A group of marine scientists, students, and oyster farmers standing on a wharf in Phippsburg Maine.

Meet The Basin Oyster Project Team

Welcome to the Basin Oyster Project in Phippsburg Maine

The Basin Oyster Project is a collaborative initiative between individuals an organizations who are working together to build oyster reefs in Maine. These reefs are designed to improve the local ecosystem by enhancing water quality, creating habitats for shellfish regeneration, and to help play a crucial role in erosion prevention and shoreline protection.

Our project is supported by various sectors of the community; including commercial fishermen, town conservation committees, environmental research organizations, shellfish commissions, education institutions, and residents, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between the commercial fishing community, the local economy, and coastal habitat restoration.

Check out our recent newsletters to keep up to date with our progress and get in touch to find out how you can help support this project.

Want to get involved?

Reach out to us directly for more information on how to:

Donate to the project
Volunteer your time
Arrange a school field trip
Book a private tour

The story so far..

Greetings from The Basin

In this video Dot Kelly, scientist and member of the Phippsburg Conservation Commission, explains the oyster reef restoration project along the coast of the New Meadows River.

Our SOAR Grant from The Nature Conservancy

In this video we learn how the Basin Oyster Project and our peers from around the country are working closely with The Nature Conservancy to tackle these challenges.

Underwater Drone Exploration

In this video Dot Kelly and Captain Joe Jerome survey different areas with suitable substrate for our baby oysters to grow, using our Sofar Trident Drone to dive underwater and send high definition imaging back to a remote control screen as we study the health of the habitat.

Bowdoin College Fieldwork at The Basin

Bowdoin College students taking water samples at the Basin Oyster Project in Phippsburg as part of their undergraduate marine biology class. These results have been added to our ongoing water quality monitoring database.

Coastal Habitat Restoration Seminar

In this video Caitlin Cleaver presents the future of our project at a coastal habitat seminar.

The project’s long-term ambitions are to establish an oyster reef and develop an integrated social-scientific model for coastal restoration that could be replicated across the state of Maine.

Reef Restoration Presentation at the Sierra Club

In this video we learn about oyster restoration and the collaborative, community-based approach to addressing rapid environmental change in coastal Maine.