Welcome to the North Carolina Oyster Hatchery Program! This program and the associated hatcheries were developed to restore the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) throughout North Carolina coastal waters. The goals of the program include increased oyster production for sustainable harvest, development of new oyster research initiatives and increased public awareness of the important benefits, both economically and environmentally, provided by oysters. Working closely with our partners, the three hatcheries will each provide an invaluable resource for restoration efforts.
Roanoke Island Aquarium site will be a demonstration and training
hatchery. This site will provide an educational focus for both visitors
and school groups. Exhibition space will include an inside look into the
hatchery process.
Remote setting site where spat on shell will be used for North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries restoration and
sanctuary efforts.
Remote setting site where spat on shell will be used for North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries restoration and
sanctuary efforts.
Morris Landing will be the primary production site for the other sites
and for restoration efforts. This is the work horse facility of the
three hatcheries.
UNC Wilmington site will be a research driven facility. This focus on
oyster research will help with restoration efforts and with development
of new research projects.
Click on the
above sites for more information regarding what will be done at each
hatchery.
Coming Soon
Cape Hatteras Secondary School to Produce Oysters for Sanctuary and
Restoration Efforts
Cape Hatteras Secondary school in Buxton is gearing up for an "oyster" of a spring semester. Students and teachers from the school will take part in a pilot program in which students will raise oysters from fertilized eggs given to them by the North Carolina Oyster Hatchery Program (NCOHP).
Juvenile oysters, or spat, will then be used by the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) for placement on oyster sanctuaries,located off Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. Students and teachers will be designing, constructing and maintaining the hatchery systems themselves under the guidance of NCOHP advisory committee members from the UNC Coastal Studies Institute and Carteret Community College.
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What's New at the Hatcheries
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Our Partners
