The Virginia Oyster Gardening Guide was produced by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program in partnership with VIMS, Virginia CBF, TOGA, VMRC, Oyster Reef Keepers, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office and the VORHF.

Download the entire guide - pdf

Have you heard that the Virginia Oyster Gardening Guide has been translated into Japanese?  Read the story at right...

Virginia Oyster Gardening Guide Sections

• Introduction - How to Start and Maintain an Oyster Garden - pdf
• Step One: Evaluate the Site - pdf
• Step Two: Choose a Growing Strategy - pdf
• Step Three: Choose a Containment System - pdf
• Step Four: Get a Permit - pdf
• Downloadable "Oyster Gardening" Permit Application - pdf
• Step Five: Purchase Supplies - pdf
• Step Six: Set Up and Maintain the Garden - pdf
• Step Seven: Harvest Time! - pdf
• Oyster Diseases and Research - Reference A - pdf
• Animals of the Oyster Garden - Reference B - pdf
• Oyster Gardening web sites and Contacts (Reference C pdf )

Web Resources

Oyster Gardening Sites:

• Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) 
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation (site includes list of oyster gardening suppliers)
• Tidewater Oyster Gardening (site includes list of oyster gardening suppliers)

Oyster Restoration:

• The Virginia Oyster Reef Restoration Map Atlas 
• NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office 
• Chesapeake Bay Program (includes info on oyster reef ecosystems)
• Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Oyster Monitoring Program

Oyster Reef Ecosystems:

• Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce (info on oyster reef ecosystems)

Teacher Resources:

• Oyster Reef Keepers (teacher resources - see contact under 'School Oyster Gardening" below)
• Sea Grant Ocean Sciences Education/Bridge (teacher resources - information and lesson plans for grades 5 -12)

Oyster Anatomy:

• Oyster Anatomy Laboratory (Maryland Sea Grant)
• Bivalve Anatomy (illustration of oyster anatomy - The Assateague Naturalist)

Oyster Diseases:

• VIMS Oyster Diseases Fact Sheet
• VIMS Dermo web page
• VIMS MSX web page
• VIMS Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center (Oyster Disease Information and Research)

Virginia Aquaculture:

• Virginia Aquaculture Association
• East Coast Shellfish Growers

Eating Oysters:

• Virginia Marine Products Board (Great Recipes!)  

Oyster Gardening Contacts

Permit Information:

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)
Habitat Management Division
Chip Neikirk
(757) 247-2200
chip.neikirk@mrc.virginia.gov

Conservation and Replenishment
James Wesson
(757) 247-2121
jim.wesson@mrc.virginia.gov 

Water Quality Information:

Virginia Department of Health (VDOH)
Division of Shellfish Sanitation
Robert Croonenberghs
(804) 864-7477
bob.croonenberghs@vdh.virginia.gov

Accomac Field Office:
Paul Widgen (757) 787-5847
paul.widgen@vdh.virginia.gov

Norfolk Field Office:
Timothy Fearington (757) 683-5847
tim.fearington@vdh.virginia.gov

Whitestone Field Office:
Carroll Vanlandingham (804) 435-1095
carroll.vanland@vdh.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Water Quality Monitoring Data
Roger Stewart (804) 698-4449,
Roger.Stewart@deq.virginia.gov

Aquaculture Information:

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS)
Aquaculture and Marine Resources
T. Robbins Buck (804) 371-6094
robins.buck@vdacs.virginia.gov

Virginia Marine Resource Commission (VMRC)
Saltwater Aquaculture
Lewis Gillingham (757) 247 -2243 2200
lewis.gillingham@mrc.virginia.gov

Extension Support:

Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
Sea Grant Advisory Services
Michael Oesterling, (804) 684-7165
mike@vims.edu

Oyster Gardening Organizations:

Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Virginia
(804) 780-1392

Virginia CBF Oyster Gardening Program
Chris Moore
(757) 622-1964
cmoore@cbf.org

Tidewater Oyster Gardeners Association
Jackie Partin (804) 694-4407
hellneck@earthlink.net

Northern Neck Oyster Gardeners
Don Beard (804) 438-4820
Lynnhaven 2007

Cliff Love (757) 481-6449
oystercom@hotmail.com

School Oyster Gardening:

Oyster Reef Keepers
Laurie Carroll Sorabella, (757) 460-1200,
oysterreefkeeper@yahoo.com

For comments or questions concerning this program's web pages, contact  Virginia Witmer.

This website is provided by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program through a federal Coastal Zone Management Act grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce.