04/06/2026
Olympia oyster restoration work at the center? Yep! Way cool!
This collaboration between , the Northwest Maritime Center, and the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe is a project to settle and raise native Olympia oyster spat in tanks right in Port Townsend.
Why is this so rad? It’s taking a portion of the spat settling and rearing process out of the main hatchery and getting students and volunteers involved in the process. This not only creates opportunity for outreach and education about shellfish recovery, but also helps spread overall labor.
Once abundant, Olympia oyster populations are now rare due to over harvesting and pollution - the type of work happening here is key to maintain and build wild populations of this ecosystem building species. In February 2026, several million microscopic larvae were transferred into the tanks at Port Townsend. During this pilot year, center anticipates production of 100,000 to 250,000 oysters 😊👍 once big enough, the oysters will be outplanted in Whatcom county.
I’ve had just a few chances to lend a hand with the project, but it’s just the coolest! Always awesome to get involved with some good news, right?
