Do you ever wonder what happens to those shells after you finish off a dozen oysters at your favorite seafood restaurant?

Many of those eateries are taking part in an oyster recycling program started last year by the Alabama Coastal Foundation and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Republic Services collects the shells that would have previously been thrown away and delivers them to a site where they are stored outside. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources then loads them onto barges and puts the shells back into restoration areas. Those areas help more oysters grow, provide habitat, limit erosion and improve water quality. An adult oyster can filter 15 gallons of water a day.

A two-year grant helped get the program started, but hopefully it will be self-sustaining after that time period.

While the program started out with restaurants along the Causeway between Mobile and Baldwin counties, many Gulf Shores and Orange Beach dining spots now take part in the effort. Click here for a full list of participating restaurants. If your favorite seafood joint is not on the list, have them call Mark Berte, Alabama Coastal Foundation director at 251-990-6002.

Be sure to support restaurants that do participate in the program, and let them know you appreciate the effort to protect local fisheries, as well as local waters.