Restaurant Collection
We partner with local restaurants to collect discarded oyster shells, diverting them from landfills and preparing them for their next life in the bay.
Six-Month Curing
Shells are carefully aged for half a year in designated curing sites, naturally removing organic matter and preparing them for reef construction.
Return to the Estuary
Once cured, these recycled shells become the essential building blocks for new oyster reefs, providing critical substrate for spat settlement.
Restoration in Four Stages
Shell Collection
Natural Curing
Reef Preparation
Marsh Installation
Partnering with local eateries, we gather discarded oyster shells, giving them a second purpose in our estuaries.
Shells undergo a six-month natural curing process at our sites, ensuring they are clean and ready for reef construction.
Cured shells are bagged into mesh structures, creating stable, permeable units ready for strategic placement.
Our teams and volunteers deploy these shell bags at low tide, building living shorelines that protect and restore.
Monitoring Estuarine Health
Our foundation collaborates with university marine labs to conduct critical water quality monitoring. This research tracks key metrics like nitrogen reduction and spat settlement rates, providing the data needed to refine our restoration strategies.
By analyzing these scientific insights, we ensure our efforts contribute directly to improved marine biodiversity and stronger coastal resilience, creating thriving habitats for future generations.
Your involvement, whether through shell donations, research collaboration, or hands-on volunteering, directly fuels our mission to restore vital coastal ecosystems.