OYSTERS BY THE
NUMBERS
Nutrient Removal Efficiency of Oysters
Average Nutrient Removal per Oyster:
- Nitrogen: 0.5 grams/day.
- Phosphate: 0.05 grams/day.
- Filtration Capacity: 50–130 gallons of water per day.
18-Month Impact (540 days per oyster):
- Nitrogen: 270 grams removed.
- Phosphate: 27 grams removed.
Nutrient Removal in a Rack of 10,000 Oysters
- Daily Filtration Capacity: 500,000 to 1.3 million gallons.
- Daily Nutrient Removal:
- Nitrogen: 5 kg (5,000 grams).
- Phosphate: 0.5 kg (500 grams).
18-Month Impact (Rack of 10,000 Oysters):
- Nitrogen: 2.7 metric tons removed.
- Phosphate: 270 kg removed.
- Water Filtered: 270 million to 702 million gallons.
Racks Needed for 1 million Gallons of Filtration Daily:
- At Minimum Rate (50 gallons/day per oyster): 2 racks.
- At Maximum Rate (130 gallons/day per oyster): Less than 1 rack.
Nutrient Removal for 1 million Gallons of Filtration (18 Months):
- Nitrogen: 1.35 to 2.7 metric tons.
- Phosphate: 135 to 270 kg.
Note: Over 18 months, one rack of 10,000 oysters filters between 270 million and 702 million gallons of water.