GULF SHORES, ALABAMA (RFD News) — Oysters are a staple along Alabama’s coast, but they do more than end up on a plate. They help filter water and support marine life. That is why extension experts and local groups are working to keep shells out of landfills and back in the water.
Now, a partnership between the Alabama Coastal Foundation and Auburn Extension is putting that into action. Shells from restaurants are collected, cleaned, and returned to the water, where they can support new growth.
Associate Auburn Extension Professor P.J. Waters says those shells are key to rebuilding reefs: “We’d like to see those not end up in the landfill. We need to get those back where they can do the work that they’re designed for.”
Waters has spent much of his career studying reef restoration. He says oysters act as the foundation of the system.
Oyster gardeners are also raising young oysters before placing them back into coastal waters. Dennis Hatfield with the Little Lagoon Preservation Society says people have been eager to get involved.
“We’ve got a lot of people that are passionate about the Lagoon and want to keep it clean and want to help it however they can,” Hatfield said. “It was apparent right away that people really like the idea of growing oysters.”
Recent extension data shows Alabama produces more than 10 million farmed oysters each season.
