Shellabration is a particularly special event for us,” she said, “because it ties together all three pillars of our foundation – storm relief, the community and the environment – and we could not be prouder to work with local organizations to support clean water and the aquaculture industry, which has historical significance in our area.”
Accompanied by Hank Sauce and refreshment (read: build-your-own Bloody Marys) from the LBI distillery bar, the Shellabration’s raw bar brings together seven oyster farms of the Barnegat Oyster Collective: Forty North Oyster Farms, Blood Point Oyster, Schramm Shellfish Oyster Company, Love Oysters, Tucker’s Island, Laughing Gull Oyster Farm and Swan Point Oysters.
Watch pro shuckers compete in the Shellabration shucking contest; enjoy live music and more deliciousness from Five Sisters food truck (twice-named “America’s Best Burger”); and check out the family activities sponsored by Fantasy Island Amusement Park and the township’s new oyster recycling truck. Don’t forget to grab a commemorative hoodie from the merch tent for the cold months ahead.
Onsite to provide education will be nonprofit organizations such as Barnegat Bay Partnership, Alliance for a Living Ocean, Stockton University, the Garden Club of Long Beach Island, Long Beach Township Marine Field Station and the American Littoral Society.
The day’s proceeds benefit the Oyster Recycling Program and related initiatives. —V.F.
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