Spent oyster shells
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What once looked like waste has become a powerful tool for restoring marine life along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Between 2007 and 2024, the state returned more than 500,000 tons of recycled oyster and clam shells to the Gulf of Mexico as part of a long-term effort to rebuild damaged oyster reefs and coastal habitats. Rather than coming straight from the ocean, the shells were collected from seafood restaurants and processing plants.
Instead of ending up in landfills, the shells were placed in areas where natural oyster reefs had steadily disappeared over the years. At first, the project drew criticism, with some questioning whether it amounted to dumping waste into the ocean. In its early stages, there was little visible evidence that it was working, and even researchers were uncertain whether the effort would succeed. But beneath the surface, critical ecological processes had already begun.
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In New York harbor it’s about more than shells. Oyster farming has come back in a big way. . It’s partly a method of having oysters clean the water, but oysters were a significant food source here decades ago.
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