Freeport Tutors

About Freeport

Interestingly according to Freeport tutors the towns name became Freeport after residents cast a vote in 1853. The name was already in use to an extent by sea captains who regularly docked in the vicinity. They used it because they were allowed during colonial times to land their cargo here without having to pay any of the extensive custom duties that were demanded elsewhere. Prior to this name change the area was known as "Raynor South" after a herdsman called Edward Raynor, who was one of the earliest residents in the mid sixteen hundreds.

This part of the United States developed very quickly and with increased shipping into the area there was a negative impact on the natural environment. At one time according to Freeport tutors the waters were prime areas for catching oysters. Oystering was a big part of the village’s income and Freeport became known in the nineteenth century as the center for commercial oystering. This was short lived due to pollution. The once nutrient rich waters’ chemical balance was forever altered by the increased levels of pollution in Great South Bay, this meant that the oysters failed to thrive and as early as the twentieth century the numbers of oysters were irreparably depleted. In spite of the pollution, other types of seafood, e.g. certain species of fish continued to be readily available for fisherman to catch instead.

Oysters act as mini water filters, according to Freeport tutors one oyster can filter up to five liters of water in just one hour. This is how oysters eat, the process is called ‘filter-feeding’; The oysters draw the surrounding water in and over their gills via the gentle rhythmic movements of their cilia. As the water is drawn in, any food particles in the form of microscopic particles and plankton become stuck in the mucus of their gills. They then transport the food to their mouths so that the food can be eaten and digested. There are prime temperatures in which the oysters flourish and can eat more rapidly this usually occurs when the surrounding water temperature is above 10 degrees Celsius. There are no available statistics regarding the effect that the oysters had on Freeport’s coastal waters, but it is suspected that their disappearance greatly affected the local ecosystem. For an example another popular Oyster rich area Chesapeake Bay is said to have had the entire estuary’s water filtered by the oysters living there every three to four days. Now however due to the much smaller number of oysters it would take a whole year for the nutrients to be stripped from the water. The filtering done by the oysters helps to detoxify the waters limiting the potential for eutrophication.