Oysters are an important ecological and economic resource, but oyster reefs, once dominant habitats in estuaries worldwide, have experienced greater losses than any other marine habitat. It is estimated that 90 percent of oyster reef habitats have been lost, compared to historic abundance. When oysters are harvested and removed for sale, that destructive dredging destroys the sea bottom. The removed shell almost never returns to the bay and is lost to those reefs, instead ending up in landfills as trash. Yo
HRI is working in key interlocking areas to restore our degraded oyster reef habitats: Researching the best practices for restoring degraded reef habitat; teaching the public about the value of recycling oyster shell to build new reefs; and assisting with research to an aquaculture industry in Texas that can take vital pressure off existing reefs.
Coastal Conservation and Restoration Chair Dr. Jennifer Pollack is an expert in oyster ecology and is studying the effectiveness and longevity of oyster restoration projects. Because of their proven environmental benefits, oyster reef restoration has become an increasingly popular environmental mitigation method in coastal communities worldwide and researchers have seen the success of these projects locally — a 2,000 linear foot reef installed by HRI and partners immediately before Hurricane Harvey in Goose