"Amazing Comeback" for Oysters in Tisbury Great Pond

The Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group, a non-profit organization made up of the shellfish departments of the Island's six towns, is celebrating success in its work to re-seed Tisbury Great Pond with oysters.

"After years and years of efforts, oysters make an amazing come back in Tisbury Great Pond," the group posted on its Facebook page this week, along with photos and videos (above) showing oysters successfully reefing in the pond.

Along with creating viable oyster beds, the project aims to improve water quality in the pond, reports the Vineyard Gazette in "Nature Conservancy Invests in Tisbury Great Pond Oyster Futures."

But while the Nature Conservancy has recently become involved in the Tisbury Great Pond oyster project, the high-profile organization can't claim credit for its success.

"It's really been a local Island effort for the past 10 to 15 years," said Amandine Surier of the Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group.

Oysters' ability to filter nitrogen from seawater is being put to the test in Wellfleet, where Wicked Local reports a wastewater official told selectmen in May that an oyster project in the harbor "is actually having a tremendous impact — about a 20 percent reduction in nitrogen." Read "Oysters remove nitrogen from harbor."

Have you been involved in any shellfish projects on Martha's Vineyard? What do you think of the oyster plan for Tisbury Great Pond? Tell us in the comments.