Call it “Shells for Shorelines” on Florida’s west coast or “Oyster-Ring-Making” on the state’s east coast. Either way, they’re great examples of marine environment stewardship and restoration that’s ultimately good for all marine dealers and customers alike.
“Shells for Shorelines” is an initiative of Tampa Bay Watch, a nonprofit dedicated to the stewardship of the marine and wetland environments in the Tampa Bay, the state’s 400-square-mile estuary. Essentially, the effort collects discarded oyster shells from participating local restaurants and uses them to build either living shorelines or oyster gardens on which the eastern oysters can resettle, thrive and revitalize the bay’s ecosystem.
The eastern oyster was once abundant in Tampa Bay. Estimate place the density of oyster reefs in the bay as high as 2,000 acres in the 1940s. Today, that number is down to an estimated 171 acres. Oysters provide critical habitat for other crustaceans and invertebrates and food foraging areas for a large number of fish and crab species so popular with the region’s anglers.
Additionally, oysters provide a natural cleansing system for bay waters. One adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water each day. They feed on suspended phytoplankton and algae and sequester other particulates. The result is clearer water that stimulates increased growth of important seagrasses and fish habitat.
Tampa Bay Watch reportedly began piloting its “Shells for Shorelines” program in February 2022 with seven local restaurants volunteering to be test sites. Amazingly, the seven restaurants have helped Tampa Bay Watch recycle more than 102,000 pounds of oyster shells so far.
According to Richard Radigan, Tampa Bay Watch’s Oyster Shell Program manager, “We use them in a number of our projects, whether it’s our living shoreline project or our vertical oyster garden program, and these shells provide substrate for the oysters to settle on and live their lives. They help stabilize the shoreline when they create these large reefs and the success of the pilot has proven our ability to scale the program. We’re aiming to have 20 restaurants participating by 2026,” Radigan adds.
Tampa Bay Watch staff and volunteers go to each participating restaurant, pick up buckets of shells and take them to the nonprofit’s specialized cleaning and curing station. Participating restaurants include OysterCatchers in Tampa; Crabby Bill’s Restaurants on St. Pete Beach and Indian Rocks Beach; The Helm Coastal Fare and Provisions on St Pete Beach; CoCo’s Crush Bar and Grill, Clearwater Beach; The Oyster Bar, St. Pete; and The Island Grille and Raw Bar in Tierra Verde.
While this blog focuses on Tampa Bay, it’s important to note similar oyster shell programs are successfully being undertaken in many other areas, such as Chesapeake and Pensacola bays.
Oyster Rings
Volunteers turned out in big numbers for the Coastal Conservation Association kickoff of its 2024 Habitat Restoration Season in which participants engaged in crafting oyster rings.
Teaming up last Sunday morning with the University of Central Florida, 56 students and CCA volunteers built 370 oyster rings. In as little as six months, each of these rings will accommodate up to 100 baby oysters from which the surrounding waters and marine life will prosper. The rings are composed of cement and wrapped with oyster shells.
Within six months of planting, 50 to 100 “baby” oysters will take up residence on each ring. In just one year, 1.000 oysters per square meter will live in the oyster field. Those oysters will filter an estimated 1 million gallons of water every day.
The event was held at the UCF Biology Field Research Center in Orlando. The finished oyster rings are slated to be deployed in the popular boating and fishing areas of Mosquito and Indian River lagoons on the state’s east coast. They will help restore damaged oyster reefs there. To date, this CCA/UCF initiative has been responsible for an amazing 17-million-plus oysters.
Efforts like these may often go unrecognized by the area marine businesses, but clearly they shouldn’t. These groups deserve involvement and support by all who know and benefit from clean water and good fishing opportunities. Enough said?
