Did you know about oyster shell recycling?
I was not aware of this type of recycling much less that it is being successfully carried out in our local area. An area seafood restaurant is recycling oyster shells allowing them to be carried off to a site where the shells are cured and bleached by the sun. This takes about six months, then the shells are reused in Galveston Bay. These oyster shells provide a substrate for oyster larvae to settle and begin growth. This recycling program is helping to restore oysters which were mined until the 1930s and also devastated by Hurricane Ike. It is said that each oyster filters up to fifty gallons of water per day which helps with water quality and clarity. Oyster reefs also provide fish habitats and act as a natural buffer to slow wave action and erosion. This program is ongoing with the help of the local restaurant, community based oyster gardening and groups of young people from environmental school programs.
2 comments:
That's a great program! I wasn't aware of it.
yeah, I had never heard of it either and I live right here. It sounds really neat. I am not sure that I understand all of it, but it sounds like a great effort by lots of folks.
Post a Comment