CSX completes fossilized oyster shell moves to Maryland

CSX Transportation recently moved the 22nd and final train filled with fossilized oyster shells from Florida to Chesapeake Bay, ending a year-long project carried out through a partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

Over the past 12 months, CSX has transported about 100,000 tons of the fossilized shells to help rebuild a habitat in two Maryland oyster sanctuaries. Trains carried the shells every 10 to 14 days to CSX's Curtis Bay export pier in Baltimore, where they were transferred to barges for trips to the eastern shore sanctuaries. The NFWF negotiated an agreement with CSX to transport the shells at cost.

"Oysters have been central to the Maryland way of life for centuries, and restoring the Chesapeake Bay's oyster beds is critical for this region's environment and the economy," said CSX Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Ward in a press release. "CSX is proud to be a part of this unique public-private partnership in helping to restore one of our nation's greatest natural assets."

The state of Maryland has planted more than 1 billion oysters in the Harris Creek Sanctuary since 2011, helping to boost the number of oysters per square meter by 25-fold.