FRIENDS OF THE BAY INC

Thank You to Everyone Who Helped Us
Launch the Season!

Thank you to everyone who made our Launch the Season fundraiser event an enormous success!

Many thanks to the owners and staff at the Clam Bar at Bridge Marine for hosting us and for the delicious food.

A Huge thank you to the businesses and individuals who donated good and services for our raffle and silent auction.

Kudos to our star event coordinator Kelsey Costello for her vision and execution of the event, and to Beth Dalton Costello for her outstanding management of it.

Scenes from Launch the Season 2022

Photo credit: Joe Catalano

Photo credit: Christine Suter

Thank You to Those Who Donated Goods and Services for Launch the Season

Bridge Marine
Felicia & Albert Anastasi
Blue Water Spa
Cafe Al Dente
Chrison & Bellina
Christina's Epicure
Color's of Cold Spring Harbor
Costello Family
Damm & Steuer
Susan Dembo Acupuncture
Digital Grahic Imagery
Pat Dolan
4U Nail
Hive Market
Intergrated Bodyworks
Jim Jaget, J. Jaget Custom Designs
Billy Joel
Carolyn & Joe Kenavan
Kitchen Designs by Ken Kelly
Mort Kunstler
Life Quest Natural Health Care
The Little Garage
Helen Lind Healing Massage and Bodywork
Long Island Picture Frame and Art Gallery
Mario's Pizza
Oyster Bay Yoga
The Paramount
Red Tomato
Sanctuary Home and Patio
Southdown Coffee
Smith Jewelers
Spadefoot Design and Construction
Taby's Burger House
Theodore's Books
Elaine Faith Thompson
Maureen Walsh
The WaterFront Center

Did you know...?

Did you know that we have diamondback terrapins in Oyster Bay?

Diamondback terrapins are the only species of semi-aquatic turtle that makes its home in brackish water. Brackish refers to water that has salinity levels higher than freshwater but lower than seawater.

Diamondback terrapins can be found in coastal marshes along the eastern and southern United States from Massachusetts to Texas, as well as in Bermuda.

There are six subspecies of diamondback terrapin. The subspecies found in Oyster Bay is the northern diamondback terrapin, or Malaclemys terrapin terrapin.

Terrapins have several unique adaptations that allow them to exist in water of varying salinities. Their skin is largely impermeable to salt, and they have lachrymal salt glands that enable them to excrete excess salt.

Diamondback terrapins are mostly carnivorous though they occasional eat some marshland vegetation. They have strong jaws that allow them to eat marine snails, crabs and small bivalves in addition to worms, fish and carrion.

Male and female diamondback terrapins exhibit sexual dimorphism. Male terrapins grow up to 4 or 5 inches long and can weigh about a pound, while females can grow up to 9 inches long and can weigh up to 4 pounds.

Terrapins mate during April and May and the females may mate with more than one male. The female will lay up to three clutches of eggs per year and the eggs will hatch between 60 and 85 days. The sex of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature of the eggs during incubation.

Diamondback terrapins were hunted to near extinction during the early 1900s because they were considered a culinary delicacy. Other causes for depletion in population size are coastal development and loss of habitat, trapping in crab fishery pots, and mortality by boat or automobile strike. Conservation status is different from state to state and the diamondback terrapin is considered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to have “near-threatened” status.

Fore more fun facts, follow our "Did you know" series every week on Facebook and Instagram, and every other week in the Oyster Bay Herald.

A Letter from Friends of the Bay on our
Declining Shellfish Population

11/3/21

This letter is an alert to all who appreciate the ecological and scenic value of Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor – those who enjoy the views, spend time on the beaches or cruising, sailing, fishing or paddling on the waterways.
    Most residents know that regional water quality has been improving since environmental legislation was enacted in the 1970s, bringing upgraded sewage treatment and other strategies to reduce pollution.
    But what many people in the area don’t know is that our shellfish population, particularly our namesake oysters, has suffered a serious decline. And fewer oysters and clams, which filter the water, means dirtier water and a threat to the livelihood of commercial harvesters and the health and enjoyment of recreational users.
   To deal with the problem, several steps should be taken. Friends of the Bay’s leadership met recently with Town of Oyster Bay officials to share our recommendations on shellfish management. The town was very receptive to our suggestions and had already planned to implement many of them.
   Friends of the Bay believes the following steps must be taken to improve the health of the bay and make the shellfish population sustainable for the long run:
Click here to continue reading.

By the Friends of the Bay Board of Directors