Greetings…Sammy Here!

“I’ll admit it. I’m a little nervous about writing a blog. But, after thinking about it, and consulting with my good friend, Louie de Lobstah, I guess I don’t really have a choice. I’m an Oyster. And apparently I’m One-in-a-Million. You can find out why by reading my story. And yes, I guess I’m a Hero, too. But why does that matter?

Louie pointed out, my destiny, my raizon d’etre (whatever those mean), is to educate the world
about how critical oysters are to the preservation of the ocean. And, he also pointed out that if
I could overcome my fear about catching a tide out to go find my BFF, Alison, (even though I
was inspired by a Fairy), I could certainly write a blog. I trust Louie. I hope he’s right. So here
goes…

We oysters do pretty impressive stuff. I’m sure you’ll be curious about some or all of the items
on the list. OK, so, let me run down some facts. Not to worry, I’ll explain each one in more
detail in later posts. So please check back.
Did you know:

1. Oysters are a Keystone Species.
2. We are pretty old and wise –we’ve been around for 350-500 million years.
3. We have been feeding humans since humans came on board.
4. In the early 1900’s, a million oysters were eaten a day in New York City
5. We are loaded with health benefits, and I mean LOADED.
6. Our clusters, whether large or small, provide nurseries for sea life until they grow up.
7. We love to eat nitrogen and that keeps Red Tide away.
8. We oysters filter 50 gallons of water a day ( I can do 100 gallons a day, that’s just me).
9. We build reef systems.
10. When we band together, we protect shorelines from storm surges.
11. Our reef systems that once hugged shorelines abound the world are 85% gone.
12. Some folks and organizations are on board to help me and all my cousins worldwide, but
    we need more.

I’m ok with writing the blog. I’ll do it to help. But it feels kinda lonely to me. Remember, we
oysters like to hook-up and stick together. So, please say ‘Hi’ and ask me questions. I’d rather a
dialogue than a monologue any day. It’ll also help me resolve the trauma of loneliness and
abandonment from my youth. I promise, you’ll get an answer from me personally, and NOT
from a BOT!

Looking ahead, I’m also excited to talk with folks about what they’re doing to help us, oysters,
and to report back. I say, spread the good word and the good works. I’m excited to share. We
can all use a dose of good news, right?

That’s it for now.”

Your friend, Sammy Spat