The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 8 No. 4

Authors

John Tanacredi Ph.D., Molloy UniversityFollow

Document Type

Newsletter

Publication Date

3-2022

Abstract

The original five acre of land portion of the historic Blue Points Oyster Company is located at the southern end of Atlantic Ave in West Sayville, Islip Town, Suffolk County, New York on the shore of Great South Bay. The Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) is the science field station serving Molloy College’s BCES programs in Earth & Environmental Sciences and Biology. Our mission is to provide unique hands-on educational opportunities in the physical and life sciences, in collaboration with a host of Federal, State, and local and NGO groups, to bolster students’ career path. Great South Bay, where CERCOM was established has long been a source of food and income for long Islanders. Archaeological evidence discovered at historic sites in the area confirms that a Native American population harvested the bay for oysters and clams. The arrival of Dutch settlers on Long Island’s south shore built a prosperous commercial enterprise harvesting the bounty in the local waters. The ownership of the Bluepoint’s property dates back to the early 18th century when the King of England granted shellfish harvesting rights to colonial settlers. The title to the bay bottom was eventually consolidated by Jacob Ockers,“The Oyster King”, founder of the Bluepoint Oyster Company. In it’s heyday (1890 - 1910) the Bluepoint’s Company shipped over 2 million bushels of oysters out of their West Sayville facility annually.

Related Pillar(s)

Study, Community

Recommended Citation

Tanacredi, John Ph.D., "The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 8 No. 4" (2022). The Coastal Monitor. 11.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/cercomnews/11