Most restaurants on the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast have oysters on the menu. Fried, grilled, broiled, baked, or in soups and stews, oysters are one of the most popular seafood choices harvested from our coastal waters. With so much oyster eating going on, have you ever thought about what happens to all those oyster shells?
The Alabama Coastal Foundation, along with restaurant partners, created an oyster shell recycling program to put the shells back into the water. After the empty shells are collected from restaurants, they are placed outside for six months to cure. An advisory committee then decides when and where to place the shells in the water. The recycled shells provide a place for oyster larvae to settle and form new oyster reefs.
The value of oysters is greater than just a food source. According to the Alabama Coastal Foundation, some of the benefits include:
- Improving water quality: An adult oyster can filter 15 gallons of water per day.
- Providing habitat: Oyster reefs provide homes for fish, shrimp, crabs, birds and other animals.
- Limiting erosion: Oyster reefs are natural breakwaters that protect shorelines.
Find out more about the Oyster Shell Recycling Program and how to volunteer with the ACF on their website.