700 bags of oyster shells are being prepared for September's construction of two oyster reefs in the Rehoboth Bay. This will mirror the one that was built in July in the Assawoman Bay. The shells are collected on a regular basis from over 20 restaurants stretching from Lewes to Fenwick Island participating in the Don't Chuck Your Shucks recycling program sponsored by the Delaware Center For The Inland Bays.
It is the start of a three year project to help clean the waters and grow an oyster population that is near extinct in the inland bays of southern Delaware. Phosphorous and nitrogen in the Assawoman, Rehoboth, and Indian River bays continues to be a large contributor to the dwindling population. Planted in the new reefs are a new breed of oyster, immune to those chemicals. "One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day," Dr. Marianne Walch of the Center explained. "If we have larger populations of them we will be removing a lot of sediment and a lot of pollutants from the water."
The Center received $75,000 from the state government and a matching fund from the Delaware Sea Grant. In the years following the reef construction and oyster planting, the Center hopes to learn which areas of the bays are best suited for growing the oyster population.
Friday, December 6 2019 8:18 PM EST2019-12-07 01:18:07 GMT
Sunday, December 8 2019 6:01 PM EST2019-12-08 23:01:44 GMT
Wesley College in Dover (Photo: WBOC)
Wesley College in Dover (Photo: WBOC)
DOVER, Del. --- Weeks after Delaware gave Wesley College the second half of $2 million in funding, state officials say the small private college has requested an additional $3.2 million in taxpayer money for similar purposes. Bert Scogletti, a spokesman fMore
DOVER, Del. --- Weeks after Delaware gave Wesley College the second half of $2 million in funding, state officials say the small private college has requested an additional $3.2 million in taxpayer money for similar purposes. Bert Scogletti, a spokesman fMore
Friday, December 6 2019 8:18 PM EST2019-12-07 01:18:07 GMT
Sunday, December 8 2019 6:01 PM EST2019-12-08 23:01:44 GMT
Wesley College in Dover (Photo: WBOC)
Wesley College in Dover (Photo: WBOC)
DOVER, Del. --- Weeks after Delaware gave Wesley College the second half of $2 million in funding, state officials say the small private college has requested an additional $3.2 million in taxpayer money for similar purposes. Bert Scogletti, a spokesman fMore
DOVER, Del. --- Weeks after Delaware gave Wesley College the second half of $2 million in funding, state officials say the small private college has requested an additional $3.2 million in taxpayer money for similar purposes. Bert Scogletti, a spokesman fMore
Saturday, December 7 2019 6:29 AM EST2019-12-07 11:29:16 GMT
Saturday, December 7 2019 6:29 AM EST2019-12-07 11:29:16 GMT
A Delaware Superior Court judge's gavel.
A Delaware Superior Court judge's gavel.
Gov. John Carney says he's pleased to hear the Supreme Court has decided to hear a lower court's decision that invalidates provisions in the Delaware Constitution regarding political balance on the state's courts.More
Gov. John Carney says he's pleased to hear the Supreme Court has decided to hear a lower court's decision that invalidates provisions in the Delaware Constitution regarding political balance on the state's courts. More
Friday, December 6 2019 7:21 PM EST2019-12-07 00:21:13 GMT
Friday, December 6 2019 7:45 PM EST2019-12-07 00:45:04 GMT
DOVER, Del. --- For the first time in more than seven decades, Delaware's second largest city is poised to hire its first police chief from outside the ranks of its own law enforcement agency. Dover's Police Chief Selection Committee on Friday interviewedMore
DOVER, Del. --- For the first time in more than seven decades, Delaware's second largest city is poised to hire its first police chief from outside the ranks of its own law enforcement agency. Dover's Police Chief Selection Committee on Friday interviewedMore
Friday, December 6 2019 6:48 PM EST2019-12-06 23:48:07 GMT
Friday, December 6 2019 6:48 PM EST2019-12-06 23:48:47 GMT
The Good Ole Boy Foundation, a nonprofit group, is organizing a living nativity scene after a town policy prohibits unattended displays in the circle.More
The Good Ole Boy Foundation, a nonprofit group, is organizing a living nativity scene after a town policy prohibits unattended displays in the circle. More
Friday, December 6 2019 3:31 PM EST2019-12-06 20:31:50 GMT
Friday, December 6 2019 5:47 PM EST2019-12-06 22:47:03 GMT
Colonel Charles McGee flew to the Dover Airforce Base to celebrate his birthday. The Retired Tuskegee Airman will turn 100-years-old on Saturday.More
Colonel Charles McGee flew to the Dover Air Force Base to celebrate his birthday. The Retired Tuskegee Airman will turn 100-years-old on Saturday. More