Abstract
In this paper, I speak about the bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) restoration efforts that are currently underway in Long Island, NY. Bay scallop restoration in Long Island is a complex process that continues to become more complex every year due to increasingly warm ocean water, pollution, parasites, diseases, and the northward migration of species that prey upon bay scallops (i.e., cownose rays) (Rhinoptera bonasus). Bay scallops in Long Island have suffered major losses since 2019 due to a coccidian parasite outbreak. Mortality rates of planted bay scallops in Long Island were at 99-100% in 2019-2020 due to this parasite. However, many ill-informed Long Islanders believed that cownose rays were responsible for the bay scallop’s demise. In this thesis, I aim to dispel the misinformation that disseminated about cownose rays causing mass scallop mortality in Long Island and discuss the innovative ways that bay scallop restoration efforts have been able to succeed in Long Island. Without eelgrass restoration efforts, ingenuity from bay scallop restoration workers, and an incredible amount of community support, bay scallops would not exist in Long Island waters today. However, it is time for Long Island’s communities to do more to help keep their bays healthy, otherwise, bay scallop restoration efforts may prove futile into the future.